Apr. - Jun. 2005
In April Mike and I put finishing touches to the Karst Educational
Video project that we'd been working on.
In May we got permission to distribute the Karst Educational
Video project publically, and started to do so. I again spent
some time working on The Nature Conservancy's "Parks In Peril"
project in the Cockpit country of Jamaica, with the Jamaican Caves
Organisation.
In June I will hand over my powers as President (formerly Vice
President) of the Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC).
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Jan. - Mar. 2005
I spent the first three weeks of january being sick, but managed
to do some caving and got started on the Karst Educational Video
project that I'm directing with the JCO, with permission of Jamaica's
Nat'l Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA). This small production
is intended for public broadcast in Jamaica. Copies will be given
to government agencies for their own use. Several other video
projects are resulted from the January 2005 caving session.
I presented Peter T, german intern at the Montego
Bay Marine Park with a special going away present that one
of my friends at the dump found.
In February I gave a presentation on caves and the groundwater
resources of Jamaica, at the Montego
Bay Marine Park, and previewed footage of the Karst Educational
Video project.
At the end of March I started an almost 2 week caving expedition,
working on The Nature Conservancy's "Parks In Peril"
project in the Cockpit country of Jamaica, with the Jamaican Caves
Organisation.
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Caving video*
Peter
* photo courtesy of
Michael Loftin |
Oct. - Dec. 2004
In October I helped MBMP staff turn over large coral heads that
had been knocked over by hurricane Ivan. A fun snorkeling mission
for part of a day.
I October I spent time working on a proposal to create an ornamental
fish pond out of a golf course irrigation pond. This would serve
to provide a biological solution to problems with weeds and snails
clogging the irrigation pump, and would also enrich the water
with nutrients to improve golf course condition. As a side benefit,
the irrigation pond and other ponds on the course would look more
appealing. I seriously doubt that the management will bother to
enact the proposed plan. Such is my perspective, gained from experience.
In November I worked on reorganizing (organizing) the MBMP
library with PCVs Mike and Megan.
In December I played in an ultimate frisbee tourney on a beach.
In December I and most of the Mo Bay crew went to Treasure Beach
for Christmas. |
Frisbee
Tourney*
X-mas
dinner 2004*
* photos courtesy of
Michael Loftin
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July. - Sept. 2004
In July I went on a trip to the Black river and treasure beach
in St. Elizabeth.
In August Mike and I went on a trip to the eastern end of the
island with our friend Jessica, who was soon to go back to Holland.
We welcomed three new PCVs into the Mo Bay crew.
In September most PCVs located in the NW quadrant of the island
consolidated at a hotel in Mo Bay while hurricane Ivan went by.
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Pelican Bar (on the water)
Firefly View Panorama
Jessica & Noel Coward*
Somerset Falls *
Reach Falls Swimming *
Reach Falls Jump *
Candle-light portrait *
Merlyn removing lawn furniture from pool *
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Apr. - Jun. 2004
In April I attended our In Service Training. I ran another
charity activity, this time a karaoke event. Much money
was raised for the Gender And Development group, and a lot of
people had fun.
In April I first started caving with the
Jamaican Caves Organization . I assisted an acclaimed
caver in surveying the wild caves section of Green Grotto Caves,
and to determine the location of a new cave that another caver
had found in the woods. Click
here to read Guy's account of how we located the cave using
a compass, watch and surveying distance measurement device.
In May I took a trip to Florida.
In June I spent two weeks caving with the Jamaican Caves Organization.
We spent a lot of time in St. James, and one day in the
Cockpit country.
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KevinK sings
Everglades Coastal Prairie
St. James Cave Entrance
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Jan. - Mar. 2004
In February I entertained my first visitor from the states, a
person whom I refer to as KB. We went to Dunn's river falls
and some other cool places in Ocho Rios, as well as around Mo
Bay.
In March I attended a Waste Water Treatment Operators training
session for the operators of systems at hotels and resorts in
the Northeast district.
In March I learned to windsurf near Falmouth. I also went
into my first cave in Jamaica, Quashie River Sink.
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KB and I
PCV Richard C. instructs
Quashie Entrance
Quashie Formations
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Sept. - Dec. 2003
During these first few months I got to know the people and circumstances
around the waste disposal site. I directed some improvements
in drainage at the site.
I settled into my apartment up in the hills and installed a couple
ponds in the yard, making use of some of the resources from the
disposal site. I made friends with a sweet dog in the neighborhood,
whom I refer to as "Tripod."
I started composting in a half barrel in the yard and gave a presentation
on composting at the Marine Park
.
In November I went to our Early Service Conference. I ran
a charity auction for the Gender And Development group.
In December I went to Port Antonio for the Christmas/New Years
holidays.
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Pond between waste cells
Pond drained
Breaking in a fish pond
Tripod
X-mas dinner 2003
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Aug. 2003
After swearing in, I was to be picked up by my agency and transported
to my site, but there was a strike in progress and I wound up
getting a ride in a PC vehicle, rather than an agency one.
Clearly I was coming into the organization at a weird time.
My assignment is to work with WPM Waste Management Ltd., the western
division of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA),
based in Montego Bay.
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Links to
My travels
in Jamaica
My home page
Interesting web pages
Jamaican caves organization
Montego Bay Marine Park
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