Sit down with Valentina Cruz, Dr. Gyulamiryan and student Isabel Santos to discuss how the Cruz family ended up in the Galapagos, how Valentina was inspired to protect the animals and what we can all learn from nature. We can’t wait to hear the inspirational stories that inspired Marsha Dianne Arnold to write Galapagos Girl/Galapagueña!

Valentina was born on the Galapagos island of Floreana. From the time she was a child her parents taught her and her brothers and sisters to love and respect the unique beauty surrounding them. After attending university in Cuba she was trained as one of the Islands’ highly professional guides, and worked in the Islands for 17 years. Now married with two children, she lives in Australia with her husband, the biologist Lazaro Roque. She has never lost her love for her native islands and the other beautiful places she has known and wants to share them with others who will appreciate their magic.