GREAT VICTORY FOR BLUE LAGOON JAMAICA!

It is with much gratitude that we are happy to share in this very good news from the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. The Preservation Notice has been signed which is the first step to protecting the integrity of the Lagoon as per the letter below. It was 60 years ago that Jamaica's first Prime Minister, Norman Manley sent his preservation notice to the Cabinet earmarking Blue Lagoon to be preserved for future generations. It is a great victory that is now taking place for Jamaica's environment and the beautiful Blue Lagoon. Congratulations to all who have helped to make this possible:
Blue Lagoon Preservation Notice Letter to Participants of the Meeting

Greetings from Blue Lagoon Jamaica

Jamaica National Heritage Trust Letter regarding Blue Lagoon

Letter to the Jamaica Observer re: Blue Lagoon

The following is a copy of a letter sent to the Editor of the Jamaica Observer regarding Blue Lagoon from Adrienne Joan Duperly:

Dear Editor,

Blue Lagoon demise and environmental concerns have been aired since JET stalwart Diana McCauley intervention in January 2011. Blue Lagoon's environmental issues have been brought to Prime Minister Golding`s attention in a letter written by Diana McCauley.

Since January, quarrels, indignities, name calling, mud slinging, blaming, finger pointing and issues of colour, wealth and poverty have stirred at Blue Lagoon. Negativity publicity has swamped poor Blue Lagoon shores and peoples as reports in your newspaper and others have been picked up by The Associated Press, Washington Post, World News et al.

I brought Blue Lagoon concerns to residents stakeholders in 2009. Since 2009-2010 letters, Blue Lagoon Restoration is becoming an eco- friendly, community driven eco sensitive marine heritage park protected because the people who live there care about their community and are trying to cooperate with one another - this after I proposed at Blue Lagoon to fisherfolk, rafters, crafters, corporate and resident stakeholders in 2009, 2010 and 2011 on several occasions, privately and publicly.

Following careful research, my restoration ideas spark renewed hope for beloved Blue Lagoon to be revalued and instated as the natural national treasure it really is.

Sadly, my 2009 letters were disregarded by your newspaper and others. Some Blue Lagoon area property owners, San San Association, environmental activists,and other governing bodies of 2009 heard me out, some have since agreed to help improve conditions at Blue Lagoon site.

Undeterred, I remain committed to Blue Lagoon Restoration. Following a 9 month community consultation, Blue Lagoon Restoration Concept came to life again. After invitation from Ontario International Development, on June 24, 2010, Blue Lagoon Restoration Concept was presented to the International Development Summer Congress 2010 , which was held in Canada. This Blue Lagoon concept document has since been published and you can access Blue Lagoon Restoration paper on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) at:
http://ssrn.com/author=1530460

With JNHT on board, Blue lagoon stakeholders convened at Blue Lagoon Summit 2010 on November 20, 2010 in Portland and many follow http://www.bluelagoonjamaica.blogspot.com
Marc Goodman created http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODNsv7CsG9k

Sir, 60 years ago Norman Manley, Jamaica`s first Prime Minister sent his Blue Lagoon preservation note to Cabinet, earmarking Blue (Hole) Lagoon for eternal preservation (see link).
It is now 170 years since Adolphe Duperly hand tinted his lithograph of Blue Hole, with publication of his photographic journal of Jamaica's scenery, for the world to see at the Exhibition in Paris c.1840.

Now it is time for JNHT to rewrite Portland's environmental, social and economic history by presenting JNHT note to Cabinet This will help to ensure Blue Lagoon National Heritage Site Declaration is approved by Government of Jamaica, sanctioned by those who live, play, work or pray there. That is my wish, my prayer, my hope for Blue Lagoon and her residents.

We Jamaicans are eternally blessed, we live in a virtual paradise, we Jamaicans conquer world markets, we are globally celebrated artists, athletes, musicians, builders of nations and entrepreneurs of distinction. We Jamaicans know about God from childhood, some Jamaicans believe in a higher power, some believe they are a higher power. Not so, we have much the same DNA. We all want to be heard, we have a right to be heard, we all grow old, we all die sooner or later.
I invite Jamaicans from everywhere to visit Blue Lagoon, to discover what is happening in paradise while we are still alive to do so. It is so lovely there, go and see for yourselves.

