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Where the trees whisper in the heart of Fort Portal
What you need to know:
While in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, you can enjoy a nature walk, canoe rides or even camp with a few friends at the Whispering Palm Gardens.
Tom Mboijana Adyeeri of Harukooto in Fort Portal loves nature so much that he created a place where it would thrive.
“I love seeing the beauty of nature and feel good when I see the green cover. I don`t like artificial things because natural things look more beautiful. During my travel out of Uganda, I noticed how people in the countries I went to maintain nature so when I came back, I made sure that I do the same,” Mboijana says on how he set up Whispering Palm Gardens.
In preserving nature, he created a place 500m into Fort Portal town, where other people can enjoy the natural forest and relax their minds.
“People, especially nature lovers can enjoy the sound of birds and the fresh breath of cool air. It is also a nice place for you and your loved one to affirm your love,” Mboijana describes the romantic atmosphere of the gardens.
How the garden was started
Mboijana started on his forest 27 years ago in 1986 and he is quick to point out that he did not plant any of the trees. “When I came back from my travels, I found that some people had planted eucalyptus on my piece of land. I cut them down and let the natural forest to grow on its own. I don’t fancy planted forests because their roots are too deep, which may not be good for the soil,” he explains how the forest came up adding, “I had to be patient because you can’t rush nature.” On top of the different trees like palms, flowers like hibiscus grew, adding their own beauty to the gardens.
He chose to call it Whispering Palm Gardens because when the wind blows, the palm leaves make noise that sounds like whispers.
Mboijana got the money to put up the forest from his Rabistro Restaurant business. He, however, closed the restaurant when juggling the two businesses became difficult.
The Whispering Gardens, which Mboijana says sit on seven acres, have a countryside feel that makes you forget that you are in town.
To make them more people friendly, Mboijana says: “I created nature trails in my forest to enable people have a nice walk through the forest. I also put some benches for people who prefer spending a long time in this small ‘jungle’. I did this because some people love quiet places, and there is nothing more quiet and soothing than being in a natural forest where you are well assured of security.”
What more it has to offer
Before you enter the forest, there is a clear space, at the Whispering Gardens which is good for camping. On top of this, Mboijana also caters for those who love water, just as he does.
“I love the waters very much, which is why I constructed four ponds. My ponds are big enough to accommodate canoes for people who love boat rides to have fun while catching the fresh breeze,” he says about the other activities you can enjoy while in the gardens.
The forest is not only for leisure but is also a source of food to Mboijana especially.
“The ponds have fish, which I use for my home consumption and I also give some to my neighbours because I cannot finish all the fish alone. Sometimes I sell the fish. My forest does not only provide me with food but is also an environment conservative measure. This is because I don’t cut a single tree and trees contribute to rainfall formation and they also help to act as wind breaks in case of heavy wind,” Mboijana says on the benefits of his gardens.
Where he has had some constraints
Although the forest brings him a lot of joy, it has not been without its problems.
“Although the forest is a natural, I have incurred some maintenance costs, I made it in such a way that people could always come and get rest and that is why I had to make it to high standards. Creating the nature trails, providing the benches, the boat facilities, and maintaining the camping site all cost me some good money,” he says about keeping the gardens running.
There is also the problem of criticism from people who don’t understand why he does not do more with the land. “People accuse me of land wastage. They believe I’m wasting my acres of land with funny practices all in the name of nature conservation. They ask me why I don’t rent the land out to people who want to practice farming if I can’t do it myself,” he says about the reactions he gets from some people.
However, Mboijana remains undaunted in his quest to preserve nature and advises people to leave some pieces of their land natural so that they too can have something like Whispering Gardens. He adds that not only can it be a tourist attraction, it can also avert disasters that happen due to destruction of nature.
