British High Commission and M.N.R.E. plant tree to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

British High Commission and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) planted the Talafau to honor 70 years of service by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the UK and across the Commonwealth.

The tree planting ceremony was held at the Vailima Botanical Gardens on Monday and was attended by the British High Commissioner to Samoa David Ward, Deputy High Commisioner Robert Owens, Associate Chief Executive Officer (A.C.E.O.) of M.N.R.E. Seumalo Afele Faiilagi, President of the Samoa Conservation Society (S.C.S.) James Atherton, and representatives from Nuanua o le Alofa (N.O.L.A.).

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 Pepe ae also known as the Samoan swallowtail butterfly.

Mr. Ward said in his keynote address on Monday that it is an honor for him to be able to plant the Talafalu tree.

"This week is the week when in the United Kingdom we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Queen's excession to the throne," he said.

Mr. Ward said that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest reigning monarch in British and is a great supporter of conservation work.

"She would approve very much I think of us being here in Samoa where she herself planted a tree on her silver jubilee in 1977 when she visited, perhaps in the very grounds of this botanical gardens," he said.

"So its a great honor for me to be able to represent her here 45 years later to plant another tree and follow in her footsteps.

"We are celebrating her platinum jubilee but we are also celebrating the environment and the importance of all of our work to preserve the biodiversity of the planet and to tackle the challenges which the world faces [...] including climate change.

"And by planting a tree today we contribute to solving both those problems. Both by planting trees and maintaining our tree canopy as part of the queen's green canopy for her jubilee, we help to tackle climate change by promoting the storage and capture of carbon in a natural way through reforestation.

"We are also promoting biodiversity today through the planting of this indigenous tree to Samoa the Talafalu tree which we hope will become the host in years to come of the Pepe ae butterfly, one of the largest and most beautiful butterflies which used to be here in Samoa.

He said that they hope that by planting the Talafalu would be one step towards bringing the butterfly to Samoa.

Mr. Ward also stated that they will be working with the M.N.R.E. and the S.C.S.to increase access to the gardens with the installation of barrier free access to the gardens.

In a statement issued by the British High Commission to Samoa, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy celebrations Mr. 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.