Yours faithfully,
Adrienne Joan Duperly

Washington Post publishes article on struggle for Blue Lagoon

Yesterday, the Washington Post published an article by the Associated Press on Blue Lagoon and the struggle to keep it environmentally sound:

Battle brews over development of Jamaica’s Blue Lagoon, one of island’s best known attractions

PORT ANTONIO, Jamaica — In a lush corner of Jamaica, a skirmish is under way over a spring-fed lagoon where the changing light of day turns water from shimmering jade to brilliant cobalt.

Tree-fringed Blue Lagoon is a dazzling, 400-foot-long (122-meter-long) teardrop of water that meets the Caribbean along a coast that was once a hideaway for the rich and famous and a setting for a film starring Brooke Shields.

The little lagoon’s shore already is marred by an abandoned, hurricane-damaged restaurant and a crumbling helicopter pad, and a new development is alarming conservationists who are trying to save one of Jamaica’s most gorgeous natural attractions. The owner of a small hilltop hotel overlooking the lagoon has carved away a pocket of forest and mangroves to create a private, white-sand beach that activists fear could spoil the unique environment.

In most places on the tourism-dependent island, where politicians mostly view the conservation lobby as a hindrance to economic development, a small beach cut out of mangroves would hardly merit notice. But the Blue Lagoon isn’t just anyplace.

It’s a rare environment where the warm waters of the sea mix with fresh water from cold mineral springs in a 186-foot-deep (57-meter) sinkhole. Yellow-billed parrots spread their wings to dry after rain showers. Small blue fish dart around the shallows. Black-and-scarlet frigate birds swoop overhead.

The cove was first described in an 1864 journal published by photographic pioneer Adolphe Duperly. The Frenchman’s pictures of Jamaica were a hit at a Paris exhibition and helped the Blue Lagoon become a destination for travelers.

The lagoon and the wider Port Antonio area were once favored destinations of European aristocrats and film stars like Errol Flynn, whose widow still runs a cattle ranch nearby. But it has seen a steady decline in tourist traffic since its 1950s heyday.

Blue Lagoon still attracts bird-watchers and nature lovers who want experiences off of the beaten track, though it’s hardly been a priority for recent Jamaican governments due to its relative isolation and lack of foot traffic. Just outside the cove, about a dozen luxury villas line the shore.

It is often known as Blue Hole to locals, but the alternate name came into wider use after the Brooke Shields movie “The Blue Lagoon” was partly filmed there, though her famed swim scene was shot elsewhere.

The Jamaica National Heritage Trust has completed historical research to potentially declare Blue Lagoon a protected national monument. But Lisa Grant, legal officer for the government body, said more rigorous evaluations are needed before any official declaration can be made.

They need to “make sure the economic activity around the site does not compromise the integrity of the area,” she said, a reference to development and boat tours around the cove. It is not clear how long their assessments might take....Environmental activists have been pressing politicians to save the cove, while blasting regulators. They say government approval of the beach is evidence of a broader failure of environmental protection on an island where many see jobs as more important than strict conservation. Read rest of the article here.

Blue Lagoon Developer has been served - Article

Blue Lagoon news from the GO-Jamaica website May 25, 2011:

Following a review of the controversial Blue Lagoon developments, the NRCA and NEPA discovered that the developer, Devon Wilson, is in breach of the Beach Control Act and the Beach Control Amendment, despite the developer’s beach licence being issued in compliance with the Act and amendment.

Daryl Vaz, minister with responsibility for information, provided the update in this morning’s Cabinet press briefing.

He said the breaches include three pylons supporting a wooden jetty on the northern section of the property; a seawall constructed on the foreshore and the floor of the sea along the northern and southern boundaries of the property; and coastline modification.

