There was an island far out in the Pacific Ocean. It was more than 2000 miles from the nearest island or country. Depending of the direction of the wind it would take at least 17 days by sailing.

This island was a triangle with one side being ten miles long. There were three mountains, the highest being 1500 feet above sea level. The climate was mild and there was plenty of rain. Many species of birds lived and thrived on this island. Seals basked on the beaches and hunted the plentiful waters. The woodland was thick with 21 different species of trees, some with hard wood, some with soft bark while others produced leaves suitable for shelter. The tallest were the honey palms loaded with eadible nuts. Alltogether there were about 30 Million trees.

Around the year 900 twelve sailing canoes set out to discover new lands. By chance they came upon this abundant island in the vast Pacific.

They landed and divided the land in to twelve sections, each section for one family.
They settled there with their animals - pigs and fowl . They fished, they farmed the land. They harvested bananas, yams and taro. They began to cut the trees to build new canoes, new homes and for weapons. Of course, they also needed wood for cooking, for heat during the cold spells and to burn their dead. These trees provided raffia for binding and clothing and large leaves for roofs. On this island there was no metal, only wood.

By the year 1400 the island population had grown to more than 20.000 people. During this period they developed better farming techniques, They built terraces to get higher and safer yealds for their crops and they constructed wind shields to keep the soil in place. However they had also depleted the once abundant fishing grounds. And by now the seals were gone.

The twelve different families, now tribes, had developed a curious competition: They erected huge stone statues, some 50 feet or more high, some weighing up to 200 tons on the lower part of the island. The stone was quarried from the top of the highest mountain, to which all tribes had access. To transport these statues they used long tree trunks to build two rails.and a sled. The statues were then pulled by up to 70 man at a speed of about 15 yards a day. Strong and long wooden beams were used as levers to move these statues upright, Each tribe wanted to have the biggest and highest statues. In total 397 statues were erected.

Due to the lack of fish more land was used to grow food. Thus more trees were cut down. With a population of 20.000 much more wood was used for cooking, for heating and building homes. Suddenly the trees were gone. 30 million trees had completely vanished.

In the spring of 1722 a Dutch ship “discovered” the island. The captain reported that there were about 2000 hungry people living on it. He counted only five boats, small as rafts due to the lack of wood. They were loosely tied and unable to go out on the open sea. His report on the environment of the island showed that the tallest shrub was less than ten feet. There were no trees, deserted land, lack of water and eroded soil running down the mountains. He also reported that there were many huge statues made of stone.

As it was Easter the captain named this newly “discovered” island Easter Island. This is the true history of this island. The remaining starving population were saved by this discovery. Without trees they had no chance for survival.

With proper management only 2 Million trees would have been needed to guarantee the survival of 20.000 people. Upto 400 trees of different ages could have been grown on one acre of land.This requires the developpment of a sustainable management program. A well managed forest of 5000 acres would cover all the needs of 20.000 people. A mature tree needs 20 to 80 years of growth and then should be harvested. So 20.000 mature trees could have been cut every year, and in addition younger trees could hasve been harvested for wood for burning.

These 2 Million trees would have needed 5000 acres and the total surface of Easter Island is 42.500 acres.

In our times we have not yet reached this stage of development. But soon. We actually cut and burn more wood per year than is grown. And if we lose our trees the consequences will be much more dramatic than on Easter Island. There will be no Dutch ship arriving for our salvation!

Why will the consequences be much more dramatic ?

Firstly, Easter Island had no sheep or goats. These animals make it very difficult to establish a forest in almost any other area of the world.

Secondly, Easter Island has a favorable climate for forest growth. In many parts of the world drought or freezing conditions make it much more difficult to establish a forest.

It is true that today we have many alternatives to wood which the islanders did not have. But healthy woodland gives us many benefits, for which we have no alternatives. It gives us a clean water supply. The leaves and needles of trees purify rain water before it goes into the soil. Here it is protected and stored bz the root systems and slowlz released through sources into the rivers. Rain that falls without woodland erodes the soil and quickly evaporates. Our air is purified by the woodland as trees consume carbon dioxide and set free oxygen. Our air is also cleansed from dust and poison. Without trees we would not be able to control erosion of soil.

Can we be optimistic about the future?

Yes !

The Polynesians on Easter Island did not know that their future depended on trees. But we know it.

We have the knowledge to create sustainable forests. This knowledge must be brought into initiatives for change. We can start now.