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
LAS
CASCADAS JUNGLE LODGE
Las
Cascadas Jungle Lodge, product of Surtrek Tour Operator,
owns 300 hectares of primary and secondary rainforest in
the Province of Pastaza, Ecuador. In collaboration with
Vitalideas,
Surtrek is conserving this area to protect the ecosystems.
Forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
They also conserve biodiversity, soil and water resources.
In order to avoid deforestation in this area and support
local communities, Surtrek and Vitalideas are developing
projects to offer economical and environmental friendly
alternatives to rural communities. Currently, a project
in rural development is taking place in the community of
Cajabamba II, the village where Las Cascadas Jungle Lodge
is located .The project provides local farmers with capacity
building trainings in organic production, recycling methods
and organizational strengthening. As a result of this cooperation,
the community will build a greenhouse and start producing
organic products that will be sold to surrounding hotels
and restaurants, including to Las Cascadas Jungle Lodge.
The idea came directly from community members. This project
is based on a participatory approach, making people deciding
and becoming the main actors of their own development.
