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Gap Year & Career Gap Ventures > Galapagos Venture
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Page 4 of 9
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Galapagos Venture Phase
3:
Conservation and Habitat Development Project on San Cristobal Island
Weeks 9, 10 and 11.
Total time: Three Weeks
"I led the first small pioneer group on the islands and none of us really knew what to expect but I think we were all touched by the ‘magic’ of the islands and the enthusiasm of the local people we worked with. We all soon felt comfortable in our surroundings with a sense of ownership over the project and the welfare of the islands."
James Heal – Galapagos Project Leader 2005
Galapagos Background
1,000 Km offshore and straddling the Equator, the Galapagos Islands consist
of 6 main islands, 12 smaller ones and over 40 islets, all of which are
the tips of ocean-bed volcanoes. When measured from the ocean floor, these
islands would be the highest mountains on Earth, even higher than Mount
Everest! The islands have never been connected to the mainland and gradually,
over the millennia, plants and animals have washed up on their shores,
carried over from the mainland. The Galapagos species have grown apart
from their mainland ancestors and are now unique to the islands, "endemic".
The greatest threat to endemic species, both plant and animal, is from
introduced species which are often more vigorous and aggressive.
The project is funded from The VentureCo
Trust .
Project Background
VentureCo's projects on the Galapagos Islands are helping to repair and
conserve the natural habitat so that endemic fauna can thrive.Our project
HQ is on San Cristobal Island where we work in partnership with Jatun
Sacha, a local Non Governmental Organisation dedicated to conservation
of Ecuador's natural habitats. There is a tremendous amount of work to
be done: tasks vary from doing site surveys, identifying and counting
native species and eradicating introduced plants.It's not all work and
no play! Weekends are free to explore some of the sites around San Cristobal
Island and the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is never far away for a
taste ofthe local lifestyle.
Aims and Objectives of the Project
The aim of the project is the preservation of the natural environment on San
Cristobal. The principle objectives of the Project are:
- The removal and eradication of non-native plant species.
- Re-planting vulnerable indigenous trees such as the Scalesia to encourage
the natural regeneration of indigenous fauna.
Beneficiaries
- The local environment (native plants and indigenous wildlife)
- Local communities
- Visiting naturalists
- The world at large!
What will I be doing?
- These are first and foremost practical projects. You may be working
in remote bush conditions, with no facilities during the day. It may
be hot or muddy or both.
- Clearing and maintaining plots of land of introduced plant species.
We will equip you with a machete and show you how to use it! We will
also show you who the bad guys are, so that you will quickly be able
to recognise indigenous plants compared to introduced ones.
- Light construction work: there is always a building project of one
form or another, so digging footings, mixing cement, building walls,
installing timber finishing work etc. You will be trained in the basic
techniques and an experienced builder works alongside you, to keep the
project true to plumb-lines!
- Clearing footpaths and labelling trees (easy after having spent some
time in the bush with a machete!) so that the concept of conservation
is introduced at primary school level.
- The hub of our weekend activities is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, a charming
port town where sea, sun, seabirds and sailboats coexist in happy equilibrium.
Your role in making the project work
Your role in making the project work: As you can see, VentureCo projects
provide direct aid to worthy causes in many parts of the developing world.
So where do the Venturers fit in to all of this? There's no doubt that
it's the hard work, dedication and teamwork from Venture groups that gets
each project started: every Venturer plays a vital role in making the
project a success. We find that within every group are a wide range of
skills and talents that can be drawn upon at different stages to complete
the project. For example, interpersonal skills that help the group "bond"
and form an effective team; practical skills such as language, the use
of basic hand-tools and the ability to provide a decent meal from "challenging"
ingredients, all help to make the project team efficient and self-sustaining.
Venturers with a talent for art, music or sport make all the difference
during project "down-time" (especially at our remote sites!)
and a positive approach fired by the desire to help others will provide
the motivation to keep the group on track throughout the project.
Project Funding
Funding for the development project comes directly from the VentureCo Trust. For each person that joins a Venture, we as a company, donate $400 to the Trust. 100% of the money, that is every penny, the Trust receives is spent on projects. VentureCo the company, takes care of the staffing and admin’ costs. To date, the Trust has funded 63 development projects around the world.
For more information on the VentureCo Trust and the projects it supports, click here.
Afterwards
Life can seem very tame when you return home from a place like South America. It’s important to retain contact with your fellow Venturers to help put your travel experiences into context. VentureCo host an annual reunion party every September to help you achieve this. The event is open to all Venturers, past and present and is an important date in the social calendar!
Where else do VentureCo operate in South America?
Onward Travel:
There are numerous options within South and Central America.
- Head south to the Patagonian icecap or Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Cross the Andes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Bag more high altitude peaks in Bolivia and Ecuador.
- Travel north to the Mayan and Aztec heartlands of Central America.,
- Fly home via Cuba or North America.
Between us, the VentureCo crew has explored all 11 South American countries as well as the Galapagos Islands. Call us to talk through your ideas and develop a travel plan.
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