THE Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJCMNP), here in Jamaica, was front and centre at the world's largest conservation event — The World Conservation Congress held in Jeju, Korea, this year.

The Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT), and the national park were showcased with a large poster titled, "Resilience through Diversity and Partnerships" which was on display along with other posters with a similar theme at the event, held from September 5th to 15th. The convention was organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and hosted over 6,000 participants daily.

The BJCMNP is one of Jamaica's first and most important protected areas and has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Consequently, the poster addressed the relevance of the high biological diversity of the site and partnerships involved in its management, as well as the National Park's resilience and sustainability. It was designed by the JCDT and printed courtesy of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.

Dr Susan Otuokon, a consultant to the JCDT, made several presentations to persons viewing the exhibits and represented the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica at the congress.

The BJCMNP is managed by the JCDT under a delegation agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, and in collaboration with the National Environment and Planning Agency and the Forest Department.

The mountains of the park incorporate sections of Portland, St Thomas, St Andrew. and south-east St Mary. The highest point in the island is Blue Mountain Peak.