Bright days ahead for Cockpit Country

­ Environmental agency spearheads sustainable tourism drive

Nagra Plunkett, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

HOSPITALITY JAMAICA PHOTOS - Tour guide Ainsworth Smith relaxes in the breathtaking ambience of the Rock Spring Cave in south Trelawny. The cave is one of three attractions in the Cockpit Country that is being marketed by the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency as part of its sustainable tourism initiative

THE NEED to formulate strategies to effectively conserve the natural landscape of the Cockpit Country, backed by intensive research, opened the door to an exciting eco-tourism product under the auspices of the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA).

"We realised, with consultation in the environmental community, that the only answer is to showcase the area and all its attributes as a special ecological facility. This would allow people who have an interest in nature, local heritage, culture and community to get a chance to see it," explained STEA Chairman, Hugh Dixon.

DAUNTING PROBLEM

However, the agency faced a daunting problem ­ the destruction if the forest reserve for agricultural purposes.

The Cockpit Country is home to approximately 73,000 residents in 66 communities, majority of whom depend on the locale for their livelihood.

"Since our inception in February 1996, we have had to come up with strategies to

effectively conserve this large mass of forest or wilderness," Mr. Dixon further stated.

"It is about 80,000 acres embraced in Trelawny predominantly, St. Elizabeth and St. James."

Visitors on a tour with the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency.

He continued, "by doing so, you would create alternative economic activities for the many people who rely on the singular primary activity called agricultural production. That is how we came up with our eco-tourism programme."

With the help of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), STEA has been actively conducting public awareness sessions in and around the Cockpit Country, on the forest reserve's attributes, the value of the ecology and at the same time promote alternative business activities.

The non-governmental organisation has piloted a project an eco-tourism programme in Bunkers Hill and in coming months will replicate the model in Rock Spring, both Trelawny communities.

"We now do cave and trail tours in Rock Spring but we are launching out in a larger way for greater community management and participation," Mr. Dixon added.

Bats huddle together on a section of the ceiling inside the Rock Spring Cave in south Trelawny, which forms part of the Cockpit Country Adventure Tours.

"We have been assisted quite a bit by the EFJ and other funding agencies. In the last 18 months we received about $12 million with $6m going into public awareness and the remainder into the two pilot projects to develop the areas."

STEA is looking at several the communities for future participation in the programme but this will depend largely on the level of community mobilisation, the concept receives. These areas include Deeside in Trelawny, Auchtenbeddie in North Manchester, which reportedly has the highest density of land snails in the world, Maroon Town and Flagstaff in St. James.