Galapagos Adventures
has 31 years of experience organizing travel to the Galapagos Islands. We have successfully navigated through difficult times on multiple occasions including the most recent events involving the global pandemic. We KNOW Galapagos so we can answer all of your questions. There is a LOT of information on this site – everything from the travel logistics to detailed specifications for numerous yachts and ships. Use the drop down menus below to narrow your search to specific topics. Any information you can not find on this site is an email or phone call away. Click here to send us an email to get started in finding the tour that is right for you.
Galapagos Adventures Donates Money to Environmental Education, Conservation, Cultural and Social Programs!
Being a socially responsible company, Galapagos Adventures strives to not only provide the highest quality of services to our clients who want to enjoy the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands but we also try to do whatever we can to “give back” to the environment that we love, the people who help protect it, and to the communities where we live. Therefore each year Galapagos Adventures donates money for various social programs to help our local communities.
List of recipients;
Muddy Sneakers - An environmental education program - W. NC
Jesús Divino Preso Foundation - Quito Ecuador
Annandale Village - Atlanta Georgia
Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education - W. NC
Broward Outreach Center - South Florida
Brevard Music Center – Brevard, N.C
TC Henderson School of Science and Technology – Lake Toxaway, N.C.
Marin Food Bank - San Francisco, CA
Antonio Neumane Park - Guayaquil, Ecuador
Transylvania County Animal Shelter - Lake Toxaway, NC
Friends for Life Forever Farm - Lake Toxaway, NC
Kindergarten ''Pinzones'' - Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Florida Atlantic University High School - Boca Raton Fl.
Hurricane relief for the victims of Harvey, Irma, and Maria
About the recipients;
“Muddy Sneakers” is a non-profit educational organization that partners with schools throughout North Carolina to supplement 5th grade science education with hands on outdoor learning expeditions on nearby federal and state protected lands. Their curriculum is aligned with NC standards for science education. Through their programs they build a better understanding of the scientific process while developing leadership skills and teaching how to be safe and comfortable in the natural environment.
Jesús Divino Preso Foundation is an Ecuadorian nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships and economic assistance for education expenses to young people belonging to 17 rural communities in Ecuador where getting and education is a challenge. The foundation has been able to help more than 200 high school and university students and currently have 130 active scholarship holders. www.jesusdivinopreso.org
Annandale Village is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated solely to providing progressive life assistance to adults with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries so they can maximize their abilities and maintain their independence in the least restrictive environment.
The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is located in Pisgah National Forest next to North Carolina’s largest trout hatchery. They are dedicated to exploring North Carolina wildlife through education. They offer a variety of classes designed for various age groups from as young as 4 through adults as well as providing education programs for schools and educators. All programs are free to the participants. The center is also home to the trail heads of numerous trails through the Pisgah National Forest.
The center is funded by the state through hunting and fishing license sales and from private donations.
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Education-Centers/Pisgah
Broward Outreach Center has been serving the homeless and needy of Miami and Broward since 1922. They help men, women, and children with meals, safe shelter, life-changing residential programs, employment, and housing resulting in transformed lives.
Kindergarten ''Pinzones'' (Puerto Ayora, Galapagos) is a private Kindergarten run by parents who want a different kind of education for their children. The teaching methods are based on a “nature policy” which gets the children involved with the environment to make them feel a part of nature. This kindergarten is self financed through private donations and a monthly cooperation of all the parents who provide everything for the school including the salary of the teacher.
A personal friend of mine volunteers here and reported to me that the work they do is incredible. She told me that you can really notice the difference of their teaching methods in the children.
TC Henderson School of Science and Technology is a small rural school in Lake Toxaway, NC with 130 students. Economic status of the students does not provide a barrier to learning; instead, it provides a challenge this school accepts on a daily basis.
Students visit the science/STEM lab weekly exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in peer groups. They may be small, but their dreams are big. https://www.tcsnc.org/Domain/16
Brevard Music Center stands as one of this country's premier summer training programs and festivals. More than 420 gifted students, ages 14 through post-college, come to the Music Center every summer to study with a distinguished faculty of over 80 artists from the nation's leading orchestras, colleges, and conservatories.
"The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is the critical link between food and people. They provide food to over 450 community partners and will distribute 48 million pounds of food to 225,000 people in need - enough for 100,000 meals a day."
ANTONIO NEUMANE Park Guayaquil, Ecuador
In 2010 Rodrigo Sangolquí noticed that the ANTONIO NEUMANE Park in Guayaquil Ecuador was not being maintained and had fallen into disrepair. The park was overgrown with weeds, filled with exotic invasive plant species, and was basically unusable for both people and the native plants and animals of South America. Instead of ignoring the problem he decided to do something about it. He cleaned the up park and planted native vegetation including both trees that produced fruits and trees that produced seeds that are the natural food for many of the native birds.
These native plants avoid unnecessary water consumption because they do not require irrigation. He added playground equipment which attracted neighborhood families with children and placed plaques next to all the trees indicating both the common names and the Genus species names
Since taking over the maintenance of the park, he has noticed;
1. Numerous families with children visiting and using the park on a regular basis.
2. A change in the vegetation within the park from non-native to native. When he started approximately 70% of the vegetation was non-native. Today the opposite is true. Today 70% of the vegetation in the park is native to South America.
3. A considerable increase in the number of species of birds that use the park (from 12 to 38)
Transylvania County Animal Shelter is a “no kill” shelter that provides a clean, safe, place for animals to be housed before being adopted. They provide low cost vaccination and spay/neutering services. They are also in charge of enforcing the animal cruelty laws of NC.
Friends for Life Forever Farm (Lake Toxaway, NC) - rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes senior and special needs companion animals. They provide lifelong sanctuary if needed for every animal that enters their program. Compassion for, and a commitment to, these special animals is paramount in their philosophy.
Florida Atlantic University High School is a university based high school in Boca Raton Fl. that provides the opportunity for high academic achieving students to attend the university and simultaneously earn college credit while still completing their high school requirements. The average student in this program will earn approximately 100 semester hours of college credit and can enter the university after graduation as a senior. About 10% of the students earn enough college credits to graduate from college with a Bachelor’s degree BEFORE they graduate from high school. Several of the 2017 high school graduates not only earned college degrees but were accepted directly into Medical School. This program is provided at a minimal cost to the students and allows some student who would not otherwise be able to afford a college education the opportunity to earn a college degree.
Hurricane Maria Relief
One of our neighbors has family members in Puerto Rico which were seriously impacted by Hurricane Maria. We sent money to his family to help them to rebuild their lives.
Hurricane Harvey relief
When one of our clients lost his house when Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, we sent to him some money to help him rebuild his home.
Hurricane Irma Relief
One of our business associates had damage to his house from Hurricane Irma. We help him by buying some supplies to help him repair the damage.