Trouble on the cards

摘要

It could yet be an exit, through the gift shop. The Charles Darwin Foundation, which runs a research station on one of the Galapagos islands that so captivated the author of "On the Origin of Species", is again on the brink of bankruptcy after decades of financial struggle. The foundation's principal aim is to help scientists from around the world to carry out research on the archipelago's fantastically diverse ecosystems. That has made the research station a unique locus of expertise, and a force for conservation in its own right. Its efforts have, so far, prevented the extinction of any of the island chain's unique species. However, the money from scientific institutions is dedicated to well-defined projects. What the foundation needs is more unrestricted financing to pay its 60 staff and to keep the lights on and the internet flowing. Running a research station with all modern conveniences 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador does not come cheap.