Restoring and enhancing Polynesian forests is the long term vision of Christophe Balsan. The idea is to work for nature and bring his professional experience to help the Fenua to preserve its unique biodiversity.
In 2022, AOA-Polynesian-Forests was born, began building its teams (scientific, technical, communications and marketing) and launched its first project in Tahiti, in the municipality of Mataiea in the Mo'aroa valley.
After a preliminary diagnosis carried out in October 2022 on almost 250 ha by the team of scientists (ecologist, biologist and botanist), an inventory of plants and birds was carried out, enabling a management plan for the valley to be defined (mapping the valley, location of work areas and intervention strategy) and its actions to be prioritized:
Control invasive plants and restore the balance in favor of native and endemic species ;
Densify native and endemic plants, through propagation in nurseries, laboratories and planting in natural environments ;
Study and monitor the valley's biotic and abiotic parameters through 4 components : terrestrial vegetation, terrestrial birds, fish and crustaceans, hydrology ;
Train field agents to recognize species and understand the valley's ecological challenges ;
Develop a new way of social and educational ecotourism with the creation of a discovery trail of the forest and native flora and fauna of our valleys and an agronomic trail including plants introduced by Polynesians.
Since March 2023, technical teams have been working continuously in the field, eliminating priority plant pests under sometimes tough conditions. In only 5 months, almost 5 acres have already pass through the first stage of the process aimed at freeing the canopy and the first results are already visible. At the same time, nursery production of seedlings to increase the density of native and endemic species has begun, and construction of the laboratory is underway.
The sales, marketing and communications team work hard to take AOA-Polynesian-Forests' actions beyond the Pacific and to find the financial support that will enable us to perpetuate our missions. They also have the mission of involving local businesses in the restoration of our forests.
Supporting AOA-Polynesian-Forests means helping to restore biodiversity, adapt to climate change, raise awareness of environmental issues and contribute to the social and economic development of the region.
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