The Galápagos Islands - Part 1

BY:Christopher Scott CarpenterChristopher Scott Carpenter

artwork

Featured Artists:

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

As a media practitioner, I am passionate about the intersection between storytelling and education. Having produced and directed a series of documentaries in India that informed the adoption of education reform policies in crucial areas within the country, I experienced firsthand the positive impact possible when media is utilized to illuminate, empower, and expand. When I visited the Galápagos, I connected with the ecosystem through photography. I found moments of curiosity, love, community, despair, and contention amongst the magnificent animals that inhabit these islands. By minting these photographic moments as NFTs, I hope to assist the efforts of the International Galápagos Tour Operators Association in their pursuit of providing education, so crucial to the understanding and stewardship of the magical landscapes of the islands, through the form of a public library to the communities of the Galápagos’s largest island, Santa Cruz. Education empowers, informs, and creates a symbiosis that further enables the humans of the Galápagos to protect, share, and champion the other species that surround them. Please join me in supporting this important effort. A full 40% of net profits will be donated to this organization, with proof of donation to be sent to all collectors.

Darwin’s (Galápagos) Finch

Conservation Status: Endangered, population decreasing The 13 species of finches found throughout the Galápagos Islands formed the basis of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection; each species wields a distinct beak molded by the various envir...

artwork

Sally Lightfoot Crabs

Conservation status: Unknown Found commonly throughout the islands, the Sally Lightfoot Crab presents a burst of neon color as it scurries across rocks and along the sand in search of algae and small prey.

artwork

Galápagos Tortoise

Conservation status: Vulnerable The giant Galápagos tortoise lumbers slowly through the tall grasses of the islands; though once nearly hunted to extinction, their population, while still vulnerable, has stabilized since the 1970s due to conservatio...

artwork

Flightless Cormorant

Conservation Status: Vulnerable, but stable The Flightless Cormorant is among the world’s rarest species of birds, with only an estimated 1,000 alive today. These birds are strangely ill-equipped for their environments; with wings too short to fly ...

artwork

Galápagos Land Iguana

Conservation status: Vulnerable An animal once described by Charles Darwin as “ugly” and with “a singularly stupid appearance,” the golden Galápagos Land Iguana exhibits a unique prehistoric quality complete with a spiked crown and clawed feet.

artwork

Blue-Footed Booby

Conservation Status: Stable One of the icons of the Galápagos, the Blue-Footed Booby hugs the coasts of the islands to dive for fish and nest in ground-level colonies. The Blue-Footed Booby’s famous mating ritual is an elaborate dance with stomping ...

artwork

_samjay_

artwork

Galápagos Sea Lion

Conservation Status: Endangered, population decreasing Although classified as an endangered species globally, the sea lions of the Galápagos can be found throughout the islands basking in the sun, sleeping on the sand, and playing. Despite being una...

artwork