This project has been designed to address the problems of land degradation and habitat loss caused by deforestation related mainly to conversion of forest to agriculture, and inappropriate farming practices, in targeted buffer zone communities around the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJCMNP).

The BJCMNP Management Plan (2005 ? 2010) in its analysis of these problems, highlights several root causes including:-
? insufficient environmental education,
? lack of environmentally sustainable income generating activities,
? inadequate enforcement, and
? inadequate conservation activities

Park management programmes have been designed to address these root causes, and the Education and Public Involvement Programme (from which this project is derived) is geared at addressing the first two. Environmental education is seen by JCDT (delegated manager of the BJCMNP) as resulting in the empowerment of communities to participate in the environmental management of their surroundings (Saeed, S. 1998, IUCN).

There are 59 communities within the Park?s Buffer Zone, which is a 1-km band around the Park boundary. The Total population according to the BJCMNP Rapid Ecological Assessment, 1993 was 37,141. This information is currently being updated based on the latest Population Census data, and is believed to be approximately 50,000). Over the next one to two years, intensive community environmental education will focus on four (4) communities ? about 12,000 ? 15,000 people. This strategic approach is based on an evaluation of the Park?s Education and Outreach Programmes (Bedasse, 2004), and the new Education and Public Involvement Programme, described in the Management Plan, and which was successfully piloted during 2005.

It is geared at increasing the effectiveness of Park management, and is expected to result in positive impacts that will be captured and recorded through the Park?s new Monitoring and Evaluation Programme.

The problems described have existed for many years, and are not unique to this part of the island, however the geology of the Blue Mountains, the steep slopes and high level of rainfall make it particularly susceptible to land degradation. With the increased amount of hurricanes and bad weather during 2005, the impact of land degradation has become very apparent to community members e.g. land-slides, road damage, loss of property.

Land degradation in mountainous areas impacts lower-lying areas, and even coastal and marine areas causing increased siltation of water bodies and flooding. Water supplies are impacted by siltation and the high run-off rate often does not allow for adequate storage in aquifers, thus there are water shortages later during the dry season. In addition to causing land degradation and associated watershed impacts, the loss of forest in the Park?s buffer zone threatens the forest within the Park boundary and reduces habitat for wildlife including many of Jamaica?s endemic and threatened species.

The problem has been addressed in the past, but mainly through the use of public awareness and education approaches, as opposed to participatory, action-learning community education approaches. Thus, whilst community members and farmers are often aware of the problems and some solutions, they have not had the assistance nor the capacity to implement solutions and change their practices.

The overall goal is to reduce land degradation and habitat loss in the BJCMNP and selected buffer zone communities.

Expected outcomes of the project
1. Increased capacity for watershed/land management and involvement in BJCMNP management in four (4) Park Buffer Zone communities
2. Land restored and natural forest rehabilitated ( at least 12 ha) thus helping to mitigate against disasters and enhancing biological diversity within the Park and its Buffer Zone
3. Sustainable tree seedling production established