Kula Eco Park, located on the southern Coral Coast Area Viti Levu, is an environmental showplace dedicated to the conservation of Fiji's indigenous Fauna and to the environmental education of Fiji's children.
The Park, which was a recent recipient of the prestigious "Excellence in Tourism" award for attractions in Fiji, is a coastal forest less than a thousand meters from the sea. The forest boasts many streams, a river, and various indigenous flora and fauna which has been the source for food, medicine, clothing, tools, shelter, and many other resources for the Fijian people for centuries. The park is open to tourists, as well as anyone that enjoys observing, learning, and participating in the conservation of Fiji's natural environment.
The Park focuses on compiling records of various flora and fauna, so that future generations will be able to identify, find sustainable use for, preserve, and eventually pass on their knowledge. Certain methods have been adopted, or are in the process of adoption, in order to achieve the above goals. Those methods include the documentation of flora found within their boundaries, the creation of a flora information database, and the creation of habitats in order to learn and research about the various species and protect from endangerment. Fiji's wildlife is very limited; the Flying Fox Fruit Bat is Fiji's only naturally occurring living land mammal. The rest of Fiji's wildlife is composed of birds, reptiles, and insects. Past mistakes, such as introducing species into the Fijian habitat, has caused serious decline in the wildlife population.
Kula Eco Park offers free classes to any child in Fiji. These classes are conducted with the goal of educating the local children in the importance of conserving the beautiful environment which they call home. Kula Eco Park gives the students a chance to spend a day with them exploring the environment, and learn how "everything fits together."
The classes consist of an introduction to the ecosystem; the importance of wildlife and the role in which it plays in the environment; a discussion of pollution, habitat damage and urbanization; and a question and answer session where the children get to ask their own questions and voice their own ideas.
So far, the Park's efforts at sustainable ecotourism have been successful. They have recently been involved in the captive breeding of Fiji's peregrine falcon and crested iguana. In addition, the education program for school children has seen the "graduation" of over a thousand members.
Information in this section can be attributed to the following;
Ramesh Chand/Director, Kula Eco Park
Kula Eco Park Website