Vaz noted the developer, who is also the operator of Tropical Lagoon Resort, was also in breach of the Town and Country Planning Act, Tree Preservation (Blue Hole, Portland) Order of 1977, by the felling and topping of trees without permission from the Portland Parish Council.

Six other property owners in the Blue Lagoon area were also found to be in breach of the Beach Control Act, Beach Control Amendment, and the Wildlife Protection Act.

Wilson has been served summons, scheduled for mention in the Port Antonio Resident Magistrate Court on June 6.

Meanwhile, Vaz said the NRCA and NEPA are cautious.

“It cannot be ignored that the NRCA does not have a right to prosecute for the development of land, save and except where it can be clearly shown that such development is illegal.

“To date there is little or no evidence that the creation of an artificial beach specifically as it relates to dumping of sand on the property resulted from or is associated with any illegal activity,” Minister Vaz said in a release.

Last month, reports surfaced that Wilson had plans to build an artificial beach at Blue Lagoon.

Environmental watchdog, the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has objected to the granting of a beach licence to the operator as an artificial beach would be inappropriate for the natural environment of the Blue Lagoon.

JET has asserted that the clearing and removal of vegetation could result in silt running off into the sea.

Feeling the Blues over Blue Lagoon - A Jamaica Observer Editorial

Jamaica Observer editorial of May 19, 2011:

Portland, we contend, must be among the most beautiful and alluring places on earth. So we decidedly can't agree with Port Antonio mayor, Commander Floyd Patterson who is quoted in this week's Sunday Observer as saying that Portland has "lost tourism".

For surely as this country seeks to go forward in the further sustainable development of tourism and leisure as a money-spinning industry, Portland has got to be high on the agenda.

However, we are also very conscious that unless there is care, thought and proper planning, essential elements to ensure that sustainable development, will be lost. On that basis, we feel duty bound to congratulate Mayor Patterson and others who coalesced to put a stop to the removal of rail parts which he correctly identified as important in Portland's heritage.

Far too often, we believe, communities are content to simply sit by as their heritage, inclusive of old churches and other historic sites, are looted by scrap metal scavengers.

Of course, heritage sites are not the only victims of the scrap metal trade. The utility companies, for example, have lost millions of dollars in damage to their infrastructure to metal theft.

But to return to Portland, our concern for the sustainable development of tourism means we are also interested in what the Sunday Observer headlines a 'Storm over Blue Lagoon'. From this distance, it seems to be yet another example of the age-old tussle between developers who sense an opportunity to make money and those intent on protecting the physical environment. Finding the correct balance is never easy.

In short, noted environmentalists, such as Ms Diana McCaulay, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), are complaining that a private development now taking place could damage the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Further, Ms McCaulay charges that the State's environmental watchdog, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), has failed to effectively monitor the private development or to properly protect the physical environment.

On the other hand, the developers are vigorously denying that actions by them are endangering the environment. In fact, they insist that it is the natural physical environment on which they will be dependent if their investment is to be successful.

Intriguingly, the developers have introduced skin colour as a motive for JET's objections.

"The man who owns the property is black and these people don't believe that a little black boy from Port Antonio should own that property," says Colin Bell, operations manager for Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort, whose main attraction - we are told - is the lagoon.

All that aside though, we feel all concerned in this matter should pay close attention to the words of Major Johnathan Lamey, president of the Portland Environmental Protection Association.

Says he: "Blue Lagoon is the common heritage of all Jamaicans regardless of who might own it at a particular time, and so the perspective of the community should be taken into consideration for any development because it will affect us all, both in terms of the tourism product and the livelihood of all Portlanders."

We suspect that had the wider community been consulted about all aspects of the planned development at the very start, much of the current "storm" would have been avoided. It seems to us that going forward, this is something NEPA and the Government should weave into their modus operandi.

