Join us for thought-provoking conversations that examine voluntourism and the impact that conservation practices and tourism have on the Galapagos Islands.

First, voluntourism aka volunteer travel projects are helpful to communities in need. But, intercultural educator Lena Papadopoulos says that some projects cause more harm to the communities they are meant to serve and it behooves us to recognize these hidden dangers and properly vet the organizations overseeing these projects.

Then, Galápagos researcher Dr. Elizabeth Hennessy, has written On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galápagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary Eden to help guide future conservation efforts by understanding how the history of the islands and current conservation efforts are entangled and challenging. Dr. Hennessy says that In a world where evolution is shaped by global history, we need a vision for conservation based on reckoning with the past, rather than trying to erase it.