Is the Easter Island population collapse just a myth? These scientists think so Did we get the Easter Island collapse all wrong? Credit: Flickr, Arian Zwegers. When the first European boats arrived at the remote shores of Easter Island in 1722, the native community there was but a shadow of its former glory. Due to centuries of unsustainable deforestation and farming practices, the islanders had depleted their natural resources and the population had been experiencing a slow decline by the time they made contact with Europeans. For this reason, Easter Island is often used as a historical anecdote for the environmental calamities that threatened us due to climate change.