Storm over Blue Lagoon - Article in the Jamaica Observer

The Jamaica Observer published an extensive article on Sunday regarding Blue Lagoon. The full text of the article is as follows:

Storm over Blue Lagoon

Developers, environmentalists wage bitter battle over Blue Lagoon

BY PETRE WILLIAMS-RAYNOR Environment editor williamsp@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THERE'S a storm brewing over the now controversial development of the world famous Blue Lagoon tourist attraction in Portland, as green lobbyists insist the area should be left unspoiled while the developers maintain they are there to stay.

"My overall concern is we have a very beautiful natural place in Jamaica where a private land owner starts a development. He is stopped by the environmental regulator, he continues to do it. He eventually applies for a permit. It's turned down by one board, he continues to do it. It's approved by the same board a year later," said Diana McCaulay, the Jamaica Environment Trust's (JET's) chief executive officer.

At the same time, she accused the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) — administrative arm of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), which granted the beach licence to the developers — of failing to effectively monitor the work.

Further, McCaulay said the agency has not been very forthcoming in providing a justification for the granting of the licence nor about the breaches that have occurred since.

And it appears JET — like the rest of the society — will have to wait a while longer for the answers. NEPA is currently preparing a report on the matter for Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

"I have been a little behind in sending the report off to the prime minister, but it is just that we want to get it right... We are taking our time... I am not going to write fluff to the honourable prime minister," NEPA boss Peter Knight told the Sunday Observer.

He would not comment further on the issue, noting that it would be improper to do so at this stage.

McCaulay, for her part, said that having herself discovered the work at the lagoon, known popularly as Blue Hole, in January, she had gone about gathering information on the site -- information which she said justifies JET's concerns. Among other things, she said trees and other vegetation had been removed and an artificial beach put in — things for which the beach licence gave no permission.

McCaulay has also raised questions about the licence and the permit given for the construction of a slipway for non-motorised craft — copies of which she has obtained under the Access to Information Act.

"The licences we were provided expired in March 2010. I have asked NEPA if they were renewed, I have had no answer. So separate and apart from there being breaches in the licences, it is not clear whether they were even in effect," she said.

It is against this background that JET, on April 11 this year, wrote to Prime Minister Golding, stating its objection "to the granting of a beach licence by the NRCA to build and operate an artificial beach in Blue Lagoon". Attached to the letter — the reason for NEPA's report to the prime minister — is general information on the lagoon, its legal status as being subject to the Preservation Order in keeping with the National Trust Law, comments from visitors and photographs of the site.

The paper trail between the NRCA board, NEPA and developer Devon Wilson of Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort bears evidence to the fact that a 2008 application from Wilson for the beach licence and the construction of the slipway was turned down by the NRCA board in 2009, only to be approved a year later.

"The construction of the slipway is refused as the launch and use of motorised vessels is being discouraged in the area, and as such, the construction of the slipway is not deemed appropriate at this time," the NRCA said in a January 29, 2009 letter to the developer, outlining the reasons for its refusal to approve the work.

"The proposed coastline modification and use of the beach for commercial recreational purposes will degrade the environmental character of the area," it added.

The letter went further to order that all structures and works related to the application "be removed and the area restored to its condition prior to the commencement of... construction works within two months". It advised Wilson that he could exercise the right of appeal to the minister with portfolio responsibility for the environment.

The application was subsequently approved for the construction and maintenance of a slipway on the foreshore and floors of the sea adjoining the lagoon. It also detailed a raft of general and specific conditions with which the developers were required to comply, including ensuring that there is no mechanised watersports activity in the area.

Since then, the developer has been served with warning notices for breach of the beach licence and a summons for him to appear in court over the unlawful encroachment of the foreshore and floor of the sea by installing a floating dock at the lagoon. Wilson has also been served notice to remove sea walls.

But while the matter before the court is still pending, the developers said the sea walls have been removed and that they are making every effort to comply with NEPA's regulations.

"There's no artificial beach. There is a beach there that has been reclaimed from silt and debris that came down from the hillside. What we did is we cleaned it up and took some corrective measures to stop the silt from coming down. We were able to reclaim the beach after a couple of years of work," Colin Bell, operations manager for Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort, whose main attraction is the lagoon, told the Sunday Observer.

