May 12, 2025
Restoring Alto Velo Island: Reviving a Critical Island-Ocean Connection
Isla Alto Velo in the Dominican Republic is a key site of connection between land and sea. See our plan to protect this vital ecosystem in the Caribbean!
What do we do?
And why do we do it?
We restore islands for nature and people worldwide. Through removing invasive species and accelerating the recovery of native plants and animals, we create cascading benefits – from healthy biodiversity to improved coral recovery to increased food security to climate resilience. Everything is connected, and the impact of what we do is felt far beyond the coastline, building a healthier planet one island at a time.
What is holistic restoration?
Holistic Restoration is an all-encompassing strategy that revitalizes plants, animals, and oceans while ensuring they thrive and sustain themselves in the long run.
We remove a primary threat from islands — introduced, damaging invasive species — and then accelerate the return of native plants and animals using innovative tools. With the return of foundational biodiversity the entire island-ocean ecosystem thrives once again.
Check out our interactive map
Every island is different, each with its own unique success story and culture. Check out the stories we are creating from all corners of the world with this interactive map.
Learn more about what we do and, more importantly, see why we do it.
Our Projects
Focused, targeted projects with a global impact.
We scope, plan, execute, and monitor our project sites to ensure lasting impact from start to finish. Our restoration projects produce benefits that improve coral reef health, climate resilience on islands, global biodiversity, and much more.
Who we
work with
Our strength lies in collaboration.
At Island Conservation, we partner with local communities, non-profit organizations, governments, scientists, and landowners to ensure our success and maximize impact. Each project starts with a conversation with local community members and stakeholders to support their vision.
Each island is unique, so our partnerships change with each project we work on. To learn more about our partners and projects, check out our Journal entries.
What Our Field
Staff Do
Stoked and ready for anything, our dedicated field staff get the work done.
From scoping a project and flying drones, to setting up seabird social attraction tools and working with community partners, our team is out in the field for weeks at a time working in remote, vital places.
The Results
What does real, tangible impact look like?
Our Impact Team team helps us show the almost immediate transformations on our project islands. Connector species (like seabirds) thrive once more, communities can grow crops again, sea turtles nest for the first time in decades, native species thought to be extinct return, and entire ecosystems on the brink of collapse are revived.
How we use
innovation
The specific, targeted work we do to restore island ecosystems repeatedly yields one of the best returns on your investment. Our innovative approaches are the backbone of this work, and really set us apart.
Our agile team excels with advanced tech for monitoring, mapping, and tracking, making us pioneers in efficient environmental work moving the needle for the field of island restoration.
Four years after we removed the invasive rodents from Pinzón Island in the Galápagos, the Pinzón Giant Tortoise hatchlings were able to survive in the wild for the first time in more than 150 years. That’s a direct result of collaborative island restoration.
Paula Castaño
Native Species Manager
Project Updates
See the latest updates from the field.
April 22, 2025
Restoring RMI: an Adventure of Hope
Conservation is an adventure--literally! Read the tale of how Jemo and Bikar were restored, and learn how they are islands of hope for RMI.
April 9, 2025
Firman acuerdo para proteger al pingüino de Humboldt en isla Cachagua
La Municipalidad de Zapallar firmó un convenio con Island Conservation para proteger al pingüino de Humboldt y la biodiversidad de la Isla Cachagua.
