Arboretum de Papuakeikaa

The arboretum of Papuakeikaa is located in the island of Ua Huka, archipelago of the Marquises, in French Polynésie. It extends on 17 hectares, with a few kilometers in the east of the village of Vaipaee, chief town of the common of Ua Huka.

It was founded in 1974 by the mayor Leon Litchlé. It is oldest arboretum of French Polynesia, and a long time only. This initiative was taken to fight against the vegetable in cash Déforestation and the impoverishment of the island, which had partly with the usual climatic conditions of Ua Huka, but also with the many herds of goats, horses and pigs wild which live there in freedom. Initially accompanied by CIRAD, it is then the Service of Rural development (SDR) of French Polynesia which took part in its growth at the side of the commune.

The arboretum places free at the disposal of the inhabitants of very many species, so that they replant them on their grounds and take part in fact in the afforestation of their island. It is used at the same time as academy of rare or threatened species, as well as research laboratory with the adaptation on the ground marquisien of imported species.

The arboretum also allows an economic development of the island. A factory of fruit transformation was created in Vaipaee, and manufactures and markets fruit mashed potatoes frozen, Confitures, candied fruits, pastes of fruits, chutneys, etc…
The various schools of the archipelago are fed out of citrus fruits thanks to this factory.

The citrus fruits represent a big part of the arboretum: it is more than 270 species of these trees which push on the 2,5 hectares which were allotted to them in 1995. The SDR of Ua Huka markets a selection of 28 varieties of it.

In 2006, it included/understood more than 1000 gasolines, citrus fruits included/understood, coming as well from the Marchionesses as of other areas of the monde.
One can find there species endemic such as the palm tree of the Marchionesses, the Papayer of Hokatu (of which the fruits can weigh more than 5 kg), the uru of Veveke or Breadfruit tree, the tau (Cordia subcordata), the miro or Bois de rose, will autera it' has or Badamier, the Tiaré, the Manguier, etc…
Among the imported species, one finds bamboos, plants with perfume like the Ylang-ylang or the Patchouli, of the seedlings of Vanille and Café, of the lotus, corossoliers, etc…

Allowing a rise as well ecological as economic, it is one of the most exemplary achievements of the archipelago.

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