ʻEneʻio Botanical Garden
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2024) |
ʻEneʻio Botanical Garden (EBG) is the first and only botanical garden in the Kingdom of Tonga. Located near Neiafu in the Vavaʻu island group, it was established in 1972 by Haniteli Fa’anunu, a former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. The garden spans 22 acres (approximately 8.9 hectares) and contains Tonga's largest and most diverse plant collection, including more than 550 plant species from over 100 plant families, both native and exotic.[1]
History
[edit]Haniteli Fa’anunu, an agronomist with 38 years of agricultural experience—18 of which were as Tonga's Director of Agriculture and Food—developed the garden as a personal conservation and education project. Originally private, the garden opened to the public in 2006 and has since become a popular eco-tourism destination in Vavaʻu.[1]
Features
[edit]ʻEneʻio Botanical Garden offers guided educational tours, including:
- "A Walk Among the Natives", a 1.5-hour guided tour showcasing endemic and endangered species such as ake, native to Vavaʻu, along with ethnobotanical insights on traditional Tongan plant usage.[2]
- Polynesian Cultural Tour, featuring demonstrations of tapa cloth making, coconut weaving, kava root preparation, mat weaving, and vanilla essence production. The tour concludes with a local lunch and leisure time at the adjacent beach.[3]
The garden also includes ʻEneʻio Beach, a private coastal area with facilities for swimming, snorkeling, and camping. A visitor center with a restaurant, gift shop, and event space is also available on site.[4]
Conservation and education
[edit]Beyond tourism, the garden plays a conservation role and serves as an informal bird sanctuary. It contributes to biodiversity education and promotes awareness of native and traditional Tongan flora among students, researchers, and visitors.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "'Ene'io Botanical Gardens". Tonga Tourism. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "A Walk Among the Natives Tour". Tonga Pocket Guide. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Polynesian Cultural Tour". Eneio Botanical Garden. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Paskal, C. (Aug 14, 2010). "Garden at the end of the world: One man's passion for nature creates a sight to behold in tonga". Toronto Star. ProQuest 748916962. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ "World ARC: Wandering through the Gardens of Ene'io". Yachts and Yahting. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- Informative brochure (Archived February 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine)