Glenis Rose, JIS Writer
A section of the Royal Palm Reserve located in Negril, Westmoreland. - JIS Photos
As the bus wove through the winding roads of Westmoreland's capital, Savanna-la-Mar, the excited students from Old Harbour Bay Primary School in St Catherine were reassured by their teacher, Dorrett Heath, that in half an hour they should be at Royal Palm Reserve in Sheffield.
Rojay Robinson, 13, student of Old Harbour High School, who was accompanying the students on their outing, could hardly contain his emotions as he sat and looked ahead of the bus, willing it to go faster. He just wanted to get to this place he had heard so much about. While he struggled to contain his excitement, the bus entered Sheffield and in minutes, pulled into the parking lot of Royal Palm Reserve, one of the region's most well preserved swamp and mangrove wildlife sanctuaries.
"For many people living in Jamaica and our valued visitors from abroad, no visit to western Jamaica or no trip from abroad would be complete without a prolonged visit to the world-famous Royal Palm Reserve, an eco-attraction without equal," boasted Kenrick Davis, chairman of the Negril Environmental Trust, the group responsible for the maintenance and operation of Royal Palm Reserve.
300 acres of swamp forest
Students and teachers of the Old Harbour Bay Primary School at Royal Palm Reserve.
The 6,000-acre Negril Great Morass is home to some 300 acres of pure swamp forest, known for its flora and landscape which are dominated by the awe-inspiring 100-foot Royal palms (Roystonia Princes), which are over 90 years old and endemic to western Jamaica. A long, winding boardwalk goes through the property, allowing visitors to walk literally on top and inside of the swamp while keeping a safe distance from the crawling residents.
"Of course, crocodiles are kept safely away in a distant pen," said Davis.
At Royal Palm Reserve, activities include, guided and unguided boardwalk tours and sport fishing. The reserve also boasts a bird-watching tower from which sections of the Great Morass, its 190 species of plants, some of the 36 species of resident birds, including the endangered West Indian whistling duck can be viewed.
"The Royal Palm Reserve is multifunctional in that it has something for everybody. It is a unique place for persons who want a different experience from the beach, and who want to see lush vegetation and biodiversity," explained Davis.
Noel Noble, site supervisor and tour guide, said it was exciting to lead tours of adults and enthusiastic children alike and to see faces brighten up with expressions of excitement, wonder and amazement.
"Everyday is a new experience for me. I just love to be out there guiding people along to make sure they enjoy their visit. I, however, believe that this place can attract much more visitors and make far more money, if the authorities just develop the property and make it more beautiful and attractive," said Noble.
Offers ideal learning experience
Catching up with the group from Old Harbour Bay Primary School as the rains ended their long-anticipated tour of Royal Palm Reserve, teacher, Dorrett Heath, observed that the place was far beyond her imagination and offered an ideal learning experience for her students, who were all members of the school's green club.
"This tour of the Royal Palm Reserve was very timely, as our students are learning to be more environmentally conscious. There is much for them to learn and experience here and I am going to ensure that we return as early as it's convenient. We certainly enjoyed the tour and are looking forward to coming back," said Heath.
De-Jaugh Gooden, a Grade 5 student said, "I am happy I got the chance to visit this beautiful place. I enjoyed walking around and looking at the fishes, the birds, the different trees and plants and learning so much about them."
Rojay Robinson also had a whale of a time and cannot wait to visit the reserve again. He recommends that as many students as possible be given the opportunity to visit and learn more about their country.
Nice place to visit
"Royal Palm is a very nice place to visit and has much to offer us as students. Seeing all those beautiful birds, fishes and plants make me realise how great our country is. I would like to visit here again because the rains shortened our tour," said Rojay.
Chairman of Royal Palm Committee Kenrick Davis pointed out that there was much more work to be done on the property and that the Government was being approached with alacrity and resoluteness in order for there to be more investment opportunities and capital injection into the attraction to make it 'the number one destination' in western Jamaica and the Caribbean.
"There are plans afoot for the construction of larger fish ponds and hydroponics. We want to open up this attraction not only to more visitors but to farmers who can come here and learn more about the new methods of farming such as greenhouse farming and so on. We also have visions for children's playpens and the establishment of a small museum for high school and other students to come here and do their research and complete their papers on environmentally related topics.
"There is great economic viability here at Royal Palm and, hopefully, with the right capital, this place could become a massive multi-faceted attraction for all ages and educational levels," said Davis.
He said that when all of this is materialised, one of the main objectives of the Negril Royal Palm Reserve, which is to provide opportunities to citizens of communities, would have been reached.
This is a collaborative feature between The Gleaner and the Jamaica Information Service. Email feedback to editorial@gleanerjm.com.
