Measuring up to six inches (15 cm), the Jamaican Giant Swallowtail Butterfly is the second largest butterfly in the world and largest in the hemisphere. Once found in the half of the parishes in Jamaica, it now only lives in the Blue and John Crow Mountains and Cockpit Country.

There is a place on earth that has gone untouched and undisturbed for 15 million years! It has been described as rugged, wild, serene, tranquil, sacred, historic, unearthly, ghostly and magical even. A place of unimaginable beauty, of wonder and amazement, of natural keys that could possibly unlock the mysteries of modern science!

There may be some of you who are probably thinking that this place could never be in Jamaica, when the fact is. The place of which I speak is right in our very own back yard, (and yes, it is all that it is cracked up to be and more).

The place, get ready for it, is the Cockpit Country also known as 'The Land of Look Behind'. It stretches across Clarendon, St Ann and Trelawny, which are to the north-west of the island. The Cockpit Country has been proposed to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site.

Most of us have heard about this unique area of land. It is an area that is known for its biodiversity and is the last place that some species have to inhabit peacefully. Species such as the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly and the Jamaican Yellow Boa.

Teens in particular, have come across it at some point in History, Biology or Geography class and we can speak to the fact that the Cockpit Country is important and beneficial.

Some Jamaicans, maybe quite alot, do not know much about the Cockpit Country and its relevance. However, when we get to learn about how special this area is there should be some public uproar about the Canadian mining company, Alcoa's decision on mining the area for bauxite.

Our ancestors, the Maroons, settled in the area (there are still some settlements in the area today) to escape the terrible plantation life. The area protected them from the sting of slavery, to them it represented freedom and victory and it should represent the same for us today. Our ancestors are no longer with us, so they cannot protect the area that had protected them during those testing times years ago, lets protect it for them.

'The Land of Look Behind', as was stated earlier, houses many different species of plants and animals. Some of which are indigenous to Jamaica, that is they can only be found here. What if during the mining process some of these species are harmed and later become extinct?!!!

You know, not much scientific research has been done on the different organisms that inhabit the area. It is not unlikely that a species might just be down there that can help in the curing of any of the many cancers that plague humans or aid in the advancement of anti-viral medications. Yes there are countless possibilities and they should not be scoffed at.

It is without question that Alcoa's mining activities will destroy the sacred grounds of our Cockpit Country and its environs. However, Jamaicans, as a people must recognise the importance of this untouched part of this beautiful island beyond the rich bauxite that lies beneath.

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