Latest news with #GalapagosIslands
Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Times
‘Redundancy was the kick I needed to found Tootilab curly haircare'
Redundancy on her first day back at work jolted Gaia Tonanzi out of her honeymoon haze, pushing her into founding her own business, which saw revenues of more than £500,000 in its first year. After a month-long adventure trekking the Inca trail in Peru and relaxing on the Galapagos Islands with her husband, Davide, Tonanzi returned from her honeymoon to find a meeting with her employer in her diary. She knew something was wrong. They were letting her go. 'I came back to reality and it was a strong comeback to reality,' Tonanzi said. Less than a month after losing her job, she was registering Tootilab, a curly haircare brand, with her co-founder and friend, Julio Quintana, over a glass of wine at the kitchen table. She is philosophical about her unexpected redundancy, and also the chance it gave her to test out her abilities as an entrepreneur. 'It felt like a sign from the universe. You don't have the safety net any more. You can go around for other jobs, spend a few months sending CVs, or just do it, just try it. We don't have kids, we're renting, we don't have a mortgage, we have literally no commitments.' Tonanzi, 31, wasn't a stranger to the haircare industry. In 2019 she became the first member of staff at Curlsmith, a curly-hair-focused UK start-up. She spent three years in the company working on marketing, and left just one week before Curlsmith was sold for over £118 million in 2022 to Helen of Troy, an American consumer products group. Working at Curlsmith made her consider starting her own company, one which sold products she would be more interested in buying as someone with curly hair. But she didn't feel ready at the time. 'I was too young. I didn't have the experience. I've never worked for a big-brand corporation. I didn't know how things worked. I felt I needed to build my experience a bit more before doing something like that. I was expecting a bigger company to be a lot more structured and organised than a start-up and I saw that it's not necessarily the case,' Tonanzi said. Tonanzi and Quintana, 37, spent 18 months researching and refining the product before launching Tootilab officially in May 2024. It started with a curl cream and a gel, but has since introduced a shampoo and conditioner. The duo decided to offer only a few products to make it easier for people who had never looked after their curly hair before. They also opted to use packaging with gender-neutral colours, as they felt curly hair products are often targeted at women. 'There was an appetite for people to have something simpler because most of the brands out there have a lot of products, sometimes they have odd names, you're not sure what they're supposed to do for you, and it's hard to navigate,' Tonanzi said. The products are manufactured in the UK, but shipped worldwide, with Tootilab now using warehouses in the UK, Europe and the United States. The products aren't cheap compared with standard supermarket haircare, with a 400ml bottle of shampoo costing £32, but Tonanzi said 50 per cent of customers return to Tootilab. Tonanzi said her goals for the company moving forward were to get the product in retail and to start targeting hairdressers to stock Tootilab. Looking back on her experience, Tonanzi said it still served as motivation. 'I'm pretty stubborn. To be told by someone, 'you're not good enough', it's a catalyst. It is like, 'you think so? I'm gonna prove you wrong.' It pushes me to do better. It was the kick that I needed, but also the motivation that keeps pushing.'
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Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
These Lightweight Pants Kept Me Cool and Dry Hiking in the Galapagos—and I Found 8 Similar Styles From $37
While preparing for my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, I kept coming across hiking pants on suggested packing lists. At first, I was skeptical and wondered why I would need long pants on a warm weather trip. While I knew I'd be hiking most days, I thought I'd be better suited to face the Ecuadorian sun in running shorts or tennis skirts. A few days before my vacation, I ended up making a last-minute trip to browse the TJ Maxx activewear section. There, I stumbled upon the Free People Movement Fly By Night Pants. They instantly caught my eye for being more fashion-forward than your typical hiking pants, which encouraged me to take the leap and buy them, knowing I could wear them for more than just hiking on my trip. On our first full day of activities, it became clear to me that these Free People pants weren't only cute but also practical. Since the Galapagos is at the equator (we passed through it multiple times during the trip), the sun is much stronger than I'm used to. These pants kept my legs protected to avoid sun damage and burns. Made from 100 percent nylon, they're lightweight, airy, and breathable. I was able to move around in them with ease while hiking on different terrain. I felt just as comfortable in these pants as in shorts, if not even more so, since they shielded my skin from the intense heat. A bonus: While these pants did wrinkle in my suitcase, any creases fell out while I was wearing them, so I already know I'll be bringing them on future trips. But what really put these hiking pants to the test was the unpredictable climate of the Galapagos. When we set out for a hike, we never knew if we'd be in the sun all day or facing rainstorms. During the worst downpour of the trip, these water-resistant pants kept my legs completely dry underneath. Plus, when I hung them up in my cabin, they dried off much quicker than any of my other hiking clothes, which makes them more convenient for travel. These pants are slightly oversized in the leg but have a more fitted elastic waistband that offers a good amount of stretch. I'm generally a size 0 to 2 in bottoms, and the XS is a perfect fit on my petite frame. 