Floreana: Bringing back the wild

27 Aug 2024
When a species disappears from an ecosystem, it leaves an irreplaceable gap in our natural world. Every living thing, from the tiniest microscopic organisms and insects, to birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, interact with each other in intricate ways. In some ecosystems, especially on islands where there are fewer species, the loss of a single species disrupts these interactions, causing a ripple effect.

Rewilding, the reintroduction of species that have disappeared from a place, can restore ecological processes and degraded landscapes.

That's exactly what we are doing on Floreana Island in the Galapagos. Many unique species on the island were hunted out by humans or by predators we brought to the islands. People who live on Floreana witnessed some of this loss. They want to bring back the diversity of life that they grew up with, or that they heard about from their own parents and grandparents.

The Floreana Island Restoration Project is led by the Galapagos National Park, the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency, and co-executed by Jocotoco, with technical and scientific support from other national and international institutions. Together, we are working to restore the ecosystem and reintroduce 12 locally extinct species. We recently reached a milestone - while invasive species control continues, by the end of 2023, nearly no invasive predators were left. This will set the stage for a triumphant return of native wildlife.

"Right now, we have a unique opportunity to change the trajectory of Floreana's future, for its wildlife and for its people," said Eliécer Cruz, Jocotoco's Galapagos Program Director. Cruz was born and raised on Floreana and has been working tirelessly to restore his childhood home. He was formerly Governor of the Galapagos province and sat on the President's Cabinet as Minister of the Galapagos for two years. Today, Eliécer is one of the most influential and accomplished conservationists in Latin America. "When you look around the world, you can see so much loss. Deforestation, extinctions, climate change. But what we are doing here, on Floreana today, provides hope. It is a model for the rest of the world."

Meet the 12 Species Returning to Floreana

As part of this incredible reintroduction process, 12 locally extinct species will soon call Floreana home once again. Each of these species is endemic to the Galapagos or to Floreana itself.

Learn more about each species HERE

The restoration of Floreana is a critical step toward a future in harmony with nature. Donate today to reach our goal of $2,878,000 before the end of the year - we already have more than $2 million. DONATE HERE.