The group has so far identified some 500 kinds of plants. “Plants to hold you, plants to cure you and plants to charm you,” according to Toshao Ms. Yvonne Pearson, who said they have all been tested to ascertain their values.

Visitors being briefed at the entrance of the Heritage Park

The venture, for which they obtained funding from the European Commission (EC), is sited on 20 acres of forested land at Mainstay/Whyaka, about five miles West of Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast.

Toshao Pearson identifies one of the potted plants in the `Herbal Garden’

She told a group of recent visitors the move to establish the business was out of fear that the older Amerindian generation will die with all the known tribal secrets of the cultures and beliefs, leaving no legacy to pass on to the younger generation.

Some of the visitors paying keen attention to Toshao Pearson during the conducted tour. Second from right is CIDA representative in Guyana, Mr. Raymond Drouin with wife, Maria Cristina Pineda, next to him. At centre is Ms Renata Chuck-A-Sang, President, Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana.

They have, to date identified some 500 kinds of plants. “Plants to hold you, plants to cure you and plants to charm you,” according to Toshao Pearson, who said they have all been tested to ascertain their values.

She said they have also been tapping into the knowledge of the community elders to identify some more.

A section of the park, known as the herbal garden where plants with medicinal values are cultivated, contains such as ‘Iron Weed’ touted as good for hypertension patients, ‘St John Bush’ also called ‘Inflammation Bush’, ‘Wild Mara Mara’ for cleaning sores, ‘Awati’, a cure for measles and chicken pox; ‘Black Physic Nut’ and ‘Black Yari Yari’ to be chewed for healing snake bites.

Mr. Dennis Moses, OAS Director in Guyana (extreme right) gains the attention of Ignatius Jean, IICA Representative, Guyana (centre) and Mr. Leighton Waterman, of the CARICOM Secretariat (backing camera) as he examines one of the potted plants.

Another attraction in the park is a 580 feet long bridge built by men in the community across a swampy area with wood from the forest.

In 2005, the Organisation of American States (OAS), in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), funded an agro-tourism project, themed ‘Strengthening of the Tourism Sector through the development of linkages with the Agricultural Sector in the Caribbean’, involving Guyana and six other CARICOM countries.

The three-year duration, which ended on March 31, sought to identify ways in which to promote and increase linkages to create economic opportunities for the communities of Mainstay, known for its organic pineapples; Capoey with its cassava garlic-flavoured biscuits and Tapacuma, for its intricately designed Amerindian craft.

Toshao Pearson beams as she identifies potted charm plants ( saved as charm plants)

Among those who were taken on a conducted tour of the place were Mr. Ignatius Jean, IICA Representative in Guyana; Mr. Dennis Moses, OAS Director in this country; Mr. Sunil Singh, Regional Executive Officer, Regional Democratic Council in Region Two; Ms. Maureen Paul, Project Consultant; Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, Director of Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA); Ms. Renata Chuck-A-Sang, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG); Mr. Norman Whittaker, Liaison Officer to the Minister of Amerindian Affairs; Ambassador of Mexico to Guyana, Mr. Fernando Sandoval Flores and his wife, Mrs. Martha Hernandez Martinez; Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) representative, Mr. Raymond Drouin and wife, Mrs. Maria Cristina Pineda; Mr. Leighton Waterman, representing the CARICOM Secretariat; Dr Richard Blair, IICA Rural Development Specialist, who chaired the forum and other IICA staffers; Captain Valerie De Younge of Capoey and delegates of Tapacuma and Mainstay.