Con Galápagos

"Conocer" means "to know (a place)" in Spanish.

The Galápagos Islands have long been heralded as a model for effective conservation. 97% of the of the archipelago is national park and can only be entered in the company of a naturalist guide. Although this has helped protect this incredible ecosystem, it has also made it nearly impossible for local residents to experience the park due to the high cost of guided tours. We believe that the Galapagueño community must have the opportunity to come to know (conocer) their National Park. Conocer Galápagos, or Con Gal, thus aims to improve local understanding of the Galápagos ecosystem by exposing locals to national park sites through educational and immersive trips. This is done with the eventual goal of improving attitudes towards conservation.

“You cannot love what you don’t know, and you will never take care of what you don’t love… We have to start knowing what we have so that we can take care of it. That’s what Penn is doing in Galápagos, and I really applaud it.”

Former Vice President of Ecuador Otto Sonnenholzner

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