The Cockpit Country

The Cockpit Country is widely recognized as one of the most biologically diverse places on earth.

The Cockpit Country is one of the most naturally pristine, unspoilt and culturally significant landscapes in the inland area of Jamaica and the world. The Cockpit region represents an essential portal into the roots of Jamaica’s earliest beginnings and future sustainability. This unique physical location has allowed a high biodiversity of flora and fauna to develop and thrive. In fact, the Jamaican Government has designated a portion of the Cockpit Country as a national forest reserve in an effort to help protect and preserve the large numbers of endemic flora and fauna that are indigenous to the region.

A significant portion of the Cockpit Country is recognized as an endangered hotspot within a hotspot – both for the number of species whose global ranges are restricted entirely to the region and for the number for which the Cockpit Country represents a major proportion of their total world population. New species continue to be discovered regularly, which is a testament to the significance of the Cockpit’s ongoing conservation.

Large areas of undisturbed wet limestone forest house a rich cornucopia of native plants, including; the Madame Fate or Horse Poison, a poisonous plant, with bright green leaves and a star shaped white flower; the Fresh Cut, which is used to relieve colds; and the Dog Tongue, whose name refers to the fact that its leaves are shaped like a dog’s tongue, and which has medicinal properties effective for healing open wounds.

At least eight endemic species have been expunged in Jamaica in the last two hundred years: the Giant Galliwasp, the Giant Gecko, the Racer, the Petrel, the Parauque, the Red Macaw, the Green-and-yellow Macaw and the Jamaican Rice Rat. With the exception of the macaws, which may have been hunted to extinction, the small Indian mongoose – introduced in 1872 – is believed to be responsible for the other species’ extinctions. Prominent animal species include land snails, grapsid crabs, amphibians, reptiles, land birds, and mammals.

As a measure to protect the estimated thirty species that are threatened by extinction within the next one hundred years, the Cockpit Country represents an important and vital sanctuary for their survival.

Residents of the Cockpit Country, local environmentalists and geologists are in agreement that the Cockpit Country regions need to be  protected. The area’s water and wildlife resources are not only critical to sustain the environment and livelihood of the Cockpit, but are valuable for all of Jamaica.  The rivers and aquifers supply the Cockpit and the rest of Jamaica with around 40% of its freshwater, and the Cockpit is home to many of Jamaica’s endemic species of birds, lizards, butterflies and insects.

There is general consensus from the residents that eco-tourism would be a boon to the region. The residents are also in agreement that a level of sensitivity and balance to the type of growth that is best for the area, to ensure that the area is not ‘misused’.

Bauxite mining is seen as the antithesis of this balanced growth: 95% of residents polled are vehemently against mining in the region. The most common reasons cited are that it will destroy the natural resources that the community depends upon, including wildlife and watersheds. The health of the community members will also be compromised.

“The region should be kept intact to maintain the natural ecological balance of Jamaica and the world “

The history of the Cockpit Country begins with the native Tainos, Jamaica’s sole inhabitants prior to Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1494. Due to the lack of gold in Jamaica, the Spanish invaders quickly developed an economy based on diversified agriculture, enslaving the indigenous Taino people to farm their own land. Within the next 100 years, nearly all of the Taino were exterminated from abuse, malnourishment, and introduced diseases, leading to the first importation of enslaved Africans in 1513.The stories of the Tainos, Spanish, Africans, British, and Maroons are all integral to the narrative of the Cockpit Country. Local legend recounts dramatic battles, mythical warriors, and an unprecedented history of conquest, land seizure, human enslavement, and liberation.

The Cockpit Country is home to some of the oldest Maroon communities for more than 300 years. The descendants of African captives and native Tainos, the Maroons developed a distinctive cultural identity and continue to represent a critical component of the Cockpit Country

The Maroons of Jamaica not only survived the perils of captivity, enslavement and warfare but also created their own dynamic culture – a synergy of indigenous Jamaican, West African traditions. The Maroon culture fuses distinctive life philosophies with spiritual elements and the use of local Cockpit Country plants for medicines, healing, and arts and crafts, all in the spirit of sustainability and moderation.