Caption: Students from the SEEDS Club at ASCC enjoy the natural wonders of Savai'i during their research trip last week. The Club spent five days observing the environment and analyzing factors that affect it.
(Courtesy Photo)

Savai’i, a high volcanic shield island of 1717 sq. km, offers 192.4 km of shoreline and a great range of ecology and geology interests, from volcanic craters and lava tubes, rain forest canopy walks, blowholes, mangrove wetlands and some lovely beaches and coral reefs.  In comparison, Upolu has 403 km of coastline with narrow coastal plains with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior, as opposed to Tutuila’s 116 km of shoreline with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains.

The ASCC students stopped first at the lava fields at Saleaula on the north-east coast. Sitting upon a fault along two tectonic plates (Pacific and Australian), volcanic activity is estimated to occur every 150 years or so. The last activity took place between 1905 and 1911, when the crater at Mt. Matavanu formed, spilling millions of tons of lava over the fertile lands of the north-east coast and into the lagoon while burying the village of Saleaula. Radiant Fuimaono, a Liberal Arts Major, remarked, “This excursion is an eye-opening experience.  To see the different types of lava and learn about how our islands are formed was very exciting for me.”

The group then traveled to Manase, where they conducted a beach and fish survey and coral reef assessment. They continued on to Falealupo Rainforest Preserve, a natural low lying tropical forest as well as the core site of an environmental project aimed to persuade local villagers to preserve the natural forest. A huge canopy walkway has been built to help fund the reserve and give the villagers an alternative source of income. Liberal Arts major Saneterini Amosa marveled, “The canopy walk was amazing and scary at the same time.  When you are up there you can see the island for its natural beauty until you look down, then you realize how far up you are.” The Reserve is also home to an unusually shaped crack in the lava which is held to be the footprint of a famous giant, Moso. After seeing the “footprint,” the group traveled the coast around Cape Mulinu'u, where legend has it that the souls of the dead pass into the underworld. 

Stopping next at the village of Satuiatua, the group conducted a second beach and fish survey, as well as another coral reef assessment. The group ended their trip with a visit to the Afu’aau waterfalls, where the ancient Pulemelei Mound stands.  The largest archaeological site in Polynesia, this mound stands at more than 60 metres in length and 15 meters in height. Research continues to determine who built it and why. One ancient belief holds that the mound marks the original landing site of the first Polynesians to settle the Pacific. It may also have been an astrological monument to the successful seafaring journeys of these ancient people. Miracle Tali, a Marine Science major, summed up the experience: “This trip was very educational. We not only learned about the environment, but about the history of our culture. Seeing the footprint and the cape where the spirits depart was very moving.”

Based on their observations, the students made some conclusions about the state of Savai’i’s environment. Logging and subsistence agriculture have made major impacts to Savaii’s ecosystem, which consists of lowland and mountain rain forests; cloud forest with many endemics; scrub and grasslands on recent lava flows and uplands; crater marshes; swamp forest; mangroves, rocky shores, and reefs along some of the coasts.  Subsistence agriculture and plantations are located in most coastal areas, and extensive logging is destroying most harvestable forest areas.  Agriculture, along with mining, construction, over-fishing, organic pollution, dynamite fishing, and siltation caused by deforestation all place Savai’i’s corals under stress. Upolu faces similar environmental threats from deforestation and over-fishing, whereas American Samoa has similar environmental challenges with over-fishing and deforestation, but for different reasons.  Rapid modernization and a population that is growing faster than the lands can support it put major pressure on Tutuila’s environment.

Fortunately, the last few years have seen a concerted effort made to develop eco-friendly industries and conserve the beauty and biological diversity of the rain forests that cover the Samoan islands. Support for the conservation of Savai’i’s fragile ecosystem comes from government and non-profit organizations.  An indigenous conservation organization, Fa'asao Savai’i, established by Chief Va'asilifiti Moelagi Jackson, is working to establish nature preserves in rainforests and coral reefs. Upolu has several conservation areas, such as Palolo Deep Marine Reserve, Uafato Conservation Area, The Saanapu and Sataoa Mangrove Conservation Area, O Le Pupu-Pue National Park, and the Togitogiga Scenic Reserve. In American Samoa, the 10,000 acre makes a major contribution to the ecological health of the region. In keeping with the meaning of the word Samoa - "sacred earth" - the National Park of American Samoa helps protect fa`asamoa, the customs, beliefs, and traditions of the 3,000 year-old Samoan culture.

ASCC Marine Sciences instructor and SEEDS Club advisor Karolyn Braun also credits agencies like The Fisheries Extension Program, as well as Community Fisheries Management Program of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources for their efforts to keep Samoa’s ocean environment healthy. “Conserving our land and sea resources requires a number of separate but related programs,” she said, “and I think the SEEDS Club now understands the scope of the work involved.”  

Having seen many highlights of Samoa’s natural environment during the Savai’i journey, Natural Resource major Sina Ve’a reflected, “This trip was not only about learning how we as a people interact with the environment, but also how we interact as a society and a culture.”

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