Back in the 1970s I came to Jamaica for the first time and was impressed by the beauty of the island both in and out of the water. Over the years I have seen a disturbing amount of Jamaica's natural resources disappear due to development and have struggled with just what it is I can do to protect at least some of the natural places and the wildlife that depends on those places.

For a start, Carvel Ebanks and Bobby Clarke, both from Billy's Bay, began doing hawksbill sea turtle nesting surveys on a few of the beaches on the west side of Treasure Beach in order to find out all we could about these endangered animals. We found out that mongoose are eating more sea turtles (young ones and eggs) than any other group although people also give trouble both through habitat destruction, often unknowingly, and by eating either the eggs or the adult females when they come on shore to lay their eggs.

In order to be able to raise enough money to respond to these problems as well as continue this type of survey work, I am attempting to start a locally run, science based, educational wildlife tour business that would deal with local environmental issues. Any profit would go towards local conservation projects.

I am still in what appears to be a never ending maze of government permit applications but hope to start offering tours as soon as all the paperwork is in place. If we get through sometime this winter we may start with a few day tours and then begin the 3 night/4 day tours next summer when the turtles are nesting. Our web site is not completely finished yet but check it out if interested at www.ecojamaica.org . Not sure if there is any interest in something like this but feel it is worth a try. Constructive feedback is always appreciated.

I applaud you Miss Sally. There has obviously been a lot of thought put into this, and I wish you luck in this venture. The more we can make both locals and visitors aware of the environment in the Treasure Beach area, the better are the chances of saving it.

Kudos to you Sally for all the time, effort and finances you have put into this program.

Treasure Tours is looking forward to helping you in any way we can to promote these tours!

Thank you both for your encouragement. When I'm feeling farther along the paperwork trail, I will get back to you Rebecca. Am struggling with an interesting problem right now. The JTB has told me that I need to apply for a Attraction license but in reality we only plan to take folks all around Treasure Beach to show them what is still natural in our area like the sea turtles and crocodiles and to talk to the fishermen. Those are the real attractions. Really sounds like we should be trying for a Tour license instead. Problem there is that the Tourist Board only wants tours to visit approved beaches and attractions but once a beach is approved, the large number of people that follow tends to eliminate the very wild things that we are interested in.

Provide FOOD for the animals in the right environment s and they will come out to get it. The locals may kill the easier targets. Why? because they see the Mongoose,turtles,etc as threats against them.

Thanks Sally T.

Sally Thomas...Would you be willing to share with this audience photos of your beach house & its environs in one of the sweetest little coves in Ft Charles? I don't believe it has been featured in the Where To Stay directory, but we assume that is the "Accommodations" listed on your Wildlife Conservation website.

Reading between your lines, it seems as though your Business Plan for this Educational Conservation Project would entail Rentals of your villa/house, and perhaps greater traipsing (foot traffic) around beach areas where turtles have nested. It is fairly well known that you & your team have been scrupulous in marking off these egg nests, and are ingeniously attempting to thwart the plunder of the clever mongoose. Mamma Hawksbill, in the eternal game of Survival, needs her human co-inhabitants to disguise her tracks from little "furries" & aphrodisiac seekers.

It would appear, that with the exception specifically of your tours of "community beach habitat/plastic waste problems", you would be in direct competition with other vendors which serve the Black River (e.g., Swaby's Safari), and Fish Sanctuaries. It would seem that several of those, acting officially, would already be operating with Attraction Licenses...and, hopefully would "welcome" friendly competition with a more focused educational element.

In the meanwhile, there are several villa rentals, in the area, which have their own vibe for their guests (such as spiritual retreats; a spa & yoga milieu), without additional governmental "interference" or sanctioning. It seems that your perched property at Ft Charles could soon take on the character of one where stewardship and environmental awareness was a prime motive for vacationing.

Good Luck in rippling this Spirit of Place out to those seeking this nourishment.

Sally T...Eventually adding The Goat Islands to your Eco-Tours...work for underemployed local fishing boats?

In 2010, Government announced a proposal to develop an eco-tourism project on Goat Islands.
The proposal — which was eventually rejected — aimed to set up a sanctuary for Jamaican endemic species, such as the iguana. It would also remove the goats and mongoose from the island.

The Portland Bight area is protected area under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act (NRCA) and also houses two fish sanctuaries under the Fisheries Industry Act.

Observer Link: 'Eco-tourism can get better returns from Goat Islands'
www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/-Eco-tourism-can-get-better-returns-from-Goat-I slands-_15091796

Zed,
We never thought that we would use our house for anything other than our home, have never rented it out and probably never will. We are donating it's use for this project because we believe in what we are trying to do. If it turns out that no local Jamaicans are interested enough to get involved in helping organize and carry this thing through, it will fail. No problem, I would be disappointed but glad to drop the paperwork and go back to retirement. Being a bit of a hermit, dealing with tourists is not something that I would be any good at but the conservation and science interest me.

One of the biggest problems that the sea turtles are having in TB is the fencing off and deforestation of their nesting habitat. Most people fence right down to the sand or farther. The turtles need to dig their nests above any water that might catch the nest during a big storm as the eggs can drown. It's true that people also disturb the nests. Turtle habitat is disappearing from TB very fast! It would be nice to be able to protect at least some of it through the education of land owners.

This project will work with approved local boat tour captains for both Black River tours and those to the Sanctuary. I also hope that the men who have been doing the nesting surveys will take care of the turtle part. If it doesn't benefit the community, it will never last.

I am working at getting knowing people from Kingston to come and share what scientific knowledge they have with all the guides so they can then pass it on to both the community and our guests. Sounds like we are going to have to learn a little more about our crocodile neighbors so they will be less dangerous to us.

Hope this all makes sense to you. Thank you for your interest.

Sally T...Thanks for straightening out any mis-perception that your efforts might be anything other than educational, community-enhancing & philanthropic. You should be applauded for casting a wide net for concerned and informed allied cohorts who, under a bonny flag of environmental stewardship, can incrementally make development a lively, humanely sensitive, sustainable project..Wishing you all the courage of your convictions.

Here's a Poem by Velma Pollard (Retired Dean of the Faculty of Education @ UWI) that may "heartease" our day:

MARINE TURTLE

In the silver half-light
beamed from wave to shore
a flattened hound
bounds from one sandhill
to another sand

frightened
I turn on trembling heel
and flee

The moonlight silvering her coat of husk
the turtle mother
lumbers in the sand
scratching like a cat
making his private hole
scratching and stretching out
this clumsy paw then that
until the sand engulfs her in its tub

and now and here
she lays her precious eggs
to bear her light years forward...

Counting off her hope
if one of six
will brave the friendless stretch
will crawl the fearless sand
and safely back at sea
his birthing done...

covering her new birthed loves
with tender sand
she shuffles back to sea
terrible with hope with fear
tuwhoo the night owl sadly warns

the fisher is hungry for you flesh
the fisher is hungry for your turtle eggs

How could I flee from such a game of hope?
What could I fear from such a sacrifice?
This mother mothering against fearful odds
turns my uncertainties to certainty
in danger yes
but not endangered I

from And Caret Bay Again: New And Selected Poems by Velma Pollard (Peepal Tree Press Ltd, Leeds, UK, 2013)