Jamaicans over 40 still cherish fond memories of a time when Kingston’s Hope Gardens and Zoo teemed with romantic couples frolicking on the lush, green grass and reverberated to the delightful screams of children at the amusement park, in what was widely regarded as a haven for nature lovers.

Now, after numerous, well-intentioned but failed plans to recapture the beauty and comeliness of the Hope Estates, it appears that the botanical gardens, animal zoo and Coconut Park amusement centre, a mere shadow of their former selves, might live again.

Several changes are in the works that could not only revive the Hope Gardens of old, but take the facility to new heights. And importantly, the series of activities scheduled to get in motion starting this month, is underpinned by the reality that funds are hard to come by and the 77-acre estate must maintain itself.

The first sign of the changes will come when the state’s commissioner of lands passes responsibility for managing the facility to the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). A decision is to be made soon on whether it should fall under a government ministry or the Cabinet.

Over the next five years, the Hope Estates will no longer get the state’s meagre annual allocation of $15-million, and will instead be leased to another NGO, the National Wild Life Foundation (NWF), which plans to re-image the zoo and increase entry fees.

“The property will be increased from 77 acres to 187, so the compound will go up to the hillside by Skyline Drive,” said upbeat NPF chairman, Leslie Chung in an interview with the Observer.

The NPF, registered in March 2003, is made up of representatives from the ministries of land and environment and agriculture; Fair Share, Coconut Park’s managing body; the Royal Botanical Gardens; and the Hope Zoo.

Zoo curator, Orlando Robinson, said much of the planned increase in acreage would go to the zoo, which will be redesigned with a new layout and addition of more natural habitat areas and animals. He estimated the refurbishment of the zoo should take between five and 10 years, with a projected budget of J$150 million.

Chung said the concept of membership fees would be introduced. “We are seeking to increase membership, and the plan is that schoolchildren and professionals will pay a yearly fee of $500 and will have visitation and other benefits.”

The technical expertise of the current board will be boosted. The current members are: Neville Henry, vice-president; Errol Stevens, director of finance; Pat Lazarus, education; Patricia Cotterel, secretary; Norman Richards, superintendent of gardens; Orlando Robinson, curator; Yvette Strong, National Environmental Association representative; Joy Bailey-Williams, legal director; Althea Young; Chris Berry, administrator; Vanessa Harper; Angela Thame, public relations; Louise McLeod; and Shawn Manley.

Richards reiterated the point that profits earned by the zoo and the gardens usually went to Government’s Consolidated Fund, and so were unavailable to the institutions. He said the NPF would introduce autonomy to the running of Hope Estates. But he emphasised that sourcing funds would be no easy task.

“We have to pursue major sponsorship and increase the entry fees which are now $20 per adult and $10 for three to 11 year olds,” said Richards.

Curator Robinson pointed to another big shortfall at the zoo. “We don’t have enough animals, technical staff is inadequate since there are only four zoo keepers to the 35 animals, and our finance is limited.”

Robinson and his fund-raisers have, among others, turned to the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), an increasingly important source of funds for critical projects impacting on the environment.

“The EFJ has earmarked $25 million for the recreation and refurbishment of the zoo. Phase one involves making a new entry plaza, inclusive of a shopping area. Phase two and three, planned by the NWF, involves the addition of new animals, a re-engineering of their living areas, which includes expansion of the acreage and the inclusion of jogging trails,” explained Robinson.

The new plan for the zoo, designed by URSA International Limited two years ago, will seek to change the current ‘unnatural’, caged feel of the zoo. Said Robinson: “We are trying to replicate the natural habitats in which the animals live and in doing so make the zoo a learning and not simply an entertainment experience.”

Priority, said Robinson, would be given to Jamaican, African and South American species. “The Jamaican Naturale will boast a waterfall and boat ride. The Jamaican Paradise will have our indigenous species such as the Iguana, Jamaican Brown Owl, Coney, Crocodile and the Humming Bird, while the African Outpost, set up savanna-style, will have lions and zebras, and the South American section will have anacondas and other region-specific species, as we tell a story of our journey.”