The Galapagos Islands have captured hearts and captivated imaginations for centuries. Such is their ecological importance that in 1978 the archipelago was declared the first ever World Heritage Site, a testament to our collective desire to preserve the magic and diversity that inspired Darwin. Monty Halls first visited the islands almost twenty years ago and his immediate fascination with their wild beauty would go on to shape the rest of his life. As an explorer, marine biologist, ex-Royal Marine and now President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, Monty is a passionate advocate for those fighting to save the Galapagos. In 2017, he and his dedicated research team - his wife, Tam, and their two young daughters, Molly and Isla - moved to Santa Cruz to experience just what life is like in the world's most spectacular tourist destination. As weeks turned into months, the Halls family were in turn spellbound by the beauty of the islands and heartbroken by the devastation that humans are inflicting upon them. One stint there was never going to be enough, and just two years later they found themselves heading back, this time staying on one of the remotest and most challenging islands, diving into the culture of the Galapagos and the desperately needed conservation work taking place there. Written with warmth, humour, and authority, My Family and the Galapagos follows Monty and his family as they navigate life on the most important archipelago on the planet and strive to preserve it for generations to come.

Jeannette gets her chance to live out a lifelong dream and travel to the Galápagos Islands. What will she find there? Will the trip meet up to her expectations? Read this book to find out.

Alex Thurston, a World War Two veteran, falls upon unbelievable wealth. He keeps it secret for years. Finally when near death he and his son, AJ, journey by sailboat to claim it. What happens on the way far surpasses any treasure they find. The adventure they experience brings them in contact with a cast of old and new friends, but more than any adventures experienced it draws them closer than ever imagined.

Life is pretty good for Chet, a giant dome-backed tortoise native to the Galapagos islands, who takes centre stage in this incredible story of spirited resistance. Blessed with a mate he loves, a couple of healthy offspring, and a ready supply of dwarf apples and opuntia cactus, he has little cause for complaint. Moreover, he’s well thought of by the other island residents and can count among his friends a wide range of colorful creatures, including sea lions, marine iguanas, brown pelicans, blue footed boobies, and lava lizards. Not that life is altogether perfect with the ever present threat of volcanic eruption to contend with, and yet it’s a settled existence full of small pleasures, and regular seasonal changes, which suits Chet and his family very well. However, things are about to change dramatically, and take a serious turn for the worse, when a terrible menace appears on the far horizon, heading ever closer to shore . . . This looming menace takes the form of a marauding pirate vessel blown off course after being separated from its sister ship. As such, it represents a very different kind of threat to that posed by the island’s natural predators, such as hawks, herons, and mockingbirds. Instead of just filling their bellies, these bloodthirsty buccaneers are hellbent on stripping the island of its every last edible morsel, and won’t let anything get in their way. Faced with such mortal danger, the moment has arrived for all creatures great and small to stand up and be counted. One thing is for certain – it will take all of their ingenuity, audacity, and courage to survive this perilous encounter and drive the murderous invaders away.

Water resources in tourist islands have been severely threatened, especially in the Galápagos Islands, where the increased local population has generated attractive income from the tourist services. In addition, the data regarding water supply and demand are scarce. This study investigates water supply and demand in Santa Cruz, the most populated island of Galápagos. The research encompasses a thorough assessment of the water supply crisis, as well as the quantification of water demand from different categories (domestic, tourist, restaurants and laundries) through surveys, in the absence of water metering. Also, specific water demand was assessed by installing 18 water meters. The results yield a wide range of water consumption, questioning the current assumption of water scarcity. Furthermore, a prognosis of water supply and demand was carried out, and also several intervention strategies were proposed such as rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, leakage reduction, water meter installation, water demand reduction, as well as seawater desalination to cope with the future population growth. Due to the fragility of the ecosystem, these strategies were assessed through a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, considering environmental, technical, economic and social aspects, as well as relevant stakeholders’ perspectives. finally, the water supply network of Puerto Ayora was evaluated in order to understand the need of the current intermittent supply regime. A methodology was developed to estimate the overflow of the domestic roof tanks (a common incidence amongst local population). The results question the practicality of individual household storage. The final results show that the current situation in terms of the lack of water quantity may not be real, as it has been thought for the last decades. The water issues refer more importantly to the water quality, as well as to the lack of proper water management practices.

A beautifully illustrated and deeply personal chronicle of De Roy's lifelong connection with these spectacular islands Tui De Roy was a year old in 1955 when her family left Europe, boarding a banana boat bound for the Pacific to lead a different sort of life in Galápagos, one of self-sufficiency and living close to nature. She grew up on the islands and returned to them often over the next five decades. Discovering photography at a young age, she has dedicated her life to recording the islands' natural history in infinite detail. A Lifetime in Galápagos is De Roy's intimate portrait of one of the most spectacular places on Earth, presenting the wildlife and natural wonders of Galápagos as you have never seen them before. Featuring hundreds of breathtaking color photos, this stunning book guides you into labyrinthine mangroves to observe nesting herons, to misty cloud forests to glimpse flycatchers and orchids, high onto erupting volcanoes, and into the ocean to swim with hammerhead sharks. De Roy's lens provides up-close encounters with orca and sperm whales, colonies of iguanas, and the giant tortoises of Alcedo Volcano. She paints unforgettable portraits of her childhood in Galápagos—the islands at night under the stars of the Milky Way, sea lions at play and on the hunt, the diverse birdlife of Galápagos, and much more. Blending striking images with vivid prose, A Lifetime in Galápagos also discusses the threats that global warming and other environmental challenges pose to the archipelago's unique wildlife and fragile habitats.

