BARBADOS: Garden brings botany research alive

As far back as I can remember, I have been curious about things like how coconut trees could reproduce in a salty soil or how indigenous people could treat ailments while being kilometres from the nearest hospital. Through my research, I have been trying to link the ancient knowledge of folk medicine used by the Bajans (the indigenous people of Barbados) with the scientific literature on medication derived from the very same plants used in their society.


My six weeks of work in Barbados have brought answers to many of the questions I had regarding tropical environments, people, plants, technical resources, labour and more. For me, having done ethno-botanical research on medicinal plants in the Andromeda Botanic Gardens made me understand that this country's natural resources must be protected. It's also been important to understand some of the dangers of these natural substances. Accurate knowledge of the tropical medicinal plants involved in folk medicine is essential in making sure its toxic effects are understood.

I had the good fortune during my stay to spend time with a Bajan man named Ras Ils. Ils, a self-described herbalist and botanist, grows herbs and medicinal plants, and does independent ecological research. He is well known in Barbados for his promotion of organic farming. He knows many ancient uses for medicinal plants and has been producing his own medicinal plants for many years and doing his own preparations.

He introduced me to what he calls the Lucky Seed (Physostigma venenosum), a tropical plant that has many medicinal and health properties, but according to local legend will also bring good fortune and happiness to anyone who holds the seeds in their hands. This man is a walking encyclopaedia on tropical plants and folk remedies, and I would never have had the chance to consult him had I studied medicinal plants in a lab in Montreal.

His practical knowledge allowed me to compare and contrast the scientific preparations and uses for pharmaceutical medication with folk remedy preparations for the same plants. Ils' deep attachment and passion for nature as well as a sense of an ancient spirit enabled my research to progress beyond the conventional.

This guy with a funny hairstyle helped me gather precious information I would never have retrieved had I not been studying in Barbados. The research went beyond scientific knowledge and inspired me. Working in beautiful gardens gave me a balance for research that can sometimes verge on the tedious.

I also saw that a country like Barbados, especially its east coast, benefits immensely from having visiting researchers. I would love to see more university communities investing in this sharing of scientific knowledge and skills from around the world. I hope more students will benefit, as I did, from this experience and will see it up close and away from their labs,

*Charlotte Rancourt recently completed a bachelor degree in plant science at McGill University in Montreal. She spent six weeks at a research station in Barbados the university helps run.