'I bought my usual size Medium and they fit comfortably with room to wear over leggings [for colder weather],' said one shopper. Some reviewers recommend sizing down, but Free People Movement tends to run slightly big overall, and these pants fit consistently with the brand's sizing. One thing to keep in mind is that they are a cropped style, meant to hit above the ankle. I'm 5-feet tall and they fit me more like full-length pants, which I appreciate as I generally struggle to find wide-leg pants that fit me properly. Shoppers agree that these pants would be cute and comfortable for everyday activities beyond the trails. 'I bought these for my trip to Europe, where I'll be walking a lot,' said one shopper, adding that they are very flattering and cute. The only downside to these pants is that they make a swishing sound when you walk, but personally, I've found this to be pretty minimal, and I tend to forget about it while wearing them. After a weeklong cruise in the Galapagos, I've officially been converted to a hiking pants aficionado. I'm currently planning my next active trip to Alaska, and fully plan on stocking up on more styles beforehand. Continue on for some similar styles I'm currently eyeing, all on sale for under $100. These nylon hiking pants are lightweight, breathable, and quick drying like my Free People Movement pair, but offer an additional benefit: They're made with UPF 50+ fabric for built-in sun protection. Plus, they feature a drawstring on the ankle hem that you can either cinch to keep debris and bugs out or push up to turn them into capris. Choose from 10 different colorways, ranging from fun colors like lake green to neutrals like black. These jogger-style hiking pants have five different zippered sections for stashing valuables, which would come in handy on a travel day when you want to keep track of your essentials in the airport or on the trails. Available in both petite and regular inseams, these travel pants have over 4,800 five-star ratings. 'The UPF protection ensured that I had no sunburn on my legs hiking between 14,000 and 17,000 ft elevation,' said one reviewer after returning from a five-day hike of the Inca trail at very high altitudes with intense sun exposure. 'These pants withstood everything,' she said, adding that even when she fell on steep, jagged stone, the pants were unscathed. Another fashion-forward option, these stylish hiking pants have wide legs and a utility belt-style belt. The hue of this coastal teal colorway reminds me of my favorite Free People Movement pair, though the pants are also marked down in black. Plus, these pants are sweat-wicking, quick-drying, abrasion-resistant, and made from UPF 40+ material. These ultra-lightweight pants are not only breathable but also designed to be packable. You can fold them down to fit into the left-hand pocket, so they take up minimal suitcase space. The waistband also has loops that you can attach carabiners to for climbing. If you're looking for more of a fitted style, consider these straight-leg pants with a stretchy mid-rise waistband. They're made from an omni-proof material, which means they can repel and withstand a variety of elements like water and stains, so you'll have them for many getaways to come. One reviewer who bought these pants for an Iceland trip said, 'I wore them over thermal leggings and fleece sweatpants, so these added warmth and were waterproof.' $118 $57 at I'm currently eyeing these wide-leg pants for my upcoming trips to both Spain and Alaska for their versatility. While they look like sleek trousers, they're actually made from lightweight athleisure material. It's rare to find pants that can take you from the trails to a night out on town, so at over half off, it's an instant add to cart for me. Made from a breathable, stretchy cotton blend, these hiking pants are designed to keep you comfortable on casual hikes. The split-leg style would turn heads, but they also come in solid variations. As part of Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, they're currently marked down to just $53, so we won't blame you for grabbing multiple hues. My mom swears by Free Country for outdoorsy clothes, and I can see why. This versatile style combines the comfort of sweats and the function of hiking pants. Plus, they have a zipper that you can use to turn them into shorts if you get sweaty or decide you don't need the extra sun protection. They'd definitely come in handy in a destination with unpredictable weather (like, say, the Galapagos). Love a great deal? 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Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Some Tomatoes Are Evolving Backwards in Real Time, Scientists Find
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Evolution is often portrayed as stepping toward ever-greater complexity, but the natural world is filled with examples of organisms actually reverting back to a previous evolutionary state. A new study examines this process in progress with tomato plants in Galápagos, finding that plants on the newer, western islands have developed alkaloids similar to eggplant relatives millions of years ago compared to modern tomato plants. It's possible these plants developed this strategy because the newer islands are barren and less biologically diverse, so the ancient molecule might provide better protection in such a harsh environment. The famous ape-to-man illustration, known as The March of Progress, depicts evolution as a one-way street toward evolutionary perfection—but nature isn't always so simple. Many organisms have displayed what appears to be 'reverse evolution,' or regression, where ancient attributes of past ancestors seem to reappear down the evolutionary line. Cave fish, for example, will lose eyesight and return to a state similar to a previous ancestor that lacked this visual organ, but the argument remains whether this is