“On this tree, the witches come and meet at night – if you take the bark of mahogany and mix it with shearnut and dawadawa, you have a medicine for stomach problems – at this gua tree, there was a pond that never dried out, and that is why the village is called Guabuliga”
In the reality of the village of Guabuliga, trees have a role far beyond just being ornamental objects in open space, they are characters. Everyday life is intimately connected with the tree in front of your house. Trees structure the village with their high and dense crowns; their shade creates places to work and rest, and the children covet their fruits. Trees are individuals as well as resources. One of the mango trees became so big that a family decided to relocate their house in order to avoid cutting down the tree.
In ‘Talking Trees’, 18 trees of multicultural origin unveil their roles in the village, as well as their botanical significance within various concepts of knowledge transfer. They mirror personal histories of the inhabitants. They are important for the micro climate. Some provide medicine, some are sources of income, and some are even gods.
Botanical information source: www.prota.org
