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“Loberto and Zally: The Galápagos Sea Lions” — A Literary Project for Education and Conservation in Galápagos

This story about the life of Galápagos sea lions was created to help the Galápagos community, especially children, learn more about this iconic species and become aware of the need for its protection. The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is an endemic marine mammal of the archipelago that is endangered due to the effects of natural climate variability and human influence in populations near urban areas.

Adult sea lion – Alam Coss

The story “Loberto and Zally, the Galápagos Sea Lions” follows the adventures of two siblings, Loberto, a young male pup, and Zally, a juvenile female, who live in the “El Malecón” colony—the largest in the archipelago—located on the beaches of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island. Together, they discover and learn about life in Galápagos while facing various challenges for their survival. This story was created to promote environmental awareness, emphasizing the importance of conserving this species and its natural habitat while also encouraging a love for reading.

Young sea lion – Alexander Custer

This educational material was developed by professors and researchers from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and the Galapagos Science Center (GSC), in collaboration with Galapagos Conservancy (GC), and supported by the Libro Andante project. Under the One Health approach, the story aims to invite the local population of the archipelago to reflect on the ongoing threats faced by the Galápagos sea lion and how the community can work together to protect this species and its unique habitat.

Lobo marino en Playa Mann

The book was launched on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, during a Family Science event organized by the Galápagos Science Center on August 17, 2024. The printed story will reach 200 students in elementary and middle school from all educational institutions on the island. This literary project will enable teachers to carry out activities that align with the Galápagos Contextualized Curriculum areas, while other copies will be used for community outreach activities.

Children from the community participating at the event “Ciencia en familia”
Participants in the community outreach project ‘Conservation of Galápagos Pinnipeds through Environmental Education’

Lean more about further research the Galápagos Science Center is doing to better understand and protect sea lions at:

https://www.paezriofriolab.org/es/programa-de-pinnipedos-de-galapagos/

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In 2022, the Galapagos Science Center (GSC) and the broader UNC & USFQ Galapagos Initiative will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. We are proud to announce the World Summit on Island Sustainability scheduled to be held on June 26–30, 2022 at the Galapagos Science Center and the Community Convention Center on San Cristobal Island.

The content of the World Summit will be distributed globally through social media and results documented through papers published in a book written as part of the Galapagos Book Series by Springer Nature and edited by Steve Walsh (UNC) & Carlos Mena (USFQ) as well as Jill Stewart (UNC) and Juan Pablo Muñoz (GSC/USC). The book will be inclusive and accessible by the broader island community including scientists, managers, residents, tourists, and government and non-government organizations.

While the most obvious goal of organizing the World Summit on Island Sustainability is to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the GSC and the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, other goals will be addressed through special opportunities created as part of our operational planning of the World Summit.

For instance, we seek to elevate and highlight the Galapagos in the island conservation discourse, seeking to interact with other island networks in more obvious and conspicuous ways to benefit the Galapagos Islands, the UNC-USFQ Galapagos Initiative, and the world. We will seize the opportunity to further develop the I2N2 – International Islands Network-of-Networks. Further, we wish to highlight and emphasize multiple visions of a sustainable future for the Galapagos Islands and we cannot do this alone. Therefore, engaging the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, the Government Council of Galapagos, the Galapagos National Park, and local Galapagos authorities, including government and non-government organizations and local citizen groups, is imperative.

The Galapagos Science Center on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

Borrowing from Hawaii’s and Guam’s Green Growth Program and the Global Island Partnership, we wish to examine existing global programs that emphasize island sustainability and their incorporation into life, policies, and circumstances in the Galapagos Islands. We will also seek to enhance our connections with the institutional members of our International Galapagos Science Consortium and expand the Consortium through the recruitment of other member institutions. We will also work to benefit islands and their local communities by working with citizen groups as well as important NGOs who seek to improve the natural conditions in the Galapagos and diminish the impact of the human dimension on the future of Galapagos’ ecosystems.

Lastly, we will use the World Summit to benefit UNC & USFQ and our constituencies through a strong and vibrant communication plan about the World Summit, creating corporate relationships as sponsors, identifying funding goals through donors, and benefiting our study abroad program for student engagement in the Galapagos Islands. We plan to develop and issue a Galapagos Sustainability Communique after the World Summit that includes the vision and insights of all its participants for a sustainable Galapagos with applicability to global island settings.

We are eager to hear your perspective and have you join us at the World Summit on Island Sustainability!