reverse evolution or simply the ending of an evolutionary pathway that creates a vestigial organ. Of course, complex animals are not the only ones that appear to rewind the evolutionary clock. A new study in Nature Communications, led by scientists at University of California (UC) Riverside, analyzed species of tomato in the Solanaceae family, comparing populations from both eastern and western islands of the Galápagos—that famous Pacific island chain that inspired Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory nearly 200 years ago. The team specifically analyzed the tomato's alkaloids, a bitter molecule that acts as a kind of pesticide to deter would-be predators and fungi. On the eastern islands, the tomatoes exhibited alkaloids similar to modern tomatoes, but on the western islands—which are geologically younger than the eastern ones—the tomatoes exhibited changes in four amino acids in the enzyme that makes these alkaloid molecules. They found this simple change caused the tomatoes to create alkaloids more similar to eggplant relatives from millions of years ago, seemingly reversing evolution. 'It's not something we usually expect, but here it is, happening in real time, on a volcanic island,' UC Riverside's Adam Jozwiak, lead author of the study, said in a press statement. 'Our group has been working hard to characterize the steps involved in alkaloid synthesis, so that we can try and control it.' However, this 'reverse' wasn't a spontaneous event. The researchers theorize that the cause of this evolutionary quirk could be traced to the new, western islands themselves. While the eastern islands are millions of years old, the western ones are only hundreds of thousands of years old and are still forming today. This means these islands contain less biological diversity as well as more barren soil. This more ancient landscape may have pushed the tomato to then adopt a more ancient survival strategy. 'It could be that the ancestral molecule provides better defense in the harsher western conditions,' Jozwiak says. 'Some people don't believe in this, but the genetic and chemical evidence points to a return to an ancestral state. The mechanism is there. It happened.' Whether organisms experience 'reverse' evolution could largely be chalked up to semantics. With both cave fish and Galápagos tomatoes, evolution did its usual work of making life fit for the conditions at hand. Usually that means improving into ever greater complexity, and at other, less often times, it means reverting back to a golden oldie. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
King Charles' favourite royal tour paintings revealed as his private collection is put on display at Buckingham Palace
IT is 40 years since King Charles, then Prince of Wales, first took an artist with him on a royal tour. The Sun's celebrated royal photographer Arthur Edwards was on that first trip, when society portrait painter John Ward joined Charles and Diana on their 17-day tour to Italy in 1985. 15 15 15 William and Harry were only tots and travelled with their parents on the Royal Yacht Britannia. After each foreign tour, Charles chooses his favourite paintings and displays them in private at his homes, Clarence House, Highgrove, Birkhall and Sandringham. But from next Thursday, the public can see them for the first time when summer visitors to Buckingham Palace will be able to view paintings by 43 royal artists from 70 incredible tours in 90 countries around the world. Arthur has been given an exclusive preview of the paintings – and here he shares his memories and favourite photos from royal journeys with the King and his artists. Galapagos Isles, 2009 THE highlight of Charles and Camilla's tour to Chile, Brazil and Ecuador was a visit to the Galapagos Islands, home to the most incredible wildlife. A mix-up over boat times meant artist Richard Foster nearly missed the trip to uninhabited North Seymour Island, but thankfully the coastguard came to his aid. And he managed to paint the Prince and Duchess on this lump of Pacific lava rock home to the rare blue-footed booby bird and iguanas so tame they don't see humans as a threat. My favourite photograph on this tour is of the couple getting up close with the famous giant tortoises. One of the great joys of my life is seeing amazing places. Sadly, this visit was limited to three days in paradise. King Charles waves to royal fans as he leaves Buckingham Palace with Queen Camilla for Trooping the Colour 15 15 India and Nepal, 1993 THIS was the royal tour that Princess Diana hijacked with her historic solo photo at the Taj Mahal. Artist Martin Yeoman, who painted this picture of an arched entrance to the Red Fort at Agra, accidentally strayed outside the official tour. When he tried to rejoin the others, local security did not believe him until eventually a junior official vouched for him. Just before Diana posed for that picture at the Taj Mahal, I was the only photographer to go with her to the fort. She posed up, arms folded, looking absolutely stunning with the most beautiful smile. With a long lens, I was able to get the Taj Mahal in the background. I rate it in the top five best pictures I ever took of Diana. Uganda and Turkey, 2007 15 15 AFTER a couple of days in Uganda's capital Kampala for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, the royals travelled to the city of Jinja, on the banks of Lake Victoria, the source of the River Nile. While I was photographing the royal couple on a boat, Camilla took out her camera and snapped a picture of me. Later on the tour, I admired the work of artist Mungo McCosh, who painted this picture of Charles and Camilla crossing the Golden Horn in Istanbul. I had been trying to photograph the scene for half an hour without much success and I told Mungo: 'The pencil can do something the camera can't.' Today, nearly 20 years later, I still remember being entranced while photographing the mind-blowing whirling dervishes. Egypt, 2006 