Charity of the week

Located off the coast of

Ecuador, the

Galápagos

Islands make up a magical archipelago teeming with the wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Galapagos Conservancy (galapagos.org) was established to conserve the unique biodiversity found on these islands. Its efforts include protecting Galápagos tortoises, gentle giants that can be found only on the archipelago. Through breeding and rearing, the conservancy aims to bring the tortoise population back to its historic numbers and repopulate the islands where they became extinct. The U.S.-based organization also works with an array of international scientists and institutions to protect the populations of the Galápagos Marine Reserve—sea lions, whales, seals, and other animals—from illegal fishing, pollution, and invasive species.