Castleton Gardens Expo promises education and excitement

Have you ever tasted a rambutan? Do you know what a mangosteen or velvet apple looks like?
These are all fruits found at the Castleton Botanical Gardens in St. Mary and you will be able to see, taste, and touch these exotic fruits and much more on Friday, May 31, when the gardens will host its annual expo under the theme ‘Protect Our Species’.
Nestled in the hills of St. Mary, along the banks of the Wag Water River, on either side of the Kingston to St. Mary main road, the 157-year-old gardens is not only the home of exotic fruit trees but is also a haven for many birds.
The 11th staging of the Annual Castleton Gardens Expo will showcase a number of display booths featuring the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Also included will be displays from the Jamaica Cancer Society and Food For The Poor.
Among the patrons expected to attend this year’s staging of the expo, which will feature a tour of the gardens, prizes and surprises, plant sales, rides and other entertainment, are students, teachers, and parents.
Botanist and Education Officer in the Public Gardens Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Nordia Hamilton, explained that the overarching purpose of the expo is to keep patrons informed, especially about the Castleton Botanical Gardens, which became one of the great gardens of the hemisphere due to its rich plant varieties.
“It is about education and conservation. We find that a lot of persons do not know about the Castleton Gardens and the Public Gardens Division,” she said.
Additionally, Ms. Hamilton emphasized that it is important to preserve the flora and fauna found in the Castleton Gardens as well as the other four attractions that fall under the division because of their historical significance.
The other four are Holland Bamboo in St. Elizabeth, Fern Gully in St. Ann, Bath Botanical Gardens in St. Thomas and the Cinchona Botanical Gardens in St. Andrew.
“At the end of the day, everything has its place in the world and plants are very important. Certain plants that are endemic to Jamaica are also a part of our rich heritage, so we also have to try and keep them,” she said.
Ms. Hamilton informed that a plant collection programme has been established to collect exotic and endemic plants from other places to add to the gardens and to provide information about their usefulness.
Tasked with the responsibility of promoting the developments in plant conservation, research, education and passive recreation, the Public Gardens Division also engages in crop management and the commercial sale of some plants.
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