ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

Hotel Mocking Bird Hill
2003/2004 Sustainability Report

Section 2: Organizational Profile

Hotel Mocking Bird Hill is a relatively small company; the organizational profile is therefore very simple. The hotel is owned and managed by Barbara Walker and Shireen Aga. In addition to managing the property, the two serve as the Health and Safety Officer and Environmental Officer, respectively. At the end of 2003 the property had a staff of 19 people in different departments: administration, maintenance, landscaping/gardening, food and beverage, laundry, housekeeping, and public area cleaning. Some of the staff members work in more than one area. All come from the local communities.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES SUPPORTED BY HOTEL MOCKING BIRD HIL
• The management of the Hotel Mocking Bird Hill are playing a leading role in spearheading and directing the process of Green Globe certification for the destination. The managers lobbied to seek the support of USAID and CPEC and gain financial support to be able to implement various projects that serve to achieve the overall goal of destination certification.
• The hotel has participated in a number of community and stakeholder meetings as part of the process to build a common vision for the destination that will lead to a shared commitment to the process of sustainable development at all levels.
• Through its efforts to submit proposals on behalf of community projects and the Green Globe Destination certification, the hotel management is helping to create an enabling, supportive and responsive environment for local sustainable development. The hotel has taken the leadership of efforts to get a tree preservation order passed for the area, has worked with the local ENGO to get bird shooting banned in the area and has lobbied for greater transparency with regards to the plans to build a highway and ensure that the negative impacts are minimised.
• The hotel works as a stakeholder together with other organisations in integrating local sustainable development planning within official planning processes at parish and community levels through an inter-sectoral approach
• Works towards establishing parish-based sustainable development framework through the process of Green Globe certification to guide development interventions in other parishes throughout Jamaica.
• Participates in the national effort to develop nature and eco-tourism through the project being led by the consultancy group “On the Frontier”
• In terms of promoting ties with corporate agencies that are committed to the environment and the promotion and marketing of sustainable tourism we attended the CERES (Coalition for Environmentally responsible Economies) annual conference and the World Eco-Tourism Summit.
• We attended the Green Hotels conference in Montego Bay and established first contacts with various university professors with the goal of establishing study/educational programmes.
• We conducted research and established an introduction booklet to Eco-cultural tourism for Portland and Jamaica in general.
• We have represented Jamaica at the international bird watching fair in Rutland, UK for the last three years. The hotel was the first tourism organisation that has formally worked in developing ornithological tourism to Jamaica.
• We had CD’s prepared to hand out to tour operators thus reducing need of print material and duplication of photographic material. These CD’s can be re-used and thus reduces production of promotional material.
• ENOUGH – The Shebian School programme. The information below is sent with every reservation confirmation.

E.N.O.U.G.H.
EDUCATION NEEDS OUR URGENT GENEROUS HELP

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce a project, which we hope to implement with your support.

The objective of the E.N.O.U.G.H. programme is to galvanise support for better quality education in Port Antonio’s schools. We believe that a number of social and economic problems the country is facing are due to either poor education or no education at all. Poor education puts a large number of our community members at disadvantage and makes it so much almost impossible for them to achieve a higher quality of life that they desire to attain.

We at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill do not intend to take over the job of educating. Rather it is our intention to support those who are trained to do so by providing books and learning material through the E.N.O.U.G.H. Programme. We want to co-operate with schools and facilitate experiences that will enhance and complement the basic framework of the curriculum by inviting classes to Gallery Carriacou. Barbara Walker has committed herself to introducing children to Art.

We want to have a positive impact on education in our schools.

Our schools need community support in order to thrive. Join forces with us and help through E.N.O.U.G.H. to help improve the quality of education for the students.

In addition to financial contributions towards this goal, the donation of any books or other educational toys or learning materials, be it used or new, will be most appreciated. Please gather any items from their friends and family before you come to Jamaica on holiday and bring whatever you can.

With your support this programme can grow to assist schools in this area.

Please be generous and support E.N.O.U.G.H. with a donation. The children are our future – let us invest wisely so that we can achieve our dreams together.

VALLEY HIKES
VALLEY HIKES represents the people of the Rio Grande Valley, Portland, Jamaica, who invite you to experience the rich natural and cultural heritage of the area and enjoy breathtaking vistas. Visit the communities, including descendants of Nanny of the Maroons, Jamaica’s only National Heroine, and come to understand the true meaning of ‘Roots’. Your hosts are trail guides from the communities in the Valley who will make you feel relaxed as you stroll or hike with them through the lush valley. Hikers are guided under misty, forested canopies, along footpaths where you’ll see miniature orchids, primordial ferns and lacy moss. The forest is home to numerous endemic birds and the endangered Swallowtail Butterfly, the largest butterfly in the northern hemisphere with a wingspan of six inches. VALLEY HIKES promotes environmental conservation and the trail guides make sure that visitors take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time.

Introduction: Why We Produced This Report
Section 1: Key Indicators and Vision
Section 2: Organizational Profile
Section 3: Policies, Management Systems and Relationships
Section 4: Environmental Performance
Section 5: Social and Economic Performance

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