The Samoa Conservation Society (Fa’asao Samoa) is an environmental organisation based in Samoa. Its purpose is to promote the conservation of Samoa’s biological diversity and natural heritage. [1] The society is active in efforts to save the critically-endangered Manumea, Samoa's national bird, [2] [3] and in forest restoration. [4]
The society was established in 2013. [5] Its founding president was Tofilau Tepa Suaesi. [5] Its current president, elected in 2020, is James Atherton. [6]
The society's first project was to save the manumea, [7] and included raising awareness of its habitat and conservation status, and monitoring to understand its breeding and feeding habits. [8] In 2017 it led an international campaign with Auckland Zoo and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to try and save the bird from extinction. [9]
In 2016 the society began a pilot program with MNRE on offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees in O Le Pupu-Puʿe National Park. [10] This was expanded in 2017 into a national carbon offsetting programme. [11] In mid 2021 the programme planted 5,000 trees in 6 months [4] but has planted up to 25,000 trees since beginning in 2016.
In 2019 the society conducted a series of surveys to identify and take cuttings and seeds from endangered plants, which discovered that the endangered Vavea Samoense tree may be extinct. [12]
In 2021 the society launched a petition campaign against The Coca-Cola Company's use of plastic bottles in Samoa. [13]
In 2023 it announced plans to reintroduce the extinct butterfly Papilio godeffroyi to Samoa. [14]
The society has the following objectives: [15]
The Samoa Conservation Society (Fa’asao Samoa) is an environmental organisation based in Samoa. Its purpose is to promote the conservation of Samoa’s biological diversity and natural heritage. [1] The society is active in efforts to save the critically-endangered Manumea, Samoa's national bird, [2] [3] and in forest restoration. [4]
The society was established in 2013. [5] Its founding president was Tofilau Tepa Suaesi. [5] Its current president, elected in 2020, is James Atherton. [6]
The society's first project was to save the manumea, [7] and included raising awareness of its habitat and conservation status, and monitoring to understand its breeding and feeding habits. [8] In 2017 it led an international campaign with Auckland Zoo and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to try and save the bird from extinction. [9]
In 2016 the society began a pilot program with MNRE on offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees in O Le Pupu-Puʿe National Park. [10] This was expanded in 2017 into a national carbon offsetting programme. [11] In mid 2021 the programme planted 5,000 trees in 6 months [4] but has planted up to 25,000 trees since beginning in 2016.
In 2019 the society conducted a series of surveys to identify and take cuttings and seeds from endangered plants, which discovered that the endangered Vavea Samoense tree may be extinct. [12]
In 2021 the society launched a petition campaign against The Coca-Cola Company's use of plastic bottles in Samoa. [13]
In 2023 it announced plans to reintroduce the extinct butterfly Papilio godeffroyi to Samoa. [14]
The society has the following objectives: [15]