In this captivating second installment of our Galápagos journey, Harvesting Wisdom host Mike McMahon is joined aboard the National Geographic Islander II by two exceptional guides: Fernando Ortiz and Socrates Tomala. Their deep expertise and lived experience in the Galápagos provide a rare look into one of the most biologically unique and environmentally protected places on Earth.Fernando Ortiz, a seasoned naturalist who has spent 35 years navigating and studying the Galápagos, shares how this protected archipelago—though impacted by human activity—has maintained much of its ecological integrity due to strict conservation policies and geographical isolation. He discusses the evolutionary processes behind endemic species like the Galápagos tortoise and how ocean currents and geological formations sustain the region's incredible biodiversity.Later in the episode, we meet Socrates Tomala, a native of Santa Cruz Island and a National Geographic ambassador, whose passion for ecology led him from beetle sampling as a teen to founding Forest for Tomorrow, a nonprofit dedicated to reforesting critical wildlife corridors in Ecuador's cloud forests. Socrates’ story highlights the intersection of tourism, education, and activism in preserving ecosystems threatened by fragmentation.Together, their insights weave a powerful narrative about climate resilience, the need for biodiversity, and the urgency of bridging the gap between knowledge and action—a core mission of Urban Farming Education and the Harvesting Wisdom podcast.