News Updates

Dear Prime Ministers

As former Executive Officers and Technical Directors of the banana industries of the Windward Islands and Jamaica, with extensive experience in banana research, development, production and marketing worldwide, we are pleased to submit to you the attached proposal directed at the resuscitation of the Windward Islands banana industry.
We were motivated to make this presentation after extensive analysis of the present predicament of our industry and reports from some quarters that our banana industry "now faces extinction."
This paper is meant to supplement initiatives by WIBDECO, the island banana companies, and you, our leaders, in the interest of our banana industry and our many citizens whose livelihoods still depend on it.
We sincerely hope that our preliminary suggestions will be given due consideration as part of an integrated program for the resuscitation of our industry.
We remain available to assist in this process with emphasis on what can be done in the islands to sustain our industry through improved labour productivity and quality and decrease in cost of production. (Full Presentation)

Lectures on Useful Plants of Dominica

Dr. Robert DeFilipps, of the Smithsonian Institution gave two guest lectures on Monday March 22, one at the Dominica State College and the other at the UWI Auditorium. Staff and students of the DSC attended. There was extensive discussion on the useful plants of Dominica.
The content of both lectures was essentially the same. More detail is provided on the evening lecture below:

• Mona George Dill welcomed those present and introduced Dr. Clayton Shillingford, President of the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences, who in turn introduced:
  Dr. Robert DeFilipps,
  Plant Conservation Unit,
  Department of Botany,
  National Museum of Natural History,
  Smithsonian Institution
  Washington, DC.
• There was a good turn out. We had a tremendous showing from the Forestry Division ; among attendees were Mr. Errol Harris, Sam Raphael, President of the DHTA and his family, Dr. Lennox Honychurch, Anne JnoBaptist from Papilotte, Nancy Osler -Clemson University's Representative in Dominica, and others involved in Health Tourism.
• Dr. DeFilipps started with the historical aspect of plant collection then gave a regional scope of plants of interest suggesting along the way some plants that could be introduced to Dominica for both the collectors and commercial interests, and entertained some talk on possible improvement to the Botanical Gardens.
• He spoke of the long relationship of the Smithsonian Institution with Dominica that had been established and works done by organizations like the Kew Gardens and Smithsonian Institution and his extensive involvement in some of those works. He also discussed articles in the book "Useful Plants of Dominica" which he wrote.
• There was a question and answer period where things pertinent to the history and protection of the Dominica flora were discussed.
• Finally, and very importantly, Dr. DeFilipps distributed several reference material on Medicinal Plants of the World; Ornamental and Medicinal Plants of the Guianas with remarks on the Introduced Flora of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies; Smithsonian Botanical Exploration Fund, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Biological Conservation Newsletter; a broadsheet of Curare (Hunting Poison); and he left information on education and scholarships with Dr. Clayton Shillingford.
• The discussion ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. Lennox Honychurch. Dr. DeFilipps (who owns property in Dominica including a plot of land he bought for the sole purpose of establishing a rare but useful plant collection of mostly screw pines ).He is expected to be back in Dominica in August.

Mona, Chairperson,
DAAS Dominica Chapter.