The members and staff of the Samoa Conservation Society (S.C.S.) have done training to undertake restoration work at the O le Pupu Puʿe National Park.

The training for the S.C.S. staff and members was run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Oceania).

S.C.S. President James Atherton said the O le Pupu Puʿe is the oldest national park in Samoa. It was established in 1978 and measures 5,019 hectares of the southern-central portion of the island of Upolu on the border of the Atua and Tuamasaga districts.

He said the park extends from Mount Vaivai, which is the highest peak on Upolu at 1,158 meters high and includes uplands, valleys, the marshes, the O Le Pupu lava field and coastal cliffs.

"After Mauga Salafai National Park on Savai'i, the Ole Pupu Pu'e national park is the second largest in Samoa," Mr. Atherton said. 

"So 10 per cent is degraded from cyclones and weeds, mostly fue lautetele (Merremia) and the park needs restoration.

"We are very grateful for the training and capacity building done by the IUCN Kiwa team."

A tourist – who was staying on the south coast of Upolu and identified himself as Esteuche Laurent – said he has put the O le Pupu Puʿe National Park on his bucket list and will visit the area. 

A number of students have also taken on the arduous trekking assignment by walking through the park, though they mentioned it gets slippery during rain. 

A former teacher at the Robert Louis Stevenson Secondary School, Cassidy Jackson said that she heard one of the student's report from the field trip to the park last year.

"It was quite hard hiking with the other students, and one was very tired to the point of collapse. Apparently they had to wait for him to catch up," Ms. Jackson said. 

"So I think it is the kind of site that needs a bit more thinking of whether to go or not, as far as safety is concerned.

"I plan to visit the O le Pupu Puʿe National Park because it looks beautiful from the photos I already see of it."

It is understood Gene Meleisea was the coordinator of the training team from Fiji and was accompanied by two others. 

According to the organization's website the IUCN Oceania works to conserve coastal, marine and polar ecosystems and the many benefits they provide for humanity.