Verónica Mora is a community member, resident, and President of the Parish Council (GAD Parroquial) of Floreana Island in the Galápagos.

On Floreana, Island Conservation and our partners are working to return 12 species that had been extirpated from the island, including the Floreana Giant Tortoise–which is now roaming free on the island for the first time in more than 200 years!

John B. Rulmal Jr., Magul—his traditional Ulithian name—is from Ulithi Atoll. He works with elders, youth, and community partners as a steward of their shared values, seas, and lands, supporting island-led development and long-term resilience across Ulithi and Yap’s Outer Islands. 

Sebastián Yancovic Pakarati is part of the Rapa Nui community in Polynesia, he has a Master’s degree in Natural Protected Areas. Is a member of the Chilean committee of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). Since 2014 is a member of the Advisory Council of National Monuments in Rapa Nui and represents that institution in the monitoring committee for the construction of the new museum. He has been leading conservation processes on the island for the last 14 years, highlighting his participation in the Ma’u Henua proposals (which allowed the Rapa Nui community to have the administration of 43% of the territory through the Rapa Nui National Park) and from 2014 working and promoting the creation of the Rapa Nui MPA.

Since 2022, he has been elected in an indigenous referendum to be part of Koro Nui o te Vaikava to manage the Marine Protected Areas, which includes Motu Motiro Hiva Marine Park, the Marine Coastal Protected Area of Multiple Uses Rapa Nui, and Motu Tautara, Coral Nui Nui and Hanga o Teo Underwater Parks. These units make up Te Moana Tapu a Hotu Matu’a, a marine area for conservation, sustainable and traditional use for present and future generations in Rapa Nui. He has published various scientific articles on different topics related to his island. Today, he is writing his second book Rapa Nui Birds and coordinating the cultural chapter for the creation of one of the first high seas MPAs (BBNJ), called Salas & Gomez and Nazca Ridges: Honga’a o te Moana Nui.