Name of case study
Vailima Botanical Gardens
Location
Apia, Samoa
Year
~1920, 2022.
Scale
Neighbourhood scale
Area / size
12 hectares
NbS employed
Botanical gardens; medicinal gardens
Type of NbS
Created or constructed living ecosystems
Initiator
Robert Louis Stevenson and The Samoa Conservation Society; Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Funder
UK High Commission in Samoa; Botanical Gardens Conservation International
Budget
unknown
Design group
The Samoa Conservation Society; Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Botanical Gardens Conservation International
N/A
N/A
N/A
Summary of case study
Robert Louis Stevenson’s mansion Vailima was converted into a museum set within botanical gardens. The Vailima Botanical Garden (VBG) protects a variety of species – native, introduced and naturalised representative of the flora of the archipelago and the Pacific basin. The VBG Masterplan was developed in late 2021 and work began in 2022 to establish the first zone which includes a rare and threatened native plants garden, medicinal plants garden and butterfly plants garden.
While the Vailima Botanical Gardens in Samoa primarily serve as a botanical garden, sections dedicated to rare and threatened (The Art Whistler Memorial Garden), and medicinal plants are present (Smith, 2023). The medicinal plants garden holds at least 15 of Samoa’s traditional medicinal plant species, including the ‘matalafi’(Psychotria insularum) which has similar anti-inflammatory activity as ibuprofen. There are more than 70 known medicinal plants which have been used in traditional Samoan medicine since prehistoric times (Harrington, 2001). The garden features a curated collection of these, reflecting Samoa’s rich cultural heritage and Indigenous knowledge of herbal medicine.
The medicinal gardens offers people an opportunity to learn about the therapeutic uses of native plants, as well as their cultural significance in Samoan society. Interpretive signage and guided tours provide insights into traditional healing practices, including methods of preparation and administration of herbal remedies.
In addition to serving as educational and cultural resources, the medicinal gardens at Vailima Botanical Gardens also contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management. By promoting the cultivation and preservation of medicinal plants, these gardens play a role in safeguarding Samoa’s natural heritage and traditional knowledge for future generations.
References
- Harrington, M. T. (2001). Samoan medicinal plants and their usage. Agricultural Development in the American Pacific Project.
- Smith, P. P. (2023). Creating Communities of Practice for Plant Conservation and Catalyzing Action. In Pullaiah, T. & Galbraith, D.A. Botanical Gardens and Their Role in Plant Conservation (pp. 25-40). CRC Press.
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