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Enviro-Kids
Programme at Holywell, Jamaica
Yanique Powell contributed
to the construction of the Kids’ Discovery Zone
(KDZ) Interpretive Centre, which was coordinated
by Marolyn Lucy Gentles. The KDZ is a facility
designed to facilitate play among children aged
3-11 years while educating them about the environment
of the Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park,
Jamaica. Youths from diverse backgrounds came
together and successfully overcame the many obstacles
presented by the project, in particular a period
of bad weather that made working on the facility
difficult.
The themes of the National
Park are all interpreted in sketches and murals,
games and story telling, sights and sounds and
in the general architecture of the structure.
It is the first environmental interpretation play
centre of its kind in Jamaica. The KDZ is made
up of 5 zones representing the Tody Club House,
Coney Mound, Froggy Farm, Millipede Crawl and
Lizard Climb.
The activities completed
within the scope of Youth Visioning included:
- Completing the construction of the Tody Club
House (main feature of the KDZ)
- The preparation of environmental interpretive
packages for the children visiting the park
- Developing and distributing a brochure about
the park
Surveys conducted before the opening
of the playground indicated that a large majority
of adults said that they were not satisfied with
the facilities offered by the park for children.
The children themselves revealed a serious lack
of awareness about the animal life in Jamaica.
With this in mind, the response to the playground
has been overwhelming and the park has welcomed
3 large groups since January 2006 in addition
to welcoming daily visitors.
"I realized I had a lot to give
back to my community through what I could volunteer
to do for the National Park. The training from
Youth PATH also helped me to understand the importance
of using the KDZ as a tool for interpretation.
Much more art work is needed though to make it
more meaning full and full of life. Some of this
work could also be replicated and used in schools."
- Michael Elliot, young volunteer
painter for the project
For more information:
Contact Marolyn Lucy
Gentles: marolynlucygentles@hotmail.com
Background
Project proposal, workplan, background, objectives
Full
Report [.pdf 1002Kb]
Concept, construction phase, interpretive program,
volunteers responses, photos
Holywell
Kids Discovery Zone (KDZ) brochure [.pdf 919Kb]
Promotional brochure for visitors
Enveloped
in 'Misty Bliss' [.pdf 696Kb]
Newspaper article on the Holywell recreational
area, which includes the KDZ
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