Dominica Botanical Gardens: Past, Present & Future

This is an August 15, 2023 interview with Dr. Davison Shillingford, the designer and manager of the Dominica Botanic Gardens. The website, http://www.dominicagardens.com, was derived from the earlier website of the Dominica Academy of Arts & Sciences founded by Raglan Riviere and Gabriel J. Christian in 2000.

The first President of the Dominica Academy was eminent Dominica-born botanist, Dr. Clayton Shillingford; then a plant scientist at Dupont Labs in Delaware. The purpose of the Dominica Botanic Gardens website was to preserve the rich heritage of that national treasure and to promote the enhancement of the Gardens in collaboration with the government and people of Dominica.

However, despite requesting that the Dominica Academy (www.thedominica-academy.org) prepare a Diaspora Policy Paper outlining the benefits and methodology of such a Dominica-Diaspora collaborative, the government on Dominica led by Roosevelt Skerrit reneged on all its promises of collaboration, while using some of the work product of the Dominica Academy in its work.

In August 2023, it became apparent that the government of Dominica, with its foreign allies, intended to build entertainment facilities at the Dominica Botanic Gardens site without any consultation with Dominicans at home and abroad, and in conflict with the intended purpose of the botanic gardens.

The link below is an article on Dr. Davison Shillingford: click to learn more!

https://www.thedominican.net/2012/11/of-excellence-and-service.html