Savurua’s founder is Dr Lex Thomson, a dual Fijian and Australian citizen who has dedicated much of his life to researching and conserving tree species and genetic resources in more than forty countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. Lex was Team Leader of the Australian Government’s CSIRO South Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Initiative (SPRIG), which developed conservation strategies and action plans for Pacific Island’s tree species. He has also worked extensively in Rome on FAO’s Forest Genetic Resources programs, including as co-author on the First State of the World Report of Forest Genetic Resources and initiated Bioversity International’s Forest Biodiversity Research Program. Lex currently holds Associate Professorships in Agroforestry and Pacific Islands Agribusiness from the University of Sunshine Coast.
Because we’re on a worthwhile mission!
By donating to Savurua Botanical Gardens you will be helping with our conservation and education initiatives to protect Fiji’s indigenous flora, fauna and rainforests, including the best remaining stands of soga palm. Indeed, without your support it is likely that unique Fijian tree species and populations will be lost forever.
In more formal terms, our mandate is ‘To provide a knowledge resource and living repository of Fiji’s flora; maintaining and building our understanding of Fiji’s flora, especially endemic tree species, their genetic diversity and ethnobotany, and upon which the environment and livelihoods of Fijians depends”.
It’s good work. And we’d love you to be a part of it.
All donated funds will be spent on specific conservation projects for rare and endangered endemic Fijian trees and plants, unless a donor specifies that they want their funds to be spent in another way to help in the development and work of the gardens, e.g. research projects or development of walking trails with interpretation for school children.
If you have have specific request, please get in touch.
To start, donors will be kept informed of conservation activities through Savurua’s bustling Facebook page.
As we grow, we’ll be sending out a six-monthly email packed with interesting stories, news and progress updates. Stay tuned!
Absolutely!
If you’re passionate about a specific area we’re working on, for example developing and implementing a conservation plan for a particular plant species, then please get in touch – let’s see how we can work together.
Hey, it’s an excuse for a green inspired chin-wag…
Savurua is collaborating with an array of partners, including the Botanical Gardens Conservation International, Nature Fiji Maraqeti Viti and University of the South Pacific to Survey, inventory and conservation of Hibiscus storckii, a highly threatened Fijian species with funding from the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Savurua is also working with Pacific Reforestation (Fiji) Ltd and traditional landowners to conserve the critically endangered Dacrydium nausoriense and other rare trees in the Nausori Highlands.
It is hoped and planned that Savurua will join the Botanical Gardens Conservation International Network, once fully operational, as well as lead in the establishment of a network of conservation-orientated botanical gardens in different parts of Fiji.
We’re working on it!
Savurua is just getting started. Although we are not a registered entity yet, we’re actively ticking off a long list of to-do items, such as obtaining legal advice on the best options for Fiji. We’ll be growing organically as resources permit.
But of course Savurua’s lush 10 hectares of pristine diverse old growth forest has already been secured.
Our goal for the next 12 months is to finalize the development plan for Gardens, get started on making and marking trails and continue propagation and replanting of rare and endangered plant species.
It’s easy!
Just head to our Donation page and complete your details. You’ll then receive an email with information on what to do next.
If you have any specific questions regarding donation, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
For now, we are only direct bank deposits.
In the future, we’ll be evolving our website to take credit card payments. Coming soon folks…
It’s all above-board. We promise.
First up, we will never send you unsolicited emails, commercial offers or advertisements. We will never sell, rent or loan your details. We will never use cookies to obtain financial and/or personal information. And all times, your privacy will be respected – we do our very best to meet all the requirements outlined in International Privacy Principles.
The types of personal information we collect include name, contact details, identification information, organisation, title and information submitted in forms and enquiry/complaint details.
We don’t like receiving SPAM. No one does. Which is why we’d never play that game with you.
With regards to email subscriptions, we adhere to a strict permission-based email policy. Your email address is used to only send you information that you have requested. At any time, you can elect to receive, or not receive, information from us.
If you’d rather not receive the latest and greatest, you can unsubscribe at any time. Just click the Unsubscribe link in the footer of our newsletter – requests are fulfilled within minutes and no further communications will be sent.
Hey, we’ll be sorry to see you go, but completely understand.
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