Gecko Talks-Conservation Challenges Facing the Galapagos in a Changing World

Conservation Challenges Facing the Galapagos Islands in a Changing World

Speaker: Paul Revie, Zoologist & Ecologist

900km from the nearest continent, the Galapagos Islands are home to a unique flora and fauna. This isolation has shaped the animal and plant assemblages of these remote islands, with only select groups able to colonise the islands over such a vast stretch of ocean. The Galapagos have become a flagship for conservation and scientific discovery, but like most of the world, the natural environment of the Galapagos faces an uncertain future. It remains to be seen whether we can save Charles Darwin’s ‘natural laboratory of evolution’ before it is too late.

Paul Revie is a zoologist and ecologist currently working with Seaworld’s penguins while undertaking a number of research projects in southeast Queensland.

Gecko’s online magazine Hills to Headlands, is also lucky to have Paul as a regular article contributor. Paul’s popular and informative articles also include his up close and personal photographic encounters with wildlife, As his passion is small carnivorous mammals, notably the spotted-tailed quoll, it was no surprise that his Hills to Headlands’ article ‘Quolls of the Gold Coast Hinterland, Our Last Carnivores’ was soon picked up by local mainstream media, further leading to the activation of a Facebook page called QuollSA (Quoll Society of Australia); to help raise awareness and funds for the dying species in the Gold Coast Hinterland and surrounding areas. In other Hills to Headland’s articles, Paul has introduced readers to the fascinating world of penguins; our feathered fishermen the ospreys; the amazing frogs of the Coastal Wallum, and more recently our largest migrating locals, the humpback whales.

After dreaming of visiting the Galapagos for much of his life, Paul finally had the opportunity to travel there earlier this year as part of a small group of environmentalists. His talk will discuss how the special flora and fauna of the Galapagos have evolved, and convey his first-hand impressions of the conservation issues facing these remarkable islands.

When:   Wednesday August 23rd, 2017
Time:     6:45PM for 7:00PM Start
Where:  ‘The Cove Room’,               Currumbin RSL,
165 Duringan Street, Currumbin
Cost:      FREE!