SUNDAY 22 JANUARY, 2017 – UWI TODAY
13
CAMPUS
P R I Y A K I S S O O N
. To request an Edible Campus tour or to purchase a copy of the class project, email:
Students had to learn how to identify edible trees and plants, which
is especially difficult when plants are not bearing. Additionally, the rapid
development of the campus means that trees are frequently lost to make room
for new infrastructure and amenities, which requires updates to the survey and
mapping of the campus. Areas off-limits to the general public, such as the Office
of the Campus Principal and the grounds of halls of residence, were mapped
after receiving special permission from Campus Security and the Office of the
Deputy Principal.
The book that resulted from the Edible Campus Project shares descriptions
of the campus’ edible plants, their origins, and value-added uses, showcasing
students’ research skills and culinary imaginations. Readers of
The Edible Campus
will find a short history of the UWI-STA campus and the Faculty of Food and
Agriculture; full maps of the trees and plants with marked walking routes; an
associated pictorial and descriptive guide to each mapped plant; and the results
of the social survey of the campus food culture.
Readers are also exposed to the origins of many contemporary “Caribbean”
fruit trees and will discover that they may not be Caribbean at all. For example,
bananas and coconuts are typically iconographic of the Caribbean; however,
neither of these fruits are “local”, because they originate (with some academic
debate) from the general Australasia/South-Pacific region. The Division of
Facilities Management, National Herbarium, and Alma Jordan Library were
vital sources of knowledge for the project. This Project was partially supported
by the Campus Research and Publication Fund. The project is ongoing and will
be updated on a continuous basis.
Ideally, the project can be replicated in all public spaces to bring food security,
famine-foods, environmental awareness, and urban foraging into the popular
culture of all citizens.
Copies of the “grazing maps” are free to anyone taking the Edible Campus
tour, which can be booked through the Department of Geography.
The Edible
Campus
book is available for purchase from the Department of Geography where
all proceeds go to student development, programme enrichment, and outreach
activities promoting geographic education. The campus community and visitors
are asked to be respectful of the trees on campus. Do not climb, throw objects,
or break branches to reach fruit. Pick what you can reach with your fingers, and
only what you can eat at themoment. Sustainability requires respect and restraint.
