Celebrity Cruises is growing a greener tomorrow; they teamed up with the Galapagos National Park to plant over 30,000 trees on Santa Cruz Island, in Los Gemelos. With the goal of inspiring guests and collaborators to dive in to conservation efforts in the region, the public private partnership signed in 2014 was made possible over the last three years with the support of 14,300 guests, crew, and the community at large.
Among the seeds sown are Scalesias, Cat’s Claw, Galapagos Miconia, and Thin-leafed Darwin’s shrub. Reforestation preserves the natural ecosystem and regenerates areas in the Galapagos that have been affected by humans and by introduced species. The most planted tree remains the Scalesia trees, as their forests are home to many species of endemic bird, found only in the Galapagos.
As a result of the efforts with the Galapagos National Park and collaborative projects like that between the park and Celebrity, ecosystems are being restored and invasive species are being eliminated. All activities are coordinated by the Galapagos National Park, which provides all the technical and logistical support.