Asilo de la Paz (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

: ''Haven of Peace''Allison Amend (2017
"In the Footsteps of Charles Darwin"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. Published June 20, 2017. Accessed March 23, 2020.) is a location on

Floreana Island Floreana Island (Spanish: ''Isla Floreana'') is an island of the Galápagos Islands. It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador, during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession of the archipelago ...

in the Galapagos archipelago. It is the site of Floreana's first human settlement, and is now among the island's most popular tourist attractions. The site has a maximum elevation of 450 meters above sea level.Jody A. O'Connor, Frank J. Sulloway & Sonia Kleindorfer (2010
"Avian population survey in the Floreana highlands: is Darwin's Medium Tree Finch declining in remnant patches of Scalesia forest?"
''Bird Conservation International'', 20(4): 343-353. Rock labyrinth at Asilo de la Paz on Floreana Island

Rock labyrinth at Asilo de la Paz on Floreana Island

History

In August 1932, Heinz Wittmer, his wife Margret, and Heinz's son Harry, moved to Floreana from

Cologne, Germany Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

. They initially lived in a cave at Asilo de la Paz, near a spring that provided the island's only permanent source of freshwater. On 1 January 1933, Margret gave birth to Rolf Wittmer (1933–2011) inside one of the caves; he was the first person born in the Galapagos. At this site, the family built a home, with a roof made from tanned hides and

banana leaves The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, and named it "Casa de la Paz" (English: ''House of Peace''). At the site, they grew vegetables all year round and used the nearby caves as pig-pens, smokehouses, and storehouses. The Wittmers remained at the site until 1950, when they moved from the Floreana highlands to Black Beach.

Wildlife

Asilo de la Paz contains an area of intact ''

Scalesia ''Scalesia'' is a genus in the family Asteraceae endemic to the Galapagos Islands. It contains fifteen species that grow as shrubs or trees. This is unusual, because tree species are uncommon in Asteraceae. The genus ''Scalesia'' resulted from a ...

'' forest that provides important habitat for multiple species of

Darwin's finch Darwin's finches (also known as the Galápagos finches) are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. They are often classified as the subfamily Geospizinae or t ...

, including the critically endangered

medium tree finch The medium tree finch (''Camarhynchus pauper'') is a critically endangered species of bird in the Darwin's finch group of the tanager family Thraupidae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands where it is only found on Floreana Island. Its name ...

(''Camarhynchus pauper''). A

warbler finch The warbler-finches are a genus ''Certhidea'' of birds in the tanager family Thraupidae that are endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Together with related genera, they are collectively known as Darwin's finches. The two species were formerly cons ...

(''Certhidea fusca''), previously considered extinct on Floreana, was reportedly heard at Asilo de la Paz in 2008, although this sighting is not universally accepted.Michael Dvorak, Erwin Nemeth, Beate Wendelin, Patricio Herrera, Denis Mosquera, David Anchundia, Christian Sevilla, Sabine Tebbich & Birgit Fessl (2017)
"Conservation status of landbirds on Floreana: the smallest inhabited Galápagos Island"
''Journal of Field Ornithology'', 88(2): 132-145. Giant tortoises, previously owned as pets by the island's residents, roam a large enclosed area at Asilo de la Paz.Emma Marris (2017
"Resurrecting a Long-Lost Galapagos Giant Tortoise"
''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fran ...

''. Published September 14, 2017. Accessed March 23, 2020. These tortoises are a mixture of species from other islands, since Floreana's native tortoise, ''

Chelonoidis elephantopus ''Chelonoidis'' is a genus of turtles in the tortoise family erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1835. They are found in South America and the Galápagos Islands, and formerly had a wide distribution in the West Indies. The multiple subspecies ...

'', has been extinct on the island since shortly after 1835.Ryan C. Garrick, Edgar Benavides, Michael A. Russello, James P. Gibbs, Nikos Poulakakis, Kirstin B. Dion, Chaz Hyseni et al. (2012
"Genetic rediscovery of an ‘extinct’ Galápagos giant tortoise species"
''Current Biology'', 22(1): R10-R11.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Geography of Galápagos Province Tourist attractions in Galápagos Province

History

Wildlife

See also

References