"NEPA has issued warning notices for some sea walls and a jetty. We have since then taken down the walls and we are seeking a permit for the jetty," he added, noting that they had also renewed the licences which did, in fact, expire in March this year.

At the same time, he denied that they had removed trees and other vegetation to facilitate commercial operations at the lagoon.

"No trees were removed. We are doing a development on the top of the hill so if we cut the trees... all the development that we're putting in is going to end up in the lagoon. We nuh mad people," Bell said. "The property is called Tropical Lagoon Resort. If yuh naming a property 'tropical' and yuh tek out trees, what going to be tropical about yuh property?" he asked.

"If we are building a development, it is in our best interest to have the Blue Lagoon at its best because that is our attraction. With the Blue Lagoon at its best, it is going to mean success for our development."

He also took issue with JET, which he accused of having a hidden agenda.

"They are just a set of people who are anti-development in Portland. The truth to be told, there is also a racial (component), whether you believe it or not. The man who owns the property is black and these people don't believe that a little black boy from Port Antonio should own that property," he said, insisting that there are many other more pressing environmental issues in the lagoon and in Portland about which JET had yet to raise any red flags.

"The fact of the matter is that these people don't want no black people 'round the lagoon," Bell said.

Still, he said, they wouldn't be going anywhere.

"The truth is, dem a go tired fi see wi face because the truth is, it is a private property and the man is developing him property... He is realising his dream and he's creating employment. That company employs over 70 people in the parish," he said.

However, JET said its concerns have nothing to do with who the developer is and everything to do with seeing to the preservation of the environment.

"Who I am really upset with is the regulatory bodies who our taxes support and our mandate is supposed to be the environment," said McCaulay. "I can't be concerned about every developer individually. What I am concerned about is a fair, rational, transparent regulatory regime for the natural environment, and our taxes are supporting institutions to do that. Why are they not doing it?"

She added that any suggestion that JET was racially motivated was a "red herring".

"The issue JET is raising is the regularisation of an illegal activity by the NRCA. This is not my opinion, this is a fact. Having issued the licence, it's been breached. We know this because we have the licence and we have photographs of the breaches. This is not my opinion, this is a fact," McCaulay argued.

JET is not alone in its concern over the Blue Lagoon. The Portland Environmental Protection Association (PEPA) said they and other community members ought to have been consulted on the project.

"Blue Lagoon is the common heritage of all Jamaicans regardless of who might own it at a particular time, and so the perspective of the community should be taken into consideration for any development because it will affect us all, both in terms of the tourism product and the livelihood of all Portlanders," said PEPA president Major Johnathan Lamey.

"What we are asking is that there be full and frank consultations; for example, a community meeting, before any further development. And as a courtesy, we are expecting that PEPA will be contacted. Many developments, though well-intended, can be misguided and can lead to environmental degradation. So we are suggesting that full-fledged discussions be conducted. Less than that we think is totally inadequate and discourteous," he added.

"We have had a say in every development. We have a concern re parish-wide development regardless of who owns it — whether Government, local or private. We have a stake in it. We have been here for 23 years and our experience is valuable to everybody, especially for the voice of the voiceless in this environmentally sensitive and fragile issue," Lamey said.

Save Jamaica's Blue Lagoon Video and Jamaica Gleaner Article

On April 25, 2011, the Daily Gleaner published the following article by Gareth Davis, Gleaner Writer, on Blue Lagoon:

Parish Council in the dark about beach development

The Portland Parish Council is unaware of any planned artificial beach development at Blue Lagoon in the parish. Mayor of Port Antonio, Floyd Patterson, says the matter will be investigated by the Council's Director of Planning.

"I am not aware of any such development," Patterson told The Gleaner.

"This will be something that we will be investigating thoroughly; however, once approval has been given by the relevant agencies to the property owner, as it relates to any such operation, the council might not be able to change anything.

"But it is important to note that once one has met all requirements, one is within his or her rights to develop," Patterson added.

