Charles Darwin Foundation

The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands - CDF is an international not-for-profit organization that provides scientific research and technical information and assistance to ensure the proper preservation of the Galapagos Islands. CDF carries out its activities in Galapagos under a conservation research and guidance agreement with the Ecuadorian government. The Foundation is part of a network of local and national organizations supporting Galapagos Island protection. For fifty years, CDF has worked closely with the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS), the main government authority overseeing the safeguarding of the islands' natural resources, providing the results of scientific research to conserve this living laboratory.

With the help of the IUCN, UNESCO, and conservationists worldwide, Charles Darwin Foundation was founded under Belgian Law in 1959. Since then, CDF has been instrumental in stabilizing the ecosystem and preserving the natural wonders the islands offer. CDF's mission is to provide knowledge and assistance through scientific research and complementary action to ensure the conservation of the environment and biodiversity in the Galapagos Archipelago. Within this context, the vision of the CDF for 2016 is to be the world's leading research institution dedicated to the conservation of the biological diversity and natural resources of Galapagos, and committed to building a sustainable and collaborative society to achieve this objective.

Over one hundred scientists, educators, research assistants, support staff, and volunteers from all over the world take part in this effort. The organizational staff is 90% Ecuadorian and CDF is committed to the training of Galapagos residents as future scientists and conservationists for the good of the islands and the country at large. The Charles Darwin Foundation is registered in Belgium as an International Non-Profit Association (AISBL, abbreviated in French) under the number 371359 and is subject to Belgian law.