Roseau travel guide

The 40-acre Botanical Gardens, founded as an offshoot for Kew Gardens in London and dating from 1891 are principally an arboretum; they have a collection of plant species, including an orchid house. Storms and hurricanes over the last century have taken their toll on the gardens and wiped out the ornamental garden area. You can still see the old bus crushed by a baobab tree during hurricane David in 1979. Several Jacquot and Sisserou parrots can be seen in the bird sanctuary in the park, thanks in part to the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Breeding programmes are underway; some of the offspring will be released to the wild. The gardens are now the main open space and recreational area for Roseau. Parades, cultural events and cricket matches are all held here. The Forestry Department is based here, forestry@cwdom.dm.