Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature

“Miss, a wa mek im move so?” (Miss, why is it moving like this?) A high school student asks me, holding a sea cucumber while it slowly forms to her hand, squishing her own face in uncertainty. I show her the bottom of the animal where its tube feet retract, sensing a threat. I am thrilled to witness her wonder and disgust.

I, Ali, am an Environment Sector Peace Corps Volunteer living nearby in rural Jamaica, and I’ve been assisting the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (LOF) and Alligator Head Foundation (AHF) with the implementation of the Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I’m excited to participate in this newly formed partnership that has allowed LOF to expand the J.A.M.I.N. program to the Portland area, a rural parish on the eastern side of Jamaica.

Since the inception of the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program five years ago, we have accomplished a great deal, and we would like to share some of these achievements with you.

With the help of our partners, University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Lab, we launched the J.A.M.I.N. Mangrove Education and Restoration program during the 2014-2015 school year. Using our custom-developed mangrove curriculum, 10thgrade students at Holland and William Knibb High Schools in Falmouth, Jamaica learned about the importance of mangroves and how to restore them.