The Charles Darwin Foundation is an international nonprofit organization that operates the Charles Darwin Research Station. It is the first international organization to engage in conservation activities in the Galápagos Islands, starting in 1959. Currently, it has over 100 staff members from all over the world involved in a range of activities, including surveying the Galápagos Islands’ marine and terrestrial life and ecosystems, promoting island nature conservation efforts, and providing environmental education to local residents.