Conservation and the Galapagos Islands

 

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In Galápagos, my work examines the construction of conservation subjects in light of recent calls to action to tackle environmental crisis and degradation on the islands.

Since 2008, Flora Lu (UC Santa Cruz), Wendy Wolford (Cornell University), and I have examined the links between food systems, conservation practices, and the production of environmental crises in the Galápagos Islands. We have sought to understand the nature and history of government institutions in the islands, with special attention to the management of protected areas, and the effects of changing conservation-agriculture paradigms on resource governance. This research received support from the Association of American Geographers (2009), the Institute for the Study of the Americas at UNC (2008-2011), and the Institute for the Study of the Galápagos at UNC (2012).

More recently, I am collaborating with Elizabeth Havice on a project about volumetric conservation in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which focuses on thinking with the management of large marine protected areas as a four dimensional process.

 


Publications

2014. Valdivia, G., Wolford, W., and Lu, F. Border Crossings: New Geographies of Protection and Production in the Galápagos Islands. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 104 (3): 686-701.

2013. Wolford, W., Lu, F., and Valdivia, G. Environmental Crisis and the Evolution of Conservation Practice(s) in the Galápagos Islands. In Social, Terrestrial & Marine Interactions in the Galápagos Islands: Frameworks and Perspectives, editors S. Walsh and C. Mena. Springer. [link]

2013. Lu, F., Valdivia, G., and Wolford, W. Social Dimensions of ‘Nature at Risk’ in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Conservation and Society.[link]

2013. Supporting Local Food Systems: New Geographies of Conservation and Production in Galápagos. Report of SMART program project, Cornell University. Edited by G. Valdivia and W. Wolford. (Please e-mail me if you would like to see a copy.)

Class of 1989 William C. Friday Distinguished Professor