A Common Language of Land – Jamaica, Guyana and the Forest of Dean

Forests: their myths, stories, and importance.

One of Zakiya’s parents is Guyanese and the other is Jamaican while she was born in South London. England and the Caribbean are vastly different geographies but, for her, there are similarities to be found in the natural history of the regions. Jamaica mined bauxite, Guyana has gold and having a personal underground coalmine is a right for some people in the Forest of Dean. This session will discuss how having multiple ‘languages’ of place and time have helped me understand land and land use in Britain. Her interpreting of the forest – as workplace, as places draped in story and myth, places to live in – is applied to the 3 locations to compare and contrast how people and environment have endured for centuries.

Zakiya Mckenzie

This is an event to coincide with Black History Month https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Tickets: Donation only please

The SLBI is a registered charity for botanical education. It supports people of all ages and backgrounds in learning about plants. By making a donation with your booking you will help to sustain our work with school children, families and the wider community. As a small charity, any amount you can give, large or small, will be warmly appreciated and make an enormous difference. Thankyou.

We will email you the link and password once bookings close on the day of the talk