"For those from outside who do not understand our culture, the sacred bush may seem to be a mysterious and frightening place. But our ancestors did not worship the forest rather they understood that the forest and all the creatures in it, also worship God. They understood that it is the forest that cleans the air we breathe and the water we drink. To destroy a forest is to destroy a place of worship; a place where we can experience the wonder of God’s creation. At the core of Tiwai’s purpose is to be a sanctuary, a sacred bush for the 21st Century where any Sierra Leonean, indeed, all of humanity, can come to experience a little of what the Garden of Eden was like."
Vice President Solomon Berewah
Speech at the opening of the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary. April 2006,