Students in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication have released the first in-depth multimedia project on the Web examining the impact of man on the Galápagos Islands.

Since Charles Darwin’s writings 200 years ago, the people of Galápagos - both residents and tourists - have fundamentally changed the natural habitat of the formerly pristine archipelago. The school’s Living Galápagos multimedia documentary documents some of these changes.

A group of 21 journalism students, four professional journalists and one faculty member traveled to the islands for a month to explore the impact of humans on the unique ecosystem. The journalists witnessed conservation, natural beauty and a welcoming culture but also saw a host of environmental and cultural issues that leave the Galápagos Islands at a tipping point.