In October 2023, the largest conservation project ever undertaken in the Galápagos commenced on Floreana Island. This massive project required years of meticulous planning in connection with the local community. Sierra Moore, Island Conservation’s GIS Data Science Specialist, shares what it’s been like to be a part of such an ambitious conservation project amidst a vibrant community of humans and animals!

I’m Sierra Moore and I started working as a GIS specialist for Island Conservation in January 2023. I initially became interested in conservation when I moved to Blacksburg, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains for my undergraduate degree and learned that I could make a career out of my love for nature. I always hoped my career in conservation would take me to unique places, but I never imagined them to be as incredible as the places my job at Island Conservation has taken me.

Recently, I had the rewarding opportunity to assist with a project to protect Floreana Island, Galápagos by removing invasive species. Floreana is such a unique place for many reasons, but what stands out the most to me is the beautiful community of people on Floreana who are graciously welcoming strangers to their homes throughout the project implementation—and, of course, the epic wildlife (I got to witness a sea turtle nesting!).

As a GIS specialist, my job is to assist with the management and analysis of both spatial and non-spatial data for aerial baiting operations. The aerial baiting operational days start as early as possible, since the weather for flying is often best in the early mornings (this means I often begin my day around 5:00 am). I work from the load site with a team of pilots, bait loaders, mechanics, and managers. My job is to keep track of the bait application rate for every load of conservation bait spread by helicopter, and then connect those data with the spatial data representing the baited areas that are recorded by a GPS in the helicopter. Aerial baiting operations can be very fast-paced and thus require a lot of focus, attention to detail, and good communication. I am grateful to work with dedicated and experienced teams that make my job easier.

The most rewarding part of this project has been learning from and working with the people from every organization that make up the project team on Floreana. I unfortunately am not fluent in Spanish, yet most of the individuals who are working on this project are Spanish speaking. Communication of course can be difficult with a language barrier, yet with every person I worked with on this project, I could feel warmth, kindness, and dedication despite not always being able to communicate through words.