EDITORIAL: Making Hope Gardens royal once again

The once-shining jewel dedicated to preserving tropical plant diversity, the Royal Botanical Gardens of Jamaica, has suffered years of neglect and is a mere shadow of itself today.

Perhaps it is instructive that the 60-acre garden which was laid out with expert help from Kew Gardens, in London, is now simply referred to as Hope Gardens because few people bother to call it 'royal' anymore. To think that Queen Elizabeth was so impressed with the splendour of the gardens that during a 1953 visit to the island she gave permission for it to be called the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Hope Gardens is one of our country's key educational and cultural resources. Indeed, thousands of schoolchildren from across the island have taken the obligatory excursion to view this landmark, as well as a trip to the nearby zoo where they were awed by the beauty, where they frolicked in the maze as they learnt about varieties of exotic flora and fauna.

But the ravages of hurricanes, inept management, water challenges, lack of initiative, and vandalism have combined with other factors to send the property into decline. For many years it has been the ubiquitous voluntary sector, along with generous private-sector bodies, that have tried to keep the gardens in reasonable shape so that people can still enjoy this slice of nature in our bustling city.

Much to be done

Hope Gardens has been in restoration mode since 1996, but there is so much to be done. We urge Jamaicans to get behind the latest efforts of the Nature Preservation Foundation to restore our botanical garden and help the property regain its status and reputation in the international community as a flagship of horticultural excellence.

We applaud the Chinese government for committing to expanding the offerings of the Hope, adding to our diverse heritage and culture. It will certainly enhance the pursuit of botanical knowledge.

Our focus on Hope Gardens has also led us to also consider the fate of Fern Gully in St Ann and Holland Bamboo in St Elizabeth, both of which have suffered from degradation over the years. The national Budget is never enough to take care of restoration, rehabilitation and regeneration. Perhaps the time has come for those charged with the responsibility for shaping heritage policy to consider the introduction of a heritage lottery that would dedicate proceeds to the preservation of all-important landmarks. This is certainly one way of making up for the shortage of funds.

Once gone, heritage cannot be replaced. This means that conservation of our national treasures is a cultural imperative. There is no better way to preserve our heritage than to instil civic pride in our people and create awareness of their importance. How else will we maintain places like Hope Gardens as an oasis of beauty and a place for quiet contemplation?

Let us each do our part to make Hope Gardens a focal point of learning and a place where generations to come will make happy memories.

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