The Cockpit Country is a rugged, forested area of western Jamaica, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage. The area encompasses the largest remaining intact wet limestone forest in Jamaica, which is of outstanding ecological importance to the island. Its landscape of steep-sided hills and deep, round valleys eroded from the limestone bedrock is the world’s most outstanding example of karst topography.

This reservoir of globally significant natural and cultural resources has been earmarked for bauxite mining by the local subsidiary of the multi-national minerals company, ALCOA.

Due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, most of the Cockpit Country has been insufficiently studied. Each scientific expedition reveals more of the natural wonders of this ‘biodiversity hotspot’ and the secrets of its human history.