Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.)
Traditionally, mangroves have been harvested in Jamaica for charcoal production and to make fishing gear. Large areas have been cleared for development of houses, hotels, and agriculture. According to a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (2005), 30% of Jamaica’s mangroves have been lost.
In order to restore and educate Jamaicans about this important ecosystem, we partnered with the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory to develop and implement the Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.). The J.A.M.I.N. program is a hands-on outdoor education program that teaches students about the mangrove ecosystem through project-based learning.
In October 2014, we launched the J.A.M.I.N. pilot project near Falmouth, Jamaica in two high schools. Two years later, we expanded the program to include a year 2 program, bringing the same students back to the mangrove forest to monitor and manage the mangrove ecosystem. During the same year, we teamed up with Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann’s Bay. As part of this partnership, we bring students from area schools to this cultural heritage site to learn, restore, and monitor mangroves. The program is currently being implemented in Falmouth at William Knibb High School.
Alligator Head Foundation partnered with us in 2018 to expand the J.A.M.I.N. program to the greater Portland area in eastern Jamaica. Two schools in the region are participating in the program – Happy Grove High School and Port Antonio High School. This partnership enables us to interact with a larger portion of the Jamaican population, with an organization that shares similar goals regarding education of the nations youth.
In 2024, two new partners helped us expand the J.A.M.I.N. program even further. Playa Hotels & Resorts is sponsoring the J.A.M.I.N. program for the 2024-2025 academic year, helping Jamaican students to experience the transformative power of environmental education, deepening their understanding of mangrove ecosystems and their importance in coastal resilience. We also formed a new partnership with Sea The Change Foundation, allowing students to plant mangroves at Jobson Bay Eco-Beach Park. With its stunning 385 acres of pristine beachfront and lush mangrove forests, Jobson Bay offers an incredible outdoor classroom just minutes from William Knibb Memorial High School. It’s a place where students can connect with nature while gaining hands-on experience in environmental stewardship.
We hope to inspire students to learn about, protect, and conserve their mangroves. Other classrooms and schools have expressed interest in J.A.M.I.N. and we hope to be able to expand to include them soon.
For more information, check out this blog, written during the first session of J.A.M.I.N.
