One year after restoration, Samoa’s Nu’utele Island shows remarkable recovery
Just one year after ecological restoration efforts on Samoa, forests, wildlife, and food resources are showing remarkable signs of recovery.
Nu’utele Island is considered a Key Biodiversity Area for Samoa, and is home to one of the country’s most pristine native forests. Yet, like many islands across the Pacific, it has suffered from ecological degradation by invasive species — in Nu’utele’s case rats and feral pigs which turn up the soil and prevent native vegetation from growing.
Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), and island community members successfully removed these damaging invasive species from the island. They were joined by the nonprofit conservation organization Island Conservation.
Now with the animals having been removed, that trajectory is beginning to reverse, and the ecological response has been swift.”In many areas, native seedlings are carpeting the forest floor,” said Paul Jacques, Project Manager for Island Conservation. “On recent visits, I saw knee-high seedlings growing where forest regeneration had previously been suppressed. People are now able to grow and harvest giant taro plants where crops would have failed previously. These changes point to the recovery of natural processes.”
Between March 2025 and May 2026, field teams conducted 12 expeditions and spent more than 130 days in the field implementing and validating restoration efforts in the island’s rugged terrain.
With the rats and pigs gone, recovery of Nu’utele’s forests sets the foundation for the planned translocation of the threatened Mao, a native Samoan forest bird vulnerable to habitat loss, invasive species, and extreme storms.
Nu’utele also supports the largest remaining population of the shy ground dove in Samoa. Just one month after the invasive species removal, researchers discovered several active nests containing eggs in bird’s-nest ferns, a location that was highly vulnerable to invasive species.
Researchers also recorded a nest of the endemic Samoan starling and witnessed breeding activity of many other species including the endemic flycatcher and whistler, providing further evidence that native birds are already benefiting from safer breeding conditions.
Signs of recovery were not limited to just the forest, but are also visible at the island-ocean boundary. Conservationists found a species of land crab not previously recorded on Nu’utele.”Nu’utele shows what’s possible when communities, governments, and conservation partners work together towards a shared vision,” said SPREP Invasive Species Adviser, Mr. David Moverley.
“We’re seeing forests regenerate, native wildlife return, food systems improve and vital habitat expand for species that depend on healthy ecosystems. The lessons learned from this island can help guide restoration efforts across the Pacific and beyond.”
