Jamaica is a birding hotspot, but there’s more to it than that

You know, I am a “bird nerd.” I am missing most of the organized birdwatching trips – but thank God for our yard, which is overgrown and somewhat wooded and brings us pleasant bird sightings on a daily basis. Today was a stately White-crowned Pigeon at our bird bath; a Vervain hummingbird dipping his tiny … More Jamaica is a birding hotspot, but there’s more to it than that

JET says major roadworks in Portland, Jamaica being undertaken with no public consultation and no environmental impact assessment

It is not only the famous beauty spot that is San San and the surroundings of Blue Lagoon, in Eastern Portland, that have been affected by the South Coast Highway Improvement Project. The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has been doing some research and found that there was no community consultation on large stretches of the … More JET says major roadworks in Portland, Jamaica being undertaken with no public consultation and no environmental impact assessment

International Fisherman’s Day, Miss May and the Blue Economy: Challenges There Are

On our weekly visits to Hellshire Beach in St. Catherine during the 1980s and early 1990s,     a stop at Miss May’s restaurant was a must. Her escoveitch fish was mouth-watering, her festivals melted in the mouth. We sat at the simple board tables in her restaurant shack, our feet in the cool sand, … More International Fisherman’s Day, Miss May and the Blue Economy: Challenges There Are

Jamaican Conservationist Honored as Biodiversity ‘Hotspot Hero’ by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

What better news on International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) than this wonderful award for Ingrid Parchment, Executive Director of the Clarendon-based Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM), in the Portland Bight Protected Area. If you scroll back through my blog, you will see several articles about the work of C-CAM and the amazingly beautiful and … More Jamaican Conservationist Honored as Biodiversity ‘Hotspot Hero’ by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

On World Wetlands Day, Let’s Give Our Wetlands More Love

Today (February 2) is World Wetlands Day. For Jamaica (and everywhere) this should be an important date on the calendar. It marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. The “official” celebration will be at the Mason River Protected Area in northern Clarendon on Friday, February 7. It is the … More On World Wetlands Day, Let’s Give Our Wetlands More Love

Flamingos and John Crows: Further Adventures in Birdland

After our dramatic hillside expedition at Strawberry Hill recently, we intrepid birders asked: What next? We were ready for anything, now. This time we set our sights on the fascinating and always revelatory area called Portland Bight. I have written about our experiences there several times before on this blog. Portland Bight is that big lump … More Flamingos and John Crows: Further Adventures in Birdland

Travels with a Canadian, Part 1: Native Plants, a Mystery Duck and the Discovery Centre at Salt River

Yes, we have been on an extended hiatus. Not only have we been dashing up and down with many chores and obligations to fulfill, but we had the honour of a visit from a fellow blogger. “Always a Redhead” hails from Hamilton, Ontario. Yes, we actually met online. It was a week of adventures, mishaps, … More Travels with a Canadian, Part 1: Native Plants, a Mystery Duck and the Discovery Centre at Salt River