![The future of Galapagos](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_october_2019/the_future_of_the_galapagos/465876/title.640_0_1.png)
TheGalápagosIslandshaveevolvedintoaspectacularplacefilledwithwondrousplantsandanimals.ManyarefoundnowhereelseonEarth.Theislandshavemoreendemicspeciesthananyotherislandclusterintheworld.Forty‑twopercent oftheplants;79percentofmammals;80 percentof birds;91percentofreptilesand56percentofinsectsareendemictothe Galápagos.
Intheirisolation,theislandshavebecomealivinglaboratoryforscientists. Yet,invasivespeciesposegravethreatstotheGalápagos’uniqueecosystems.Weareoneofthosethreats.Today,morethan30,000 peopleliveontheislands.Morethan160,000touristsvisiteveryyear.Ourfootprintleavesanindeliblemarkonthisplace.TovisittheGalápagosIslandsisaremarkableprivilege.Wearehonor‑boundtobegood stewards.
Whatcanwedo?Wecanprotectvulnerablespeciesandecosystems.Wecanlimittheintroductionofinvasivespecies.Wecanpromoteclimateresearch.Wecanpromotecommunityawareness.Canwedothesethingsalone?No.Itwilltakeallofus,workingtogethertoprotectthisspecial place.
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