15 I HAD been to Egypt five times and was ill on each occasion. At one point, Diana's doctor had to treat me. So the last time, in 2022, I took no chances by carrying my own food and water. Back in 2006, we travelled to a desert oasis at Siwa, where artist Sarah Butterfield captured this scene of a local by the water. I got a wonderful photograph of the recently married couple. Walking uphill, Camilla linked arms with Charles and they were both wearing white hats. One newspaper called them Fred & Gladys – the nicknames they gave each other early in their relationship. Sri Lanka and India, 2013 15 15 CHARLES was going to be 65 on the day we flew to Sri Lanka from India. The Sun had created a special front page with the headline OAP – Old Aged Prince – complete with ads for free eye tests and discounts at Specsavers. I wanted to present it to him on the plane and, despite a lot of haggling, his press secretary was reluctant to allow it. Suddenly, lovely Camilla appeared, took me to the front of the flight and said: 'Darling, Arthur's got a present for you.' Charles laughed because his Sun front page was very funny. Then I asked if I could have a picture taken of me giving the Prince the present. He asked, 'What's it for?' and when I told him, 'Tomorrow's paper', he replied, 'OK, but against my better judgment'. I will never forget the relief when I got that photo back to London. It was on this trip that artist Catherine Goodman, who captured Mumbai's Gateway Of India in charcoal and gouache, said to me: 'I'd like to paint your portrait'. I thought she was joking, but after 12 hours of sittings, my picture hung in the National Portrait Gallery. I never found out who suggested it – but I suspect the idea came from the VIP at the front of the plane! New Zealand, 2012 15 15 PRINCE Charles's tour to New Zealand to mark the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee began with an Armistice Day service in Auckland. Local artist Sue Wild, wearing a home-made pinny to carry her watercolours, brushes and pencils, painted this wonderful picture. Three days later, on the future King's birthday, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key led a rendition of the Beatles song When I'm Sixty-Four at a government reception. Being 64 didn't stop Charles dancing with well-wishers in the streets of Christchurch. I have been to New Zealand half a dozen times with the Prince and in 2005 took my favourite photo of him – with an albatross in Dunedin. The giant bird and its chick were just three feet from Charles, who was there to warn about the slaughter of these majestic creatures in discarded fishing nets. He is so passionate that even as King, he will go to any lengths to highlight the damage being done to the environment. Ireland, 1995 15 15 IT wasn't until the mid-Nineties that Prince Charles went on an official visit to the Republic of Ireland for the first time – though that's understandable given the long years of conflict there. Huge crowds lined O'Connell Street in Dublin, where a couple of IRA demonstrators kicked off, then suddenly they disappeared. Nothing was going to interrupt this tour. Later, Charles walked in the garden of the President's house with Mary Robinson. I photographed her pointing out the light that is never extinguished so that Irish people who emigrate know they will always be welcomed back. Later, the Prince went across to Delphi Lodge on the border between Counties Galway and Mayo, where artist Derek Hill painted this beautiful landscape. It was not until 2011 that Queen Elizabeth made her first visit to Dublin. Since 2015, Charles has gone almost every year to a different part of Ireland to celebrate the goodwill between our two countries. The King's Tour Artists forms part of the public visitor route at Buckingham Palace from July 10. 15
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Graham Watkins: Runaway tourism threatens the future of the Galapagos Islands
Very few places in the world have influenced humanity as much as the Galapagos Islands, and they have a pivotal year ahead. 2009 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species, and the 50th anniversaries of the foundation of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park. But for all their importance, the islands are still under threat. Today, this extraordinary archipelago, which has inspired countless visitors, is the premier natural environment in the world: one of the last well-conserved tropical archipelagos we have, and home to numerous unique species. Since Charles Darwin's 1835 visit and his use of the islands to illustrate evolution and adaptive radiation in the Origin of Species, the islands have been the focus of additional important research in understanding natural selection. But the islands were long host to whalers and colonists too, who left a series of legacies. These include the decimation of tortoise populations and the introduction of many new species that have wreaked havoc on the native flora and fauna. The islands are better conserved today than they were 100 years ago. Unfortunately, the runaway development of tourism means that the Galapagos are at risk again. Economic growth in the islands has drawn immigrants and increased the risks of new and increasingly dangerous, invasive species arriving. Resolving this problem will require strengthening governance, ensuring sustainable tourism, developing an island culture and continuing to restore the islands. The solutions will be led by the people of Ecuador and will necessarily involve ensuring the standard of living of Galapagos residents. But it is the co-responsibility of the world to support the government of Ecuador in the process. We can conserve Galapagos, but only through the concerted actions of all of the actors. If we can achieve sustainability, the value to the world will extend well beyond saving one of the last remaining natural treasures, to being a model for sustainable societies everywhere.