Since the start of this month reports have surfaced that the operator of Tropical Lagoon Resort, Devon Wilson, plans to construct an artificial beach at Blue Lagoon.

While there is no confirmation of the reports, the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has objected to what it claims is the granting of a beach licence by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NCRA) to the operator.

"In a letter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JET, Diana McCaulay, said it was their view that an artificial beach is inappropriate for Blue Lagoon, one of Portland's premiere beauty spots.

According to JET, the clearing and removal of vegetation from the lagoon's steep sides could result in silt running off into the sea.

Commercial recreational activities

The letter also stated that the beach licence granted to Mr Wilson by NRCA was to operate commercial recreational activities in the Blue Lagoon including swimming and the construction of a slipway for canoes.

Additionally the letter pointed out that although Wilson was strictly prohibited from modifying the coastline, he has ignored that warning.

The Gleaner visited the Blue Lagoon area recently, and observed a mini white sand beach area on the property owned by Wilson.

The Gleaner also observed that a number of trees were lopped, low walls built, and a chain-link fence.

But a senior source at Tropical Lagoon Resort, who asked not be named explained that they have adhered to all the guidelines and regulations from the NRCA including preservation of the vegetation.

The source added that the operators would welcome an investigation into their operation at any time, as so far, their conduct has been transparent.

Artificial Beach at Blue Lagoon Destroys Vital Mangroves

Artificial Beach created at Blue Lagoon. Photo courtesy Diana McCaulay

 The Blue Lagoon Restoration Project is deeply concerned at the actions of a private citizen to clear mangroves in order to construct a private, artificially inseminated beach.

Removal of first generation mangroves, undergrowth and decaying vegetation is a huge mistake which Portland Parish Council, NEPA and people like us must not allow to be repeated. Coastal degradation is an environmental and social issue of national importance. It represents a terrible cost to Blue Lagoon and to Portland's sustainable development and individual dreams.

Mangrove roots are underwater filters and cleaning systems that fishes and marine organisms require - much as trees and plants create oxygen and filter the air we humans breathe. Without clean water, fish die. Without clean water and air, animals and humans die. Decaying plant and animal matter become the soil we need for planting food that our lives depend on.
• mangrove roots underwater systems hide young fish (hatchlings) because larger predator fish cannot maneuver mangrove root nurseries
• all tree root systems help prevent erosion of soil surrounding Blue Lagoon, removing trees/plants causes hillside soils to wash away
• mangrove canopies (leafy branches) are home, nesting places, rest stops and housing schemes for birds, much like human settlements
• roosting, bird droppings fertilize the soil beneath their canopy, droppings include seeds and other nutrients and natural fertilizers
• bush, plants and undergrowth are home and safe haven for smaller creatures and microcosms
• chopping down trees and plants signals degradation of Nature's support systems sustaining OUR earth
• trees filtering systems create oxygen, roots help stabilize the soil, decayed plant matter creates new soil
• plants take their nutrients from soil and water
• our nutrients come from plants and other species in natures food chain
• when we kill off plants and other species, we are killing our own habitat, and inevitably, our species

Community focus and involvement is the only solution. I ask everyone concerned to help make certain no further damage comes upon the waters and shores surrounding Blue Lagoon.

350th Anniversary of Sir Hans Sloane's Birth, His Time in Jamaica and Current Blue Lagoon Restoration Efforts

 The Blue Lagoon Restoration Project was honored to receive the following letter from Ian Foster requesting permission to highlight the efforts around restoring Blue Lagoon during the anniversary celebrations of Sir Hans Sloane's birth by the British Natural History Museum. Naturally, we gave our enthusiastic agreement to this request. According to the Natural History Museum website, "In 1687, Hans Sloane was a young man just beginning a career in medicine. He was invited to go to Jamaica as personal doctor to the island’s new English governor, the 2nd Duke of Albermarle. His journey would have huge influence on his life and indeed the nation. Sloane stayed in Jamaica for 15 months and spent all his free time exploring the island collecting hundreds of specimens. He made note of how the plants were used locally for food, medicine and in many other ways." See the Natural History Museum for more on Sir Hans Sloane in Jamaica and on Jamaica's plant heritage.

