Honoring Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in Samoa with Green Canopy Tree Planting
The Queen’s Green Canopy Tree Planting – World Environment Day (Tuesday 7 June)
On Monday 6 June, HE David Ward, British High Commissioner and Seumalo Afele Faiilagi, ACEO of Division of Environment Conservation planted a tree to honour the 70 years of service by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the UK and across the commonwealth.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the globe to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. The talafalu tree was specifically selected as it is the host/food plant for the Samoan swallowtail butterfly.
The MNRE division of Environment Conservation and the Samoa Conservation Society plan to reintroduce the talafalu tree back to Samoa from
American Samoa; and then to reintroduce the Samoan swallowtail butterfly.
As part of the Queen’s Green Canopy celebrations HE David Ward announced UK’s funding contribution of £10,000.00 (SAT $33.2K) towards the Vailima Botanical Garden Zoning Project for the installation of accessibility resources for persons with disabilities including the extension of the wheelchair accessible pathway.
The Art Whistler Memorial Garden at the Vailima Botanical Garden (VBG) is the only wheelchair-accessible natural tourist attraction in Samoa. The VBG is one of the most highly visited tourist locations in Samoa, but the uneven trails make it difficult for everyone to enjoy the surrounds. The installation of assistance resources for people with disabilities ensure that the VBG can be enjoyed by all.
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