Ecologist Anne Tyson Gets Bugged in the Galapagos Islands

Anne just got her degree in environmental science.  Stuck in classrooms for the last 3 plus years, she really had the need to travel.  When you study ecology, you study the world, so there's an endless bombardment of cool places to go.  Anne had witnessed her parents going on a number of, well, meaningless vacations.  They either went because it was expected or it was an attempt to œget away. 

College wasn't something she was escaping or running from.  The need to venture out into the world is a natural outgrowth of the awareness and skills gained in school.  She was ready.  Actually, she'd been ready for sometime.  Ever since she first fell in love with the study of nature, she was fascinated by the life and influence of Charles Darwin. 

Darwin's theories have undergone transformation and scrutiny since the mid-1800s, when he developed his theory of natural selection and eventually wrote his most well known work, The Origin of Species.  But he was still revered as the man who first made the world aware of the importance and beauty of the natural environment.

In 1831, fresh out of Cambridge University in England, Darwin took off on a 5-year expedition to discover nature.  He received no pay.  Darwin became friends with Captain Robert FitzRoy, on the HMS Beagle, and together they circumnavigated the world, spending over 3 years of the 5 exploring the coastline, flora and fauna of southern South America.

For Ann, she could think of no better way to rediscover at least part of Darwin's legacy than a trip to the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos Islands are a group of volcanic islands located on the equator about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.  The sub-tropical climate supports lush vegetation combined with an average of ten inches of rainfall per year.

Darwin did not discover the Galapagos, but the Islands are where he made many discoveries because of the varied flora and fauna and where he began to develop his theories on natural selection.  Actually, the Islands were a popular hangout for Spanish pirates in the 1500-1600s, and later frequented by Whalers in the 1700-1800s. 

The Enchanted Islands'as mariners used to call them'are considered one of the best scuba diving areas in the world.  Darwin's Arch”a large carved rock in the form of an arch”marks the spot where many scuba divers anchor their boats to swim with whales, whale sharks and a vast array of other underwater life. 

But the Galapagos is best known for its giant tortoises.  Geochelone tortoises have been around for 30 million years.  But since arriving in Galapagos from the South American continent, they have evolved in isolation on the islands and volcanoes of the archipelago.

There are many kinds of tours to the Galapagos, from small sailboats to luxury cruises.  But Ann had another way to get her to the Galapagos.  She decided to volunteer for the Charles Darwin Research Station through the Charles Darwin Organization.  She liked the idea of working as a volunteer making no pay much in the way Darwin received no pay on his fabled trip.

She had saved her money all through college and was ready for the experience of her life.  The dormitory at the Research Station would cost her $6 a night and about the same for three meals a day.  She had plenty saved to cover airfare and stay for at least three months.  She also learned Spanish, which the Darwin Organization deemed mandatory.

She focused her volunteer efforts in the œCampaign to Save Alcedo, part of an overall effort to restore the ecosystems of Isabela, the largest island in the archipelago and home to the largest number of species of giant tortoises in Galapagos.  Alcedo is the name of the volcano on the island.  Many of these tortoises are over 100 years old and found nowhere else on earth.

The introduction of goats on Isabela has wreaked havoc for the tortoises.  The goats eat and trample the low vegetation that the tortoises eat, and then shred the canopies of the protective trees, exposing both the island's volcanic soil and tortoises to the harsh sun.  Another island, Santiago Island, has nearly been deforested.  Poachers have killed dozens of tortoises.  So the Galapagos are not quite what they were during Darwin's day.

Most of the ever-increasing human population in the islands' mostly immigrants from Ecuador”is still unaware of the efforts of the Charles Darwin Research Station, the need for sustainable fishing or what's at stake for the biodiversity and natural resources of the islands.  Tourism is the main economic activity.  Fishing has also substantially increased.  They fish primarily for sea cucumbers and shark to satisfy the desires of the Asian market.  Like the tortoise, the populations of these species have been seriously reduced.  

Ann fell in love with the natural wonder of the Galapagos, and in a silent tribute to her hero Darwin, she became instrumental in instituting bans on migration to the islands and on all commercial fishing and the creation of a system of inspection and quarantine to control the number of new species introduced to the islands.  Darwin would've been proud.