Charles Darwin Foundation

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research. CDF has carried out its mission in the Galápagos since 1959, thanks to an agreement with the Government of Ecuador and with the mandate to pursue and maintain collaborations with government agencies by providing scientific knowledge and technical assistance to promote and secure conservation of Galapagos.

For 60 years, CDF has worked in close partnership with the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), the principal provincial authority for environmental management, with the goal of protection of the Islands’ natural resources and the sharing of scientific results for the conservation of this living laboratory.

More than one hundred scientists, educators, researchers, support personnel and volunteers from all over the world have participated in this effort. Currently, more than 75% of the staff are Ecuadorian citizens. CDF is committed to the professional development of permanent Galápagos residents as future scientists, for the well-being of the islands and the nation in general.