Persons are deliberately setting fires in the Botanical Gardens

Oct 25, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
On June 17th, 2016 around 4:50 pm, I took my dogs, Angel and Coco, for a walk in the Botanical Gardens. I parked the vehicle by the round-about and was about to walk the dogs when I saw thick black smoke blanketing a huge part of the back end of the gardens. I quickly went to the office and spoke with the Manager, Mr. Sertima. I asked him if anyone had reported a fire. He said no. I told him what I saw. He quickly called the fire department and informed them of the urgency of the situation. Mr. Sertima and his assistant Ryan went to the scene and were shocked to see what someone had done. This, of course, affected Georgetown’s bird population since hundreds of them were returning “home” for the night only to find their trees filled with smoke.
The firemen arrived within 20 minutes and immediately went into action. By the time they put out the fire, it was dark. When I looked towards the back of the gardens I saw someone had started another fire. I informed Mr. Sertima and the firemen and drove to where the fire was set. A man was standing there so I asked him why he set the fire. He said he sleeps at the back of a tree and it was dirty so he decided to clean up the area and burn the garbage.
Editor, I spoke to the homeless man and the firemen about why it was important not to start fires, especially in the Botanical Gardens. I stressed that the Botanical Gardens is home to a variety of amazing trees and birds and some of the birds might have babies nesting. Just imagine the damage that one match and one uncontrolled fire could do to our wildlife and natural resources.
The Botanical Gardens is a public recreation area enjoyed by hundreds of Guyanese families and tourists (especially bird watchers) every day of the week. Every Guyanese should become the eyes and ears of this wonderful park. If you see a fire, a broken water pipe, a suffering manatee, or something else out of the ordinary, don’t hesitate to inform management. There is also the Presidential Guard’s Office near the main entrance; they are always willing to render assistance when asked. A special thanks to the firemen at the Campbellville Fire Department for their efficient handling of the matter; also to Mr. Sertima and Ryan of the Guyana Zoo.
Syeada Manbodh

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