Yinka’s proud to represent T&T

Strolling through the Botanical Gardens, around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, is a source of sheer delight for Belmont resident Yinka Jagbir.  So intrigued is Jagbir by the art and science of plants, she went a step further and applied for a horticultural internship at Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA, from June to August 2011. To date, she has the distinction of being the first person from the Caribbean to obtain  a horticultural internship at the museum complex. She even has her certificate and her photo was used on Smithsonian’s Web site. Jagbir, 24, is in the final year of pursuing her BSC in tropical landscaping and agribusiness at UWI St Augustine Campus. Interviewed on Thursday, Jagbir said, “I was told I am the first person from the Caribbean to enroll in horticulture. They had students from India and Africa. But I am the first person from the Caribbean. I am the first person to represent Trinidad in horticulture. I applied to Longwood Gardens, Arnold Arborteum at Harvard College. I got accepted by all three. “I felt a sense of pride because I had to represent T&T. Many people don’t know about steelpan. It was created here. I even had a T&T flag brooch. I was proud to be an ambassador. I told people about the Pitch Lake, pelau, doubles and the warmth of T&T.” She also had to double up as an ambassador for Smithsonian. “A lot of children visit the museum complex and its exhibits. You had to learn street names and the layout from Capitol Building to the Washington monument.”

 

Practical experience 

Jagbir got practical experience in rotational horticulture. “It was meant to give you a holistic experience. Smithsonian has about ten gardens. I  went to each garden. I spent three to four days upgrading my agricultural and horticultural skills.” 

During her internship, she learned the art of pruning (cutting off excess branches) and  dead heading (cut off dead flowers). She learnt different irrigation systems and properly identifying pests and diseases. She frequented the “greenhouse,” and catalogued orchids. Plants were logged based on its genera and species. Roses got special treatment in the sculpture garden. Jagbir said, “We had to  prune bunches of pinks, red and white roses. They were scented and unscented. The bees need scented roses to pollinate. The technique was to ensure a lot of air got through the plant branches.”  

 

Victory and Heirloom Garden

At its Victory and Heirloom Garden, Jagbir had a moment of serendipity. She said, “They have a lot of plants that have passed down from generation to generation like daffodils, zinnias and poppies.  “I felt I wanted to start something like that for the children here. Not enough children know about fruits and vegetables that are native to the Caribbean. I wanted students to be interactive so they could learn about flora and food crops common to T&T. Few of them know about pois doux (sweet pea) pennypiece, mamee apples and caimite.” Social media  was a deterrent.  “A lot of children focus on  TV and the Internet. I don’t think we promote local fruits and vegetables enough. We need to go to the schools and educate them.  We don’t have to buy processed snacks,” she said. “We are heading in the right step but there is a lot more that could be done to get people to eat local and appreciate the aesthetics. A good way to start would be to plant the St  Augustine nurseries with an orchard of local fruits. Some already exist. They never thought about making it into a park to educate the younger generation.” She lamented that if a proactive approach was not adopted “indigenous trees and plants may become extinct.” When she graduates, Jagbir, who was adjudged Best Female Goal keeper at the UWI Games 2011,  is not relinquishing her dream. “I am an aspiring entrepreneur. I want to manage a park dedicated to indigenous ornamentals (bird peppers),  fruits and vegetables from the Caribbean and T&T. It would carry my favourites...West Indian cherry.”