Leonardo DiCaprio donates 43 million euros for the protection of the Galapagos Islands

by Carla Andrea Fundarotto

The Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to donate $ 43 million to finance conservation operations in the area around the Darwin Arch, in the Galapagos Islands.

What does the project foresee in the Galapagos Islands?

Darwin’s bow fell into the sea as a result of natural erosion. Of the well-known rock formation, located in the northern part of the archipelago, now only the two stone columns that supported the arch remain. DiCaprio has launched Rewild, of which the actor is one of the founders, for the realization of some projects to restore local ecosystems. Specifically, the actor’s donations finance projects including the restoration of Floreana Island, which is home to more than 50 endangered species, and the reintroduction of 13 locally extinct species, including the mocking thrush Floreana, the first mocking thrush described by Charles Darwin. A captive breeding program and other activities aimed at preventing the extinction of the red iguana will also be funded with the sum donated by the actor.

It is not the first time that the actor is committed to supporting the environment

In 1998 the actor founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to promote environmental awareness. Together with Will Smith he also launched a line of limited edition ecological shoes, the proceeds of which were donated to the Earth Alliance Association.

DiCaprio recently donated three million dollars to fight the fires that hit Australia in 2020 and has also contributed, with two million dollars, to the preservation of Virunga National Park, in Congo.