Monitoring & Evaluation Programme
| Programme Goal To provide and facilitate the provision of recreational opportunities for local and international visitors using ecotourism principles in order to generate income and support for the BJCMNP | |
|---|---|
| Objective 1 | To track, record and mitigate threats to the BJCMNP, posed by use of its resources |
| Objective 2 | To monitor the populations of key, threatened species – the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, the Jamaican Coney and the Yellow Boa. |
| Objective 3 | To monitor forest area and encroachment activities. |
| Objective 4 | To monitor the quality of fresh water ecosystems in the BJCMNP. |
| Objective 5 | To monitor the bird distribution in the BJCMNP. |
The period 2011 – 2016 has seen a decline in stream monitoring and bird monitoring however the challenges are being addressed and these programmes will be improved and strengthened during 2015.
For the period, the following have been the achievements as at the end of 2014:
| Activity | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Photo-monitoring - # sites out of 12 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
| Stream monitoring | 12 points in dry season | 12 points in wet season | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bird monitoring | Peak Trail | Rio Grande Valley | Vinegar Hill Trail | House Hill | 0 |
The BJCMNP is now in its second five year cycle of bird monitoring of five sites around the National Park. These are the same sites which will continue to be used in order to allow for comparative analysis over time.
Monitoring of streams (temperature, turbidity, oxygen and macro-invertebrates) is conducted at 12 sites within and just outside the National Park boundary.
Curious children investigate what Ranger Love has caught in the kick-net
Monitoring also includes annual photo-monitoring of particular vistas to compare conditions over the years. Monitoring refers to the intermittent (regular or irregular) surveillance carried out to ascertain compliance with a predetermined standard and to investigate the degree of deviation from an expected norm. Monitoring provides the information by which projects and programmes may be evaluated. Annual reports are prepared and every five years, an assessment of the Park’s success in achieving its objectives is conducted.
