Galápagos: Islands of Change

Using the same poetry/science note format as Serengeti, Gal嫚agos tells the complex story of a young volcanic ecosystem influenced by seasonal ocean currents, where food energy moves through integrated land and sea communities, each in its own season of growth and renewal.

Millions of years ago, undersea volcanos in the eastern Pacific Ocean erupted, spewing up lava, rocks, and ash that eventually formed a cluster of islands: the archipelago known as the Gal嫚agos Islands. Over time, castaway plants and animals from hundreds of miles away arrived on the rocky shores and adapted to each island's changing volcanic landscape and seasonal weather variations. In these isolated locations constantly affected by shifting winds and swift ocean currents, much of the wildlife evolved into species found nowhere else on Earth. Some of the many distinctive organisms featured include giant daisy trees, Gal嫚agos penguins, marine iguanas, blue footed boobies, and Gal嫚agos giant tortoises. The well-researched back matter includes poetry notes, a glossary, resources, and a list of the species from this remarkable ecosystem that are highlighted in the book.