Evolving from Digital Transformation to Digital Acceleration Using The Galapagos Framework challenges established thinking and offers a new way to deliver digital change. It introduces The Galapagos Framework, which is a new, innovative, and human-centric approach to transformational change. The framework allows organizations to move from digital transformation to digital acceleration, resulting in the creation of exciting and groundbreaking products as well as having a positive impact on the motivation and well-being of their teams. Digital Acceleration is an iterative process that allows organizations to deliver transformations and demonstrate continual progress at pace. Rather than tackling the transformation as one large single event, Digital Acceleration enables organizations to improve one or, at most, two discrete areas of the business quickly and then move onto the next area needing improvement. Presenting a detailed guide to The Galapagos Framework, the book also highlights solutions to common issues, expert case studies, and The Galapagos Roadmap. It discusses how the framework provides the key to increasing productivity, delivery velocity, and performance while reducing cost and complexity, ultimately resulting in digital and business success. The book demonstrates how The Galapagos Framework operates in practice to provide clear solutions to common issues that are classifi ed into Human Elements, Organizational Factors, and the Delivery Aspects. The book also explains why the current approaches to digital transformation are failing and shows how digital leaders and organizations can: Increase productivity Reduce costs Improve delivery performance Reduce operational, financial, and delivery risks Increase profits Deliver digital transformation success

For Dexter the penguin and Jax the lava lizard, life on the Galapagos island is filled with one lazy day after the next. Dexter wants more, and when he finds an egg on the beach, he is ready to claim it as his own. The prospect of being an “uncle” fills him with excitement he can’t contain, so he convinces his best friend Jax to help him. So when the egg hatches and a tortoise emerges, the pair are at first shocked, then smitten with their hatchling. Dexter lovingly names him Silas. The years fly by on their peaceful island, and Silas grows into an intelligent and curious tortoise with a thirst for adventure. An avid inventor, like Dexter, Silas creates a raft that will take them on their first adventure. They learn of the tortoises on Isabela Island, and before long they are on a quest to find them. When they are rescued by Admiral Cassius, a marine iguana, they learn that Queen Afrodita, a pink marine iguana, is holding the tortoises of the island captive and slowly starving them. Admiral Cassius is the leader for the rebellion against the queen’s rule, but his army isn’t large enough to rise up against her. When Silas formulates a plan that will save everyone on Isabela Island from the queen’s rule, the admiral pulls together his troops and they all pitch in to help. Can one tortoise make a difference against impossible odds? Find out in A Galapagos Tale.

Bestselling author Brian D. McLaren followed his love of nature (specifically, tortoises) all the way to the Galapagos Islands. There, he paid close attention to the flora and fauna around him but also to what was happening within him, how the natural world awakened his soul in a way that organized religion could not. McLaren's descriptions of birds and reptiles, fish and flowers sing; he walks in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and grieves that Darwin has been demonized by his fellow Christians; and he reflects on how his own faith has evolved in the years since he left the pastorate. McLaren writes in the spirit of Aldo Leopold and Wendell Berry, weaving together the spiritual and the material. Even though most readers will never visit the Galapagos Islands, they can travel with McLaren and experience the beauty and fragility of this extraordinary place.

Annotation. A guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, which provides more geographic, biological and recreational diversity than any other country in Latin America. It contains misty cloud forests, the snow-capped Andes and the Amazon Basin. The natural attractions are unparalleled, and many people come just for them. The series of Adventure Guides are about living more intensely, waking up to your surroundings and truly experiencing all that you encounter. Each book offers a mix of practical travel information along with activities designed for everyone, no matter what their age or ability. Comprehensive background information - history, culture, geography and climate - presents a knowledge of each destination and its people. Regional chapters take you on an introductory tour, with stops at museums, historic sites and local attractions. The volumes also cover: places to stay and eat; transportation to, from and around your destination; practical concerns; useful websites; e-mail addresses; and tourism contacts. Detailed regional and town maps feature walking and driving tours. This unique region provides more geographic, biological and recreational diversity than any other country in Latin America. It has Darwin's Galapagos islands, misty cloud forests, the snow-capped Andes and the Amazon Basin. The natural attractions are unparalleled. This book is the ultimate resource for travelers. With an eye toward ecotourism, it's packed with practical travel tips and full of details about the region's unique cultures. Maps, color photos -- Amazon reviewer. Loaded with all the information you need. Provides all the suggestions and tools necessary to put together an outstanding trip. -- The Bookwatch. Adventure Guides aim to deliver content... Moderately-priced and truly user-friendly, they are packed with information that other series rarely cover. -- Library Journal.