The Vatthe Conservation Area covers 2,276 hectares of lowland alluvial forest at the southern end of Big Bay on the island of Espiritu Santo. It is owned by the communities of Sara and Matantas.

Bush walking and bird watching are popular visitor activities at Vatthe. Vatthe Lodge is an island bungalow attached to the conservation area.

The Vatthe Conservation Area Project was initiated in 1994 as a partnership between the local community, NGOs, the provincial and national governments. The basic idea for the project began in 1993 during a biodiversity survey of the area by the Vanuatu Environment Unit in collaboration with the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand. During the study there was some discussion with the community on the idea of setting up a protected area. Some still call it a national park but that's not exactly true. There is very little public land and there are no "national parks" in Vanuatu (the land doesn't belong to the state).

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand website has some excellent pages about Vatthe.

Browse higher resolution pictures on our Vanuatu Protected Areas Showcase.

Last updated: January 2007 by Stephen.