Contributed
Visitors to Royal Palm Reserve, located in Sheffield near Negril, Westmoreland, are taken along the 500 ft. boardwalk during a tour of the property. The boardwalk partially surrounds the Cotton Tree Lake, home to numerous ducks, waterfowls, fish and Jamaican pond turtle. Royal Palm is Negril's newest tourist attraction.Glenis Rose, Jamaica Information Service
ROYAL PALM Reserve in Sheffield, near Negril in Westmoreland, is the newest eco-tourism attraction to be added to Negril's package for visitors.
Tourism officials expect Royal Palm to attract thousands of visitors annually.
About 120 hectares (300 acres) of swamp forest and wetlands in the Negril Great Morass, the attraction features royal palms that are endemic to that part of Jamaica. It is one of four major environmental projects in the Negril area being funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ).
The attraction is being managed by the Negril Area Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT) which has, over the years, focused on the protection and conservation of the Negril environment and eco-systems.
It offers day tours, nature walks, bird watching and a chance to relax in the bosom of nature. It also caters to weddings and special events as well as lending itself to scientific research. There is also a museum which offers information on native plants and animals and a boardwalk that allows for guided tours and sightings of wildlife, including crocodiles.
HISTORY
Royal Palm Reserve was conceived as part of the overall proposal for the mining of peat in the Negril Great Morass during the mid-1980s. Because of the restricted distribution of the royal palms, the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) decided to establish a reserve to protect them.
The PCJ designed and constructed an access road from Sheffield, a boardwalk through the wetland forest, a lake, a restaurant, a museum, administrative offices and a recreation centre.
Construction was completed in 1989 but due to a change in the plans of the PCJ, the facility was never formally opened. Over the years the NEPT indicated its interest in managing the reserve, but did not obtain a lease until January 1 this year.
Chairman of NEPT, Ray Arthurs, says Royal Palm Reserve has enormous economic potential for Jamaica, and provides a unique setting for visitors to enjoy. He points out that all sectors in Negril are expected to benefit from the many spin-offs from this attraction.
"I see Royal Palm Reserve in years to come as famous and as important as Dunn's River Falls in St. Ann. It will have spin-offs to all sectors in Negril, including transportation, hotels, restaurants, craft manufacturing and others. This place has potential to become one of the major tourist attractions in Jamaica," Mr. Arthurs notes.
He says that NEPT is grateful for the "tremendous support" it has been receiving from the EFJ and local organisations.
Executive Director of the EFJ, Selena Tapper, says that the organisation has chosen to give financial and other support to the development of Royal Palm Reserve because of its "very attractive and lucrative economic potential".
"We at the EFJ are absolutely convinced that the Royal Palm Reserve has great economic potential for the country, offering the kind of Jamaican attraction we all can be proud of," Miss Tapper says.
She explains that the reserve can be a learning experience for all visitors, with its plants, birds and animals, some of which are endemic to Negril, as well as providing a "quiet place for visitors to reflect and appreciate the country's beauty".
Environmentalist, Dr. David Smith, explains the importance of the Negril Great Morass, and its role in the sustainability of the area.
"If you want to keep and maintain those essential things for tourism such as the white sand, healthy corals, fish, the mangroves and locations such as Royal Palm Reserve, then you have to maintain the wetlands or morass," he emphasises.
Dr. Smith is urging the residents to maintain the area by not dumping garbage in the wetlands. "People generally believe that wetlands do nothing except breed mosquitoes, but they are in fact a lot more useful than that, so we must stop using them as dumping grounds," he adds.
Proceeds from the Royal Palm Reserve are used to fund conservation activities and sustainable community development.
COST
Adults $200, children $100, tourists US$10, children US$5. Groups of 25 and more get a five per cent discount.
HOW TO GET THERE
Drive along the south coast, going through Savanna-la-Mar, if you're coming from Kingston. Once you pass Negril Spot in Sheffield, turn right at the first crossroad where there is a bike taxi stand. Keep left until you come to the attraction.
Coming from Montego Bay, you can drive through Negril. The community of Sheffield is only 10 minutes away.
