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Results Forum News 35 article: Establishing a Botanic Garden at the Montserrat National Trust Purpose The botanical garden will be developed in order to: - Increase public knowledge and understanding of plants and their importance to life on earth. This is a pre-requisite to proper management of the Montserrat environment.
- Provide residents and tourists with another aesthetically pleasing place for interesting and enjoyable activities. The small size of the island which was further reduced by volcanic eruptions severely limits the number and variety of interesting places that families with small children, nature lovers and eco-tourists can visit.
- Display a range of species of plants endemic and indigenous to Montserrat with documented information about them. This will facilitate the work of educators and scholars on plant diversity and add to our knowledge of our own environment.
The project is necessary for the following reasons: Each year groups of school children visit our garden to study plants, because their schoolyards have been stripped of plants. We would like to be able to make their visit more stimulating and informative. Much of the local knowledge of plants on Montserrat has been passed on orally, there is a danger of losing even more of it as our older folks pass on. It is therefore necessary to document and store the information gathered on and off island and to present it in ways suitable for the public and school children. Researchers have an interest in the plant life of Montserrat, particularly with regard to the impact of the volcanic eruptions. It would help if records of what has already been done is easily accessible to them The MNT gardens are already advertised as a tourists attraction by one of the day tour operators in Antigua. This visitor experience can built on and improved. Outputs - A botanical garden organized into four or five different areas with a focus on local plant species. This will add to the number of interesting places on island. It will be possible to visit and tour the garden.
- A cadre of employees and volunteers adequately trained to carry out different types of work to be done in the garden. Trained persons will be available to assist with the maintenance of the garden and the beautification of other areas.
- A database of the plant species in the garden. Information would be readily available to facilitate the work of scholars, teachers and researchers.
- A variety of interactive nature related activities packaged to educate different age groups about plant life in interesting ways.
- Educational and promotional materials. Leaflets, videos, booklets, etc.
- Greater Public Awareness.A better informed public will be able to make better decisions about the care of the environment.
Legacy Youth groups and schools will be invited to participate in training sessions put on during the implementation of the project. Some of the activities prepared will target children of various age groups. A strategy called Child to Child, which was developed at the Institute of Education London University to deliver health education, will be adopted to get environmental messages across. The Botanical Garden will be open to the public for a small fee. Guided tours will be given at scheduled times for a fee. Schools on request could have lessons taught on certain topics.
Maps of the garden and information booklets about plants will be sold. A grant for maintenance in the first two years will be sought. Contact will be made with tour operators to ensure that they include the cost of a guided tour through the gardens in the package for day tourists. Objectives This project seeks to establish a botanical, where public Knowledge understanding appreciation of the Montserrat environment can be enhanced through a variety of interesting and educational experiences. It will add to the number of interesting places on island and will therefore be a potential tourist attraction. Training will be provided to enhance the skills of Montserratians in environmental conservation and beautification and data collection about plants to maintain the collection of plants in the grounds and to support science and research. Persons will also be trained to conduct guided tours and deliver educational programmes. Contributions to Local Strategies and Action Plans A national Environmental Management Strategy is presently being prepared. It seeks to ensure the implementation of the United Kingdom Environmental Charter and the St. Georges Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability. The project will contribute to public education and awareness of the importance of the plants to life on earth and should lead to better management of the environment. Contributions to Multilateral Environmental Agreements The Aarhus Convention, which grants the public the right to access information on environmental matters, has not yet been extended to this territory. But valid information is indispensable for proper environmental management and the project seeks to provide this. 2.The project will also support the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, which has as its main goals: The conservation of biodiversity, The sustainable use of biodiversity components and The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources Wider Significance Persons who receive training during the project workshops will develop marketable skills. More information about local plant life will be available for use in schools and in research projects. The population will be better informed about the value of plants and therefore better able to make wise decisions about the conservation of plants in the environment. Other island will be able to learn from the Montserrat experience Other Information Funded by FCO/DFID Overseas Territories Environment Programme, 2005 Project No. MNT203
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