Celebrity Cruises has planted more than 30,000 trees on Santa Cruz Island in Los Gemelos, in partnership with Galapagos National Park. The collaboration aims to conserve the pristine archipelago which is home to flora and fauna unique to the destination.

With the goal of inspiring guests and collaborators to contribute to the reforestation efforts in the Galapagos, the public private partnership (PPP) signed in 2014 was made possible with the support of 14,300 guests, crew and the wider community, far exceeding goals by 150 per cent. This reinforces Celebrity Cruises’ commitment to the region and the shared passion of guests onboard.

“We want to help ensure future generations have the same incredible Galapagos experience with our industry-leading stewardship and conservation efforts” said Bernardo Carrillo, managing director, Celebrity Cruises.

“Our valued guests and employees cherish the unique opportunity to be involved with important programmes such as tree planting, which gives them direct contact with nature in this pristine UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are dedicated to opening up the world and that includes our commitment to supporting programmes dedicated to environmental conservation.”

Scalesias, Cat’s Claw, Galapagos Miconia and the Thin-leafed Darwin’s shrub were among the thousands of seeds sown on Santa Cruz Island. The natural ecosystem in the Galapagos is preserved through reforestation and regenerates areas that have been affected by humans and introduced species. The Scalesias tree remains the most planted tree, as their forests are home to many species of endemic bird native to the Galapagos.

As a result of the work carried out by Galapagos National Park and other collaborative projects with Celebrity Cruises, ecosystems are being restored. All activities are coordinated by the Galapagos National Park, an organisation that provides all its technical and logistical support.