Letter received from Ian Foster:

Dear Ms Duperly

I am writing with regard to the Blue Lagoon Restoration Project:

I am currently in London, England where I am involved in a project highlighting the life and work of a character named Sir Hans Sloane. 2010 was the 350th anniversary of his birth and he is remembered as the founder of the British Museum, Natural History Museum, British Library and president of the Royal Society and Royal College of Physicians. This anniversary has never been celebrated in the UK before and last year's numerous events have largely focused on his time in Jamaica from 1687-1689 which was the basis of his book 'A Voyage to Jamaica' which is a landmark publication in natural history.

With my personal efforts for the recognition of this valuable and important character I am seen as an authority on the subject which has led to invitations to give lectures at the Natural History Museum, Royal College of Physicians, Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, Chelsea Physic Garden and numerous other locations. see http://350.royalsociety.org.

Now in 2011 the momentum is building and events are now scheduled at Windsor Festival see www.windsorfestival.com and numerous other locations. I have been invited by the community of Chelsea in London to continue to work with them in promoting the history as well as the various UK and international museums and scientific institutions. My focus is largely Sloane's fascination with nature and his relationship with Jamaica which is the area of his life that people generally find most interesting. I am now launching a number of initiatives that will build on the work of Sir Hans Sloane particularly in the areas of sustainability and tourism.

I would like to propose that the Blue Lagoon Restoration project be highlighted as a component in upcoming presentations at the British Museum and elsewhere which will highlight the present day importance of Sloane's valuable observations on the Jamaican natural environmment and how that can be translated into a benefit for the environment in the present. The Natural History Museum and others have already committed to working with myself on the Sloane project and I have attached an article I wrote recently for their magazine 'Evolve'. With this widespread recognition for Jamaica's role in the history of ecology and environment through Sloane's work and recognised importance, there is a great opportunity to attract positive attention for Jamaica and the Blue Lagoon project would create an ideal showcase for the importance of conservation of the natural environment and would benefit from the media interest that is likely to be generated internationally. This in turn would be an aid in generating the necessary funds to facilitate the safe-keeping and preservation of the balance of nature at the Blue Lagoon.

I hope this is of interest and I would be happy to provide further information. I look forward to hearing any thoughts you may have on my proposal.

Kind regards

Ian Foster

The following is the article referred to in the letter by Ian Foster that was printed in the Natural History Museum's Evolve magazine:

Foster Sloane

Blue Lagoon Photos from Summit and JNHT/NEPA Field Trip Feb 2011

The following pictures are from the Blue Lagoon Restoration Summit in November 2010 and from a field trip to Blue Lagoon on February 4, 2011 by delegates from the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) and National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA): 

Port Antonio Workshop: Cultural & Environmental Impact at Blue Lagoon - Date: to be announced

Cultural & Environmental Impact at Blue Lagoon
Date: To be Announced (Please note: the workshop which was previously scheduled for April 15, 2011 has been postponed.)
Venue:Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio
RSVP: adriennejoan@eastlink.ca or phone Adrienne@ 275-8974;
or phone Claudia JNHT @ 922-1287

Guest Speakers: Environmentalist Raz Barnea and Jamaican Marine Conservationalist voices NEPA and JNHT presentation.
Understand why, and how our relationships impact land, sea and sky.
Simple methodology can protect Blue Lagoon, reefs, coastline, mangroves, human and fish family. Fish preservation , clean water, mangrove protection, reef and tree management, environmentally friendly solutions will help preserve this rural coastal Portland community.
How much do you care what becomes of Blue Lagoon?

Friends and Colleagues from UDC, FISHERIES, NEPA, PEPA, PA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TOURISM, TPDCO, TEF, Teachers, Rafters and local area Fishermen are invited.

RSVP: adriennejoan@eastlink.ca or Adrienne@ 275- 8974; or Claudia JNHT @ 922 1287
(Box lunch will be provided to those who confirm they will attend workshop)