The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune StaffReporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

IN OCTOBER, while laying out a number of fantastic programmes planned for his department, Kenred Dorsett, the Minister of Environment and Housing, said boldly that “a revitalised Nassau Botanical Gardens can serve as the ‘Central Park’ of New Providence”.

He indicated the restoration - or “revitalisation” - of the Botanical Gardens was expected to be the forerunner for the establishment of urban botanical parks in a number of the islands of The Bahamas in order to ensure easy access to green spaces and natural areas for recreation and enjoyment.

However, that concept of “forerunner”, although buried deep within his remarks, have left many who have despaired over the years of neglect of the Botanical Gardens to ask not only when the “revitalisation” will begin, but exactly what it will entail. In the words of the first Bahamian curator at the site, Basil Miller, the ‘revitalisation’ is needed but the end result is feared.

The Botanical Gardens, off Chippingham Road, still comprise its three main components - the Coronation Gardens, the Sunken Garden and the Terrace Beds - but their lustre has long departed and they no longer feature as an attraction to tourists (comments on influential travel website TripAdvisor are not encouraging). Indeed, many Bahamians can not recall the gardens’ glorious past and instead think of them just as a host site for weddings, festivals and other events. According to Mr Miller, prior to 1973 the Coronation Gardens, the Sunken Garden and the Terrace Beds existed in close proximity but served drastically different needs. He said the Coronation Gardens, during the time of colonisation, were used by British royalty and aristocracy for their many functions and that garden itself was majestic due to its history. Similarly the Sunken Garden, which was created as a result of the construction of Fort Charlotte, dug out by slaves rendering stones for the fort.

The Terrace Beds area houses the Milo Butler Look Out, the Conch Shell Arch and a number of tastefully constructed gazebos.

The Botanical Gardens were conceived to transform three unique spaces into a grandiose space for many rare plants. Oris Russell, the former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, recognised in 1967 the need to convert an old pit, rock quarry and a zone once considered a rendezvous for royalty into a something the world had to see. An 18-acre tranquil retreat for nature-loving residents and visitors alike that featured over 600 species, Mr MIller said.

But since their opening when the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, times have changed and years of neglect have taken their toll. “It has long lost its nature and its fame for being a Noah’s Ark of local, regional and international scarce plants,” Mr Miller told The Tribune. “That is what Mr Oris Russell had in mind and that is what he worked to present to the public. His sense of direction was obvious and we were well on our way to it. Like anything else known to man, in order to fix or enhance it, you first have to value and understand it.

“The garden now, in my honest opinion, has lost its way. The original purpose that the gardens was meant for isn’t understood and respected by many of the persons that are there now. Its just a job to them. If you go there they treat the area like any other space. There are no true botany practices going on there, they aren’t understanding the plants there. They have lost their true mission because they have no background.

“It was supposed to be a Noah’s Ark for Bahamian plants. Instead, there is no knowledge, no understanding, no passion for agriculture or for plant life. There are nearly 19 palms located at the gardens but the persons employed there aren’t able to name five palms there.They truly don’t understand the nature of many of these plants, they don’t get it really.

“Now It seems to be a place reserved just for parties. It should be a controlled environment, but it has shifted from its focus and lost its true nature.”

When The Tribune visited last month, the garden was littered with poorly kept buildings, lawns, broken pathways and overgrown areas. Visitors complain of advertised opening hours not being adhered to.

Dr Grace Turner, a research consultant at the Antiquities Corporation, indicated that many people no longer have a firm understanding for what the Botanical Gardens were truly intended. She claimed that as a young child growing up it was a treat for her and her siblings to go there and see the green space and enjoy the garden.

“The logistics are off. There are so many details limiting the garden,” Dr Turner said. “You have problems with access points, entrance fees and most of all, people not understanding what the garden is really for. The government is focusing on managing the space and not really preserving it the best way possible. They don’t respect the value of what that garden actually is.”

Sources at the Botanical Gardens told The Tribune that the issue with the compound has more to do with the lack of equipment and not poor management. According to one source, the government needs to get serious about the upkeep of the property.

“Prior to the group here now, coming here this yard was hard to look at. We have been here for five to six months and we have worked tirelessly to get it to its present condition. I understand that there are some issues with the way the property looks now; but when you compare it to how it looks now, there has been a lot done.”

Mr Dorsett said in October: “Those of us of a certain age surely can recall when the Nassau Botanical Gardens was a breathtaking sight to behold. Many of us would have attended weddings or other events there when the waterfalls were operational and the pathways were in better condition. The gardens are still a tranquil oasis in the middle of the city but it is not in the operational state that it used to be.

“Given its position next to Clifford Park, the entire space could become a magnificent spot for recreation, education and entertainment on the island. This park could offer residents and visitors a place to relax, congregate and commune with nature. It could be a place where concerts and theatrical shows can be held with an amphitheatre and concession areas.

“It could also continue to be the place where indigenous trees and flowering plants are grown and displayed. These plants could be transplanted to beautify other spaces and verges around the island.”

During their first term in office under Perry Christie, the Progressive Liberal Party made a cabinet decision to move the management and maintenance of the Botanical Gardens from the Ministry of Agriculture to the portfolio of the Ministry of Environment, a decision according to Mr Miller, that ruined the very nature of the gardens. It has been four months since Mr Dorsett made his initial remarks and the conditions of the garden remains the same.

Mr Miller, who has written a book on the history of the gardens, said: “Mr Dorsett said he was given the mandate by Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie to ensure that Clifford Park be transformed into a space reminiscent of New York City’s Central Park. The National Botanical Gardens can take on that role.”

Mr Miller and Dr Turner claim that comments like that remain the chief issue, indicating that Bahamians want the gardens restored to their former glory and purpose, not just a beautiful place to relax.