Protecting the Punaruu Valley - French Polynesia
In the heart of Tahiti, thanks to the efforts of volunteers from the Punaruu Valley Association and European funding mobilized through the PROTEGE project, a Polynesian heritage is being regenerated...
Find out more about the action taken to preserve the orange trees on Tahiti's Te Rata plateau.
On Wednesday February 21, 2024, a large-scale helicopter operation was carried out for the association for the protection of the Punaruu valley, as part of the PROTEGE project.
The aim was to transport the materials and equipment needed to complete the construction of an orange tree nursery on the Te Rata plateau in Tahiti.
Sheet metal, fencing, timber and water tanks were all airlifted in by the association's volunteers and Tahiti Nui Hélicoptère.
A shredder was also airlifted in to enable the association to shred invasive species and make compost on site to facilitate the growth of new plants after they have been planted.
No fewer than twenty round-trip helicopter flights were needed to transport all this material. The association's volunteers, without whom this action would not have been possible, are now equipped to preserve this ecosystem and ensure the continuation of traditional orange picking.
European funding, mobilized through the PROTEGE project, is supporting the association's actions to regenerate the orange tree plants historically present in the heart of Tahiti and suffering either from old age or from the pressure exerted by invasive plant species.
