Inauguration of a BEST 2.0 project's botanical trail by the President of French Polynesia
Photo: President of French Polynesia Edouard Fritch with members of the association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa
© Fonds Association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa
September 2018
The association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa was honored to welcome the President of French Polynesia, Edouard Fritch, who, during his official visit to the Anaa Atoll in August 2018, inaugurated the botanical trail set up as part of the project “Saving the Endangered Flora of the Raised Anaa Atoll and the Definition of Priority Areas for Conservation based on the Flora and Fauna”, funded by the BEST 2.0 program.
The year-long project led by the association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa was implemented on the raised Anaa atoll, belonging to the commune of Anaa, in the Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia, 400km east of the island of Tahiti. The objective of the project was to contribute to the preservation of the natural forests on raised coral (heo) of the Anaa atoll by improving knowledge of the flora and the fauna of these forests, promoting conservation actions for characteristic species and raising awareness among the local population and communal authorities.
Photo: Germination zone of the association’s nursery © Fonds Association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa
More generally, the project took place in the context of the depletion of natural atoll forests due to intensive coconut farming and recurring fires related to agricultural practices. Indeed, during the 19th and early 20th century most of the atoll forest was cleared for coconut plantation and for the export of copra and coconut oil. The maintenance of the coconut palms by fire also led to the destruction of part of the natural forests not yet cleared at that time.
The project's approach consisted of enhancing inventory and awareness work undertaken by the association for more than a decade (which mainly concerned flora and avifauna) and implementing short-term conservation actions based on these inventories, while focusing on the medium and long term goal of ensuring the official recognition and the sustainable management of the identified priority conservation areas on behalf of the population, the owners, the communal and territorial authorities.
Photo: Plant breeding area of the association’s nursery © Fonds Association Pu Tahi Haga no Ganaa
The botanical trail, inaugurated by President Fritch and located in Tukuhora - one of the six priority conservation areas identified by the project - allows users to discover coconut groves, swampy areas and natural forest on raised coral, as well explore the botanical collection and nursery of the association.
Project factsheet – Saving the Endangered Flora of the Raised Anaa Atoll and the Definition of Priority Areas for Conservation based on the Flora and Fauna
