OUR PROJECTS
In Ecuador IOI operates under a foreign aid cooperation agreement with the National Government and its various branches: the Galapagos National Park (DPNG), the Galapagos Biosecurity Agency (ABG), the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) and Education MINEDUC), as well as the provincial Government of Galapagos (CEGREG).
In Honduras, we collaborate with the Honduran Coral Reef Fund (FCC - Fundación Cayos Cochinos). FCC was established in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute under the auspice of then President Rafael Leandro Callejas to establish a 1220 sqkm Marine Protected Area around Cayos Cochinos - between the Honduran mainland and Roatan
Long-term work,
co-designed with local institutions.
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SUSTAINABILITY
Seven years of building active, local mitigation via our programming – 129.2 tCO₂e offset in 2025 through 105.5 hectares of regenerative agriculture and local food production on Isabela, alongside 39 CANIE Accord commitments and a published annual GHG report.
Certified Carbon Negative,
with the numbers to prove it.
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GET INVOLVED
The funding and staffing layer behind every project.
We achieve all of our sustainable development success via volunteering, internships, and university study-abroad pathways — including credit-bearing programs. International participants are how the local work gets done, and how it gets paid for. Your participation is empowering us (and you) to effect real change in real-world settings.
Volunteering
Internships
Study Abroad
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IOI, civic society, and local government working together for sustainable development
WHO WE ARE
IOI is a Florida registered 503(c)1 Not-for-Profit with permanent local staff on location to empower local institutions by providing technical and financial assistance, and hands-on field work in conservation, sustainable agriculture, education and social development. Every project runs on a formal agreement with local institutions, is codesigned with local society, and is internally and externally evaluated year by year.
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Most organizations reach carbon neutrality by buying credits. We've spent seven years building the other half: regenerative agriculture, local food production, mangrove restoration and ecosystem repair inside the communities we work with – active mitigation we generate ourselves, not purchase.
The goal is to keep closing the gap year by year, until external offsetting is the exception rather than the rule. The numbers below come from our 2025 GHG Report and Ecuador's own annual evaluation.
Carbon Negative,
and we can prove it.
837.7
tCO₂e gross emissions (2025)
129.2
tCO₂e actively offset by our own projects
7 yrs
Building active, local mitigation
100%
Program execution – govt certified
129.2 tCO₂e of active offsetting is generated inside our regenerative agriculture and local food programs on Isabela — 105.5 hectares in 2025, up 27%, cutting the island's reliance on food shipped from the mainland while supporting food security, biodiversity and local livelihoods.
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
In their own words.
"Thank you so much for an amazing, unforgettable experience! Your arrangements have been impeccable! Thank you as well for the presentation! We will be ready for the pick up tomorrow. This has been an incredible journey with so much for potential collaboration. I have already asked two friends to volunteer for IOI. Let's see what they say. I have so much to take back to my university and I am sure that my colleagues and our students will visit soon. We have learnt so much!"
Shernice · Western University, South Africa
"My sincere thanks to both of you for once again making our 2026 Galapagos Study Abroad program such a successful and meaningful experience. As was the case last year, IOI delivered an exceptional program, giving students the opportunity not only to experience the extraordinary landscapes, biodiversity, and history of the islands but also to immerse themselves in what it is like to live there and appreciate the close relationship between the locals and their unique environment."
JUAN GONZALEZ · UTRGV
"The visit to the elementary school was especially interesting because we got to see how conservation is being introduced to students at a young age. Visiting the local farms and learning about pesticide-free farming and sustainable practices also showed us how conservation is really part of everyday life on the island. What really stood out to me was how the whole community plays a role in protecting the islands and preserving what makes them special."
GARY · PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY
"The work doesn't stop when a group flies home. The nests still get walked, the seedlings still get watered, the data still gets handed to the Park."
IOI field team · Isabela, Galapagos
