Building the Atitia Center

Science and Traditional Knowledge -Building Bridges Berkeley—Te Pu 'Atiti'a Partnership

In April 2002, UCB Vice Chancellor of Research, Beth Burnside, signed a cooperative agreement with the Tahitian association (non-profit ) Te Pu 'Atiti'a  to pursue common programs focused on marine and terrestrial biodiversity, cultural traditions, and the relationship between human societies and natural ecosystems.  Thus the Atitia Center was created and immediately received strong support from the Mayor's office.

The southern half of the Gump Station property (known as Atitia in Tahitian) is the physical location of the new center. A gift from the Moore Family Foundation to the Gump Station provided essential seed funds: notably for an access road and fare pote'e (traditional meeting house), and to begin a botanical garden surrounded by restored coastal forest.