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Enviro-Kids
Programme at Holywell, Jamaica
Who's
involved:
Project leaders: Yanique Powell, Marolyn
Lucy Gentles
Main partner: YouthPATH
Other organisations:
- Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust
- Jamaica International Insurance Company
- Ministry of Education Youth and Culture
- National Environment and Planning Agency
Timeframe:
September 2005 - February 2006
Theme:
My island home
Background:
The 78,000 hectares (200,000 acres) of tropical
mist forests of the Blue and John Crow Mountains
National Park in Jamaica is a site of particularly
high biological diversity and is an important
center for plant endemism.
Almost half of the island's
530 ferns can be found in these mountains and
it is estimated that up to 40% of flowering plants
in the area are found nowhere else in the world.
About 80 of the island's
300 bird species can be found in the area, including
all 30 of the endemic species, and numerous migratory
birds.
The forest also serves as
a habitat for many of the island's endemic animals
such as the Jamaican Hutia (Indian Coney), the
Jamaican Yellow Snake (Jamaican Boa), the Black-billed
Parrot and the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, the
second largest butterfly in the world.
The forests function as important
watershed areas and provide water to both rural
and urban communities on the eastern end of the
island including Kingston. Ten of the island's
watershed units are found within the Park including
the Rio Grande, Wag Water, Hope and Yallahs rivers
and these provide nearly 40% of the island's population
(close to 1 million persons) with water.
The Jamaica Conservation
and Development Trust (JCDT) has been involved
in the management of the Blue and John Crow Mountains
National Park (BJCMNP) since 1989.
Holywell is the most accessible
family recreational area within the National Park.
In January 2003, JCDT
launched the UNESCO Youth PATH (Poverty Alleviation
through Tourism and Heritage) Project which seeks
to train youths from communities around Holywell
in the skills to develop and document cultural
and heritage sites within the park and surrounding
communities to enhance their eco-tourism potential.
From January 2003 to the
present, youth have received training in tour
guiding, natural resource awareness, cultural
resource awareness, and sustainable development
of crafts.
Objectives:
- All the Basic to Primary School children within
the parishes of close proximity to the Park (St.
Andrew, Portland, and Kingston) will be made environmentally
aware by their Holywell "Enviro-Kids" experience.
- To fill the need for recreational
and educational activities for children in Jamaica.
- Raise awareness about the
BJMNP in young children through play.
- Develop in children an
early appreciation for nature.
- Contribute methodology
and resource to early childhood education.
- Add value to the heritage
and tourism product of Holywell.
- Provide income to YouthPATH
trainee rangers through employment.
- To engage YouthPATH participants
in the project.
Activities:
- Complete the construction of the Tody House
playground.
- Assist with the preparation
of environmental interpretive packages for the
children visiting the park preparation of informative
signs, and the provision of speakers and music
equipment.
- Conduct a survey of 50
visitors (25 adults, 25 children) before and after
their visit to record the effectiveness of the
playground in teaching about / and creating awareness
of the National Park.
- Conduct a survey of all
the Youth rangers who assisted in the project
to determine (a) ways in which the project can
be improved in the future and (b) ways in which
they benefited personally and professionally from
the project.
- Publicize the activities
through local radio, television and newspapers
to increase visitor arrivals, especially families
with young children and school groups to Holywell.
- Provide photographs and
at least 60 minutes video footage of the various
games and environmental activities conducted in
the playground.
Progress
Reports:
31 October 2005
Olatz Landa from the UNESCO Kingston office sent
some pictures of the project activities.
20 October 2005
Gillian Cambers from the Youth Visioning Committee
met with Yanique Powell and Marolyn Lucy Gentles.
Some delays to the planned activities have been
experienced due to heavy rainfall and financial
complications but they are getting back on track
with the activities.
Downloads:
Project
Proposal
Workplan
Full
Report [.pdf 1002Kb]
Holywell
Kids Discovery Zone (KDZ) brochure [.pdf
919Kb]
Enveloped
in 'Misty Bliss' newspaper article [.pdf
696Kb]
For more information:
Contact Marolyn Lucy
Gentles: marolynlucygentles@hotmail.com
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