INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL, BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION

On Moorea, the project developed and implemented a participatory invasive-species control strategy in the ‘Opunohu watershed, in particular by supporting Miconia control on 40 ha of heritage forest in partnership with the Moorea Biodiversité association. 

In the Gambier Islands, RESCCUE provided support to a wide range of activities designed to preserve local flora, i.e. assistance in setting up a multipurpose municipal nursery; restricting access to and providing conservation management of Mangareva’s last natural forest; creating an ecotourism bush-trekking trail; developing and implementing conservation plans for the most endangered plants; training local nature guides; producing information materials; holding public meetings and talks in schools (on plant and bird-life); eradicating and controlling invasive plants
on the islands of Kamaka, Makaroa and Manui (co-funded by the DIREN); and finally, replanting native species on the islands of Kamaka, Makaroa and Manui (co-funded by the European BEST project under the municipality and IUCN’s supervision).


RESCCUE supplemented those activities by monitoring birdlife in the Gambier Islands for conservation purposes: biosecurity on those islands that are free of rats and other exotic species that threaten birdlife; eradicating the crazy yellow ant (co-funded by the Environment Department/DIREN); controlling the Polynesian rat and cane toad on Kamaka; and finally, installing acoustic devices to attract petrels to Kamaka and Makaroa.