A compilation of our staff’s favorite books from 2024 (or something they are excited to read in 2025)! Tap the link in our bio to see the full list. Anything else we should add to our list? Let us know in the comments! (fb)

After 5,000 years, it’s back! 🦎 Meet the Leaf-Toed Gecko — once thought to be extinct on Rábida Island in the Galápagos, and now officially rediscovered. This tiny gecko was only known on this island from ancient subfossils…that is, until a 2011 restoration and rewilding project gave nature another chance. Just a year later, they reappeared, having survived undetected for millennia. The Leaf-Toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus maresi) are tiny — babies are about 4cm, adults around 8cm, and sometimes their tails are longer than their bodies! We believe a small population was on Rábida all along, hidden in plain sight. Without invasive predators, they finally had the opportunity and space to recover. Our scientists just published a study showing that these geckos are genetically unique, and it’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we give nature the chance to thrive. Link in bio to learn more about the Leaf-Toed Gecko and the official news of the rediscovery. This rediscovery was made possible by a successful, bold conservation intervention in 2011 led by Island Conservation in partnership with the Galapagos National Park, Charles Darwin Foundation, and The Raptor Center. (fb)