Phillip Lynch guides visitors as they explore the Green Grotto Caves in Discovery Bay, St. Ann. - Contributed GREEN GROTTO Caves in Discovery Bay is the first cave worldwide to receive Green Globe Certification, effective February 2003.
Owned by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and operated by St. Ann Development Company (SADCo), a subsidiary of the UDC, Green Grotto Caves is also the first attraction to be awarded Green Globe Certification in the Caribbean. Certification will expire in February 2004.
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, conservation and management, air quality protection and noise control, fresh water resource management, waste water management, waste minimisation, improved social and cultural interactions, land management, eco system conservation and management and storage and use of hazardous substances are the areas assessed for Green Globe Certification.
Green Globe 21 is the global affiliation, benchmarking and certification programme for sustainable travel and tourism. It works with travel and tourism companies and communities to achieve and maintain good environmental and social practice, deliver maximum benefit to all stakeholders and provide choice for concerned consumers.
The Green Globe branch signifies better environment performance, improved community interactions, savings through using fewer resources and greater yields from increased consumer demands.
"We recognise that our attraction has an important role to play in educating visitors about our environment, specifically, the sensitive eco-system found within and around our caves," said Fabia Lamm, manager of Green Grotto Caves.
Among the new initiatives introduced at Green Grotto Caves is an environmental policy which seeks to minimise the use of energy, water, chemical agents and raw material and provision of training for all employees relating to the biodiversity monitoring programme. The policy also seeks to minimise the generation of solid waste and other pollutants through the implementation of a reduction, recycle and reuse programme. Other improvements include a new sewage system where the effluent is filtered through a filter bed and taken into a soak away at which point it is 90-95 per cent pure. Extensive landscaping has also taken place.
Bert Brown, general manager of Societe Generale de Surveillance Jamaica (SGS), the preferred certifiers to Green Globe 21 standard, explained that Green Grotto Caves has joined the ranks of 64 entities which are Green Globe certified in the world. Commenting on Green Grotto Caves, Mr. Brown said "it seems to be a well run attraction. Preserving the environment is in the forefront of operations in terms of its flora and fauna and the care taken to preserve the bats was a positive observation".
SGS carried out the assessment at Green Grotto on behalf of Green Globe 21. SGS is the largest inspection, certification and verification company in the world and it operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.
Green Grotto Caves was acquired by the (UDC) in October 1999. Known at various times as the Runaway Bay Cave, Cave Hall Caves, Discovery Bay Caves, Dry Harbour Caves, Hopewell Caves, Rum Caves and Dairy Caves, are among Jamaica's most prominent natural attractions. They are of international repute and have been seeing visitors since the 18th century.
Situated on 25.9 hectares of the island's beautiful North Coast, the Caves are located between the resort centres of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and are precisely 3.2 km from Discovery Bay to the west and 4 km from Runaway Bay to the east.
