Social and environmental responsibility
DAPHNE
Scholarships: Children of Santa Cruz are sponsored to participate in courses of the Ecuadorian Culture Center Benjamin Carrion in order to learn more about their culture.
Internships on board: We gave A-level students of Santa Cruz Education Unit San Francisco the chance to do interships on board of the Daphne.
Donations: Didactic material for the Cornelio Izquierdo School, Isabela; sporting uniforms for the Hossana Athletics Club, Santa Cruz; paying for the class rooms of Miguel Angel Cazares Highschool, Santa Cruz.
ECOVENTURA: Eric, Letty and Flamingo I; Skydancer
In collaboration with WWF, Ecoventura works in the project Galapagos Marine Biodiversity Fund. In this context, we support the
control and the surveillance of the Galapagos Marine Reserve; also, we provide scholarships to students to study tourism or environmental administration, and we support the improvement of the infrastructure of the school of Baquerizo Moreno. Furthermore, we help the wives of the fishermen in Baquerizo Moreno to establish a restaurant, and we participate in the repopulation of sea cucumbers. To protect the marine wildlife, Ecoventura recycles used oils from the mechanics of Porto Ayora.
Ecoventura is a pioneer in the implementation of certification standards for the decrease of emissions of CO2 in the country and has collaborated with the CarbonNeutral Company.
Further activities in the Galapagos include:
- Recycling of garbage and used oils (est. 1999)
- Local purchase of vegetables and meat (est. 2002)
- Establishment of the foundation “Gotitas de Esperanza” in Porto Baquerizo Moreno, which is dedicated to help disabled children (2005)
BEAGLE
Anita Hughes and Luis Arregui are known to have created a series of children’s literature books with board game components: The interactive stories of the little dog Sabuesito. Financed and promoted by the yate Beagle and its owner, Georgina Marten de Cruz, the creators of Sabuesito could adapt their educative game system to the Galapagos Islands. 
After a 2 years´ phase of design, the game Sabuesito in the Enchanted Isles, was implemented first in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, in August 2006. In this event participated about 50 children of the island with great emotion. 230 of the books were donated to communities on all four inhabited Galapagos Islands.
The concept of the game is to promote a better understanding in children of the importance of their world’s natural heritage.
The game or book contains forty enthralling stories which take the children into a world of mysteries and riddles. Accompanied by the little dog Sabuesito, they explore different paths on the islands, learning in an attractive way about the environmental wealth of the Galapagos Islands and its conservation.
ROYAL PALM HOTEL
In collaboration with Conservation International we are carrying out a pilot project to protect our ecosystems against introduced species: 5ha of our property are in process of reforestation with endemic species of the Galapagos. The project will be extended to cover 202ha.
Other activities:
- Support of the gastronomic school of the National College Galapagos with classes and chats.
- Support of Santa Cruz communities: 80% of the employees are locals.
- Program of internal recycling, which supplements with the one realized by the Municipality of Santa Cruz (recognized as the best in Ecuador)
TERMAS DE PAPALLACTA
In 1990, the Spa and Resort Termas de Papallacta created a Foundation which since then contributes to the conservation of a 250 hectares´ protected area. The Terra Foundation is linked to the hotel, but independent in its operation.
The program of conservation consists of training the local community in environmental issues and in providing information to visitors about local flora and fauna. To the latter contributes by now also an Exploratory Center of environmental information.
Foot paths and guides (optional) lead visitors into an area rich of animals: 26 mammal species are to be found and observed there – some in danger of extinction, such as the spectacled bear, the northern pudu deer (“dwarf deer”) and the cervicabra (Manzana rufina). With its more than 160 bird species, it is also a paradise for bird walks; the Andean condor, the masked tanager and the sword-billed hummingbird are the most outstanding birds of the area.
ROLF WITTMER: TIP TOP II and III
We are applying a system of rechargeable lanterns to eliminate the use of alkaline batteries that have a negative impact on the environment. For that, we have installed lanterns with rechargeable batteries in our Galapagos fleet.
The revolutionary system of filters, Puradyn, helps us to reduce the use of oils. We ar in the process of installing this system in all of our ships of the Tip Top Fleet, to reuse the oil of Diesel motors. Therewith, we are going to minimize the consumption and use of polluting oils.
FINCH BAY HOTEL
In 1998, Metropolitan Touring created the Foundation Galápagos-Ecuador, with the objective to devote efforts toward organizing educational and environmental projects.
Trough joint efforts with other colleague operators, the Fabricio Valverde Environmental Park was established. There, 40% of the waste materials generated in Santa Cruz are processed, constantly working towards a 70%. Between 2000 and 2006 there have been collected and recycled 558 tons of waste.
In the Park Centre, organic waste is turned into compost which is then used as fertilizer by farmers on Santa Cruz; inorganic waste is segregated into plastic, glass and cardboard refuse, and partly used as construction material.
The Park´s Interpretation Center has beencreated to educate visitors as well as natives in the importance of waste treatment.
In collaboration with organizations like Fundación Coca Cola, local fishermen are hired to travel around the various islands with volunteers on board, who collect waste that harms the unique fauna. For artisan fishermen, this work has become an important supplement to their traditional activity, which is increasingly restricted due to the restricted fishing seasons and illegal fishing.
HACIENDA ZULETA
Through its tourism business the Plaza family pays for maintaining the cultural heritage of 10.000 square meter colonial arquitecture and the Caranqui arqueological site dating back to 700AD and it is the major donator and fund raiser for the non-profit Galo Plaza Lasso Foundation, which was founded in 1990.
Hacienda Zuleta runs a child care center and a library which offers extra curricular activities, workshops and kichua lessons, all as a free service for people from Zuleta and four other surrounding communities. We support a women´s embroidery cooperative, manage a recycling program and inform both locals and guest about important and educational topics related to the Hacienda in our monthly bilingual newspaper.
In 1998 the Hacienda together with the community designated 4.077 hectares of primary forest and paramo as private protected area, the adjoining valley is a restricted area where we reintroduce native plants and where the Foundation runs a Condor rehabilitation project which aims to bring back the majestic Andean Condor to our region. At the Interpretation Center we teach kids about endangered species and nature conservancy, so far about 6000 children have visited the project;
MONSERRAT
Terranova Foundation is a non profitable organization committed with the conservation of the ecosystem and sustainable development in the country. In addition to promoting donations onboard the MONSERRAT Yacht in Galapagos, its tour operator is commitment to support with Terranova’s administrative and operational costs, so that all contributions received are invested entirely on projects.
YACHANA
is a Quichua word that means “a place for learning”. The
Foundation’s most important project is the Yachana Technical High School serving approximately 100 students from throughout the Amazon region of Ecuador. Eighty percent of the students are indigenous from families who cannot afford education. The student education is very practical and prepares them to lead a better life in their surroundings.
The Foundation has been involved in many community projects since it began in 1992. These include the construction and management of the Mondaña Clinic from 1997 – 2005 when it was passed over to the Ministry of Health.
More about Yachana Foundation projects at www.yachana.org.ec
