When the Houston Zoo opens its new Galápagos Islands habitat in April, it will represent a connection to the Islands that began years ago.
Over the past ten years, the Houston Zoo has built a strong relationship with the people of the Galápagos. The Zoo has provided grants that fund conservation efforts on the Islands as well as offered support in other ways.
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One of the programs the Houston Zoo’s help benefits is Fundación ECOS. The Zoo pays the salary for one of the conservationists who works with teens on wildlife projects in Galápagos.
They also facilitate collaboration between teens on the Islands and teens in Houston. While much of the work is done virtually, a group of teens from Houston will connect with their counterparts in Galápagos next summer.
Fundación ECOS has impacted the lives of thousands of teenagers on the Islands, and many continue in the field of conservation. Some teens are even empowered to create their own programs. We met four teens who are part of a project called “Jovenes Protectores de Tortugas” or the guardians of the tortoises.
These teens saw a problem with migration patterns of the Galápagos giant tortoise. The tortoises follow the exact same route as they migrate from the highlands to the lowlands and back each year. A giant tortoise can live to 150 years, possibly more. But some of these roads are recently built.
The Guardians monitor high traffic areas collecting data with the goal of finding solutions to this dangerous problem.
Conservationists tell me one of the biggest problems facing life on the Galápagos is invasive species. Fundación ECOS teens also go out to volunteer with a group that tracks down and removes African snails from the region.
It’s speculated the snails ended up here because some people were using them for facials or possibly soup. No matter how this invasive species got here, one African snail can produce 1,000 offspring a year!
The work to remove them is done in the damp highlands with sticks and a K-9 dog. The snails are difficult to find because they are buried beneath stacks of leaves.
During a short period with us, they found six African snails - enough to prevent the creation of thousands more.
During our week in Galápagos, we saw teens working on sea turtle programs, tracking giant tortoises, and removing those invasive snails.
What the Houston Zoo representatives on this trip tell me they are most proud of with these teens, is they are leading the charge to save the Galápagos. The Zoo doesn’t tell them what projects to do, they listen and give any help they can.
While the wildlife in Galápagos is certainly unique, the Houston Zoo’s support of local conservation programs spans the globe. KPRC 2′s team has featured the Houston Zoo’s work in Rwanda, Madagascar, Borneo, Brazil, and in our home state of Texas. The incredible work is made possible due to Zoo guests whose admission tickets, membership fees, and gift shop purchases all add up to support successful wildlife conservation programs around the world.