Jujube Bookstore donates to Heritage Museum and Science Centre at Botanic Gardens
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April 5, 2013

Jujube Bookstore donates to Heritage Museum and Science Centre at Botanic Gardens

A visit to the Heritage Museum and Science Centre was the feature event for children of Jujube Reading Circles, in celebration of National Heroes and Heritage Month.{{more}}

Over 40 children, accompanied by Michele Samuel of Jujube and members of the Leo Club St. Vincent South, visited the museum on March 16.

Also in the party were Vanessa Demirciyan, director of Alliance Francaise and Anne Weindhart, who ran Jujube Reading Circles for its first two years of operation. The group was hosted by Lystra Culzac-Wilson, owner and operator of the museum, which is the realization of a childhood dream since she was nine years old.

The children got a fascinating glimpse into the past from the displays of appliances and utensils from yesteryear — goose irons, kerosene stoves, manual typewriters, radiograms, record players, an analogue television and an old-fashioned washstand, complete with basin and ‘tensil’ were among the exhibits that captured their attention.

In the Artifacts gallery, they learnt about our noted archaeologist Dr Earle Kirby, now deceased, as well as about historic stone tools and old industrial machines. Of great interest was the bird room, which is filled with posters and charts of the bird species found in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and proudly portrays two birds endemic to our country, namely Vincy, our national bird (the Amazona Guildingi), as well as the Whistling Warbler.
 
The biodiversity room sparked much excitement, as a few special guests, a frog and an earthworm, were brought in especially for the visit. The adventurous ones curiously held both animals in turn. In the outdoors, Alvin, the gardener at the museum, provided a thorough lesson in herbal remedies, organic farming and composting, as the children toured the various gardens, including a butterfly garden, and caught a glimpse of the birds as they darted to and from the pawpaw tree. A special treat, for the boys in particular, was being able to ride the various home-made scooters and toy cars, similar to those their grandparents may have used.

As a token of appreciation and in support of this noble effort on the part of Wilson, Jujube Bookstore made a follow-up visit last Thursday to formally hand over a monetary donation towards the development of the museum.

Following the visit to the museum, the group was taken to the Botanic Gardens to see the live Amazona Guildingi, and the many other attractions there. Story time was conducted by Vanessa, who told the children about our National Hero, Joseph Chatoyer and our French heritage. Jujube ended the focus on our heritage and heroes with a lesson on petroglyphs last Saturday. The children had the opportunity to do their own stone art, albeit with modern day finger paint.

Jujube Reading Circles seek to engage children in story time and other activities to encourage a love for books and reading, and to promote literacy skills. The Reading Circles meet every Saturday at the store on Grenville Street. This project is part of the community outreach and literacy programmes conducted by Jujube. In various ways, the company has worked along with a number of businesses and organisations, including Bickles, Digicel, the Daneford Trust, the Peace Corps, the Vincentian Association of Artists Writers and Producers, Alliance Francaise and the Leo Club St Vincent South. Jujube now looks forward to working further with the Heritage Museum and Science Centre to promote an appreciation of our culture and history.

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