2023 was another big year for the Samoa Conservation Society and our conservation partners. But what is conservation and why does it matter, you may ask? 

Conservation means the “preservation and protection of something, especially the planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Conservation matters for many reasons. Firstly, what kind of Samoa would it be if we no longer had [CS1] all the species and ecosystems that nurtured Samoans for thousands of years and allowed the rich Samoan culture and traditions to not only develop but to thrive? Consider the Samoan Tatau- one of the most iconic creations of Samoan and Polynesian culture. Even the English word “tattoo” is borrowed from our “Tatau”. 

The majority of the symbols in the Tatau are from nature- the Gogo (tern), Tuli (plover), Fe'e (octopus), Anufe (worm), Alualu (starfish) etc- are all species of [CS2] plants and animals. Many of our Samoan proverbs refer to our environment “E lele le toloa ae ma’au i le vai” or “O lupe sa vao eseese ae ua fuifui fa’atasi”. How would future generations of Samoans be able to identity with a Samoan culture that has lost the plants and animals that are referred to in our tatau, in our proverbs, legends, songs, traditional medicines, and handicrafts?

A second and practical reason is that life on these islands would not be liveable without intact ecosystems with native biodiversity. Our native biodiversity and ecosystems protect and buffer us from severe weather by binding the soil and shorelines together (eg mangroves), give us shelter from the elements, stabilise steep slopes from erosion and landslides (eg native vegetation), cleaning and purify our water and air (eg our soil and vegetation), pollinate (eg birds and insects) and disperse our plants including our crops, give us oxygen to breathe, absorb our carbon dioxide and other pollutants, provide us with food, medicines, and materials for shelters and handicrafts (eg our native plants and marine life) and places for recreation and mental and spiritual renewal and rest (eg beaches, waterfalls and forests). These provisions are often referred to as “Ecosystem Services” and they are all provided by nature for free!

Unfortunately, in Samoa, we cannot generate enough renewable natural resources to satisfy our current consumption levels and to absorb all our waste. Samoa essentially has an “ecological deficit”. This means that our population’s demand for natural resources exceeds its supply, which can lead to future resource shortages (including basics such as food and shelter), higher prices, and elevated levels of pollution in the air, water, and soil unless we change something. 

The Samoa Conservation Society’s mission is to raise awareness on the need for Samoans to conserve our natural heritage and demonstrate ways that do so, while promoting sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods. In 2023 we celebrated our 10^th anniversary; the society was registered as an NGO in July 2013. In that time we have gone from 1 staff and 1 project to 5 staff and 9 projects. Our 10^th anniversary celebration was a time to celebrate our successes and to thank our partners, donors, staff and members for their hard work. 

Some highlights of 2023 include the development of a new butterfly conservation project, the re-opening of the Peace Garden at NUS, and the development of an exciting conservation project with MNRE, the Catholic Church and Bluebird Lumber and Hardware to protect the rainforest at Malololelei. The new Malololelei conservation area will protect the upper catchment of the Gasegase river that flows through half of Apia from Moamoa as far as Vaiusu Bay. We also finally received our first vehicle from the Yazaki Kizuna Foundation to help with our conservation outreach.

We have big plans for 2024. First, we will revise our strategic plan which expires at the end of 2023. We will also start implementing a range of new projects including the development of a river conservation project in Apia in partnership with the Samoa Recycling and Waste Management Association (SRWMA), a project to support Magiagi village to conserve its natural and cultural heritage and a project to manage invasive species at Malololelei in partnership with Birdlife International. We will continue our village conservation work with more forest restoration activities and trail development and we also hope to develop a new learning network to support our village communities. We will also continue our work with MNRE to save threatened species such as Samoa’s national bird, the Manumea (Tooth billed pigeon), threatened endemic plants such as the Pau and Niu Vao as well as a long-term project which hopes to eventually reintroduce the locally extinct Pepe Ae or Samoan Swallowtail Butterfly back to Samoa from American Samoa, where it is still found.

We are very grateful for the support and the leadership of the Government of Samoa, both locally and on the international stage. Samoa excelled at the COP meeting by pushing for strong and meaningful commitments by the countries most responsible for climate change. The MNRE Minister Toeolesulusulu and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) courageous stance in refusing to sign what they termed our "death certificate" was admirable and added to the pressure to strengthen the COP communique. While still too weak to avert global climate breakdown, the final COP statement included text on phasing down fossil fuels for the very first time and that is an important step forward.

As we have ended 2023 we would like to acknowledge all our partners including our village communities, donors, and government partners for your continued support for our conservation mission. Our message for 2024 and beyond is for Samoa to continue on its “Green” path. Let’s think about our impacts on nature and how we can better nurture her for the sake of current and future generations as well as our culture and economy. Let’s not wait for others to take action, but to lead by example and to align our behaviour with our words. We wish everyone a peaceful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and successful 2024.