Prince Charles declares his admiration for the work of the Charles Darwin Foundation

"I would like to say that I greatly admire the work that the Charles Darwin Foundation has done during its 50 years of working for the conservation of the Galapagos. My wife and I are very pleased to have seen up close the work and the efforts of everyone that helps to make this organization run," Prince Charles said today at noon during his brief speech at the dedication of a commemorative plaque in honor of his visit to the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding this year.

Their Royal Highnesses also visited the CDF nursery this Monday morning to learn about the "Let's Grow a Native Garden" project. The project encourages use of native and endemic plants in the local community to avoid introduction of invasive plants from the continent, which can threaten the native flora.

On another stop during their tour of the facilities, the Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, were briefed on CDF research into endemic and invasive insects at the entymology laboratory.

The royal visit culminated when, in an unanticipated break from protocol, the Prince shook hands and spoke briefly with many members of the CDF team.