Victor Rueda

Victor spent his first years of childhood in Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, a perfect place to grow up alongside nature. His family settled on the islands in 1905, living as farmers and fishermen. When he was six years old, Victor spent time at the docks observing and identifying fish with an old book of marine animals. Those daily activities enhanced his interest in studying life sciences. He moved to the mainland of Ecuador for his studies, visiting Galápagos on holidays and never ceasing to admire the beauty of his home.

He decided to study Ecosystem Engineering in a brand-new University: Ikiam, in the Ecuadorian Amazon piedmont forest, where he has worked on several landscape ecology projects as well as on the phenology of palm trees.

He was involved with the Charles Darwin Foundation, in Galapagos, as a volunteer. During this time, he worked on a project involved with mapping the invasive plants of Galapagos, thus improving his skills in remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems.

Nowadays, he is interested in the biogeography of invasive species and social ecology as part of his undergraduate thesis in Galápagos. His projects allow him to split his time between these interesting ecosystems in Ecuador. He believes in the sustainable development of fragile ecosystems, finding new approaches to conservation and the balance of social dynamics with nature.

He got his naturalist guide license from Galapagos National Park in 2017. As a naturalist guide, Victor can share his knowledge with new visitors, using science as a powerful tool of inspiration to preserve our ecosystems and their resources. During his free time, he enjoys drawing scientific illustrations of plants and painting marine life.