Mountain Biking Programs in Ecuador

Galapagos Giant Tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra) are an endemic species unique to the Galapagos Islands. It has long been the symbol of Galapagos tourism and more recently conservation efforts. Once abundant throughout the archipelago, these gigantic terrestrial reptiles were decimated by sailors and whalers for their meat during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, these animals face new challenges such as loss of habitat due to human activities and rampant invasive species which easily destroy tortoise nests or directly predate on the young. Centro de Crianza de las Tortugas Gigantes (Giant Tortoises Breeding Center) in Puerto Villamil, Isabela was established by the Galapagos National Park to breed, raise, and repatriate these charismatic animals to help restore their population size in the wild. Meanwhile, the National Park hopes that interaction with tourists would be a great way to promote conservation. Over 10 weeks of the Spring 2014 UGalapagos semester, I was very fortunate to volunteer at Centro de Crianza as my community service project. Every Wednesday and every other Friday, my partner Kevin Kahover and I fed about 200 adult and sub-juvenile tortoises with a type of juicy plant called otoy (Xanthosoma sagnittifolium). The adults were fed with 25kg of otoy, and the sub-juveniles were given 15kg each time. On Thursdays we cleaned up their waste and fallen poison apples in the pens. Quite often, early morning visitors would be very curious about our job, and Kevin and I would always be willing to answer their questions on what we were doing, why these tortoises needed to be protected, and how Foundación IOI coordinated various community outreach programs to benefit Isabela. The work is highly physically demanding, and on hot, sunny days, sweat would easily soak our shirts within ten minutes. However, I loved the work not only in that it was such an enjoyment watching these giants chewing large chunks of otoy up close and personal (we did not have to stay 2 meters away from these tortoises and sometimes they would approach and surround me if they saw me carrying a bundle of otoy), but also I felt I was accepted as a member of the Isabela community instead of a temporarily visiting tourist. What we did, even little, did help Centro de Crianza operate.