CASTLETON, St Mary — Member of Parliament (MP) for St Mary South Eastern Christopher Brown has described the $172-million rehabilitation of Castleton Botanical Gardens as the injection of capital “Castleton needed to start earning again”.

The garden, which was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, was officially reopened and handed over on Wednesday. It has more than 4,000 species of indigenous and imported flora.

“Castleton lies between busy Kingston and tourism mecca Ocho Rios, so Castleton Gardens is perfect to tap into. On weekends the garden is filled with visitors. Locals are coming back. Tour buses are stopping again,” Brown told the Jamaica Observer during the reopening ceremony.

He pointed to other aspects of the attraction, which is located along Junction main road, that will make it a hit with visitors.

“The Scott’s Hall Maroons’ history can be tapped into with heritage tours, drumming, craft, and storytelling. That is a product the world will pay for and the revenue must stay in Castleton,” Brown said.

With the improved attraction and future prospects, the MP is confident Castleton Garden will become one of the main destinations for locals and overseas visitors.

“Not a side stop, a main destination.” Brown declared.

He maintained that the gardens are in line with a shift towards a more eco-friendly approach to tourism.

“Visitors want rivers, forests, heritage, and real food. Castleton has all of that,” boasted Brown.

He is excited at the prospect of how his constituents can benefit if more villas are added to the area, thereby “moving from day visits to overnight dollars”.

“There will be jobs for the masons, cleaners, guides,” he pointed out.

Established in November 1892, Castleton Botanical Gardens are one of the oldest in the Caribbean. They are protected under the Jamaican National Heritage Act (1985).

Work done included installation of a solar system, garden furniture, directional and instructions signs, supplying the gardens with assorted land husbandry power equipment, small agricultural tools and supplies, as well as restocking it with a variety of native and non-native flora.

There was also the construction of restroom facilities in the upper garden and repairing of the gazebos within both the upper and lower gardens, which was completed in August 2025, while construction of a gabion basket wall, Reno mattress, and boulder packing, along the north-eastern embankment of the gardens adjacent to Wag Water River was completed in November 2025.

There were also repairs made to the main walkway within the lower garden, including the construction of an access ramp. This was completed in May 2026. Work to be completed in July 2026 includes installation of 500 metres of fencing along the perimeter of the lower and upper gardens adjacent to the Junction road and along the southern section to the rear of the upper garden.

Work was done under the Jamaican Path from Hills to Ocean project, which is funded by the European Union’s Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (€4.9 million) and the Government of Jamaica (€1.1 million). It began in November 2020 and will run for six years.

The primary objective is to enhance the climate resilience of Jamaica’s ecosystems and communities, focusing on improved farm yields, better-managed agricultural ecosystems, and increased protected area coverage.

The project aims to expand Integrated and Sustainable Landscape Management (ISLM) in selected Watershed Management Units, focusing on greater adoption of ISLM practices and reducing solid waste at project sites.

— Ingrid Henry