ADOPT A BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY

The unique birds of Galapagos are under threat in their natural habitat - seventy-five percent of the land birds and twenty-six percent of the sea birds of Galapagos are found nowhere else on earth. If they become extinct, they will be lost forever.

Already some populations of native and endemic Galapagos birds have been extinguished locally or have suffered severe population decrease since the arrival of humans to the Islands. Introduced plants and animals are altering the birds' habitats in an unpredictable manner. A combination of natural effects (such as El Niño) with human-induced factors could drive the Galapagos marine bird species with small populations to extinction in a relatively short period of time.

In return for a minimum donation of £25, you will be able to adopt a Galapagos booby, one of the most famous of the Galapagos creatures. As a thank you, you will receive a sponsorship pack which contains an attractive booby postcard with information about the species and about Galapagos on the back, and a fridge magnet that will be a daily reminder of your special gift.

Adopting a Galapagos booby is easy - either visit Adopt a Booby, or contact the Galapagos Conservation Trust, 5 Derby Street, London W1J 7AB; telephone 0207 629 5049, or email gct@gct.org.

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