Jamaica to Observe World Wildlife Day on March 3

On March 3, Jamaica will join the international community in observing World Wildlife Day, an annual observance held under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The 2026 theme, ‘Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihood’, underscores the vital connection between biodiversity and human well-being.

It highlights how plants serve not only as sources of medicine and economic activity but also as repositories of cultural memory and traditional knowledge.

For this year’s observance, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), is partnering with the University of the West Indies, Mona, to place special focus on the pimento plant, more popularly known as allspice.

The plant is deeply woven into Jamaica’s history, cuisine and economy. Indigenous to the island, it has long been prized for its distinctive flavour and aromatic qualities.

Yet, like many endemic species, it faces mounting threats, chief among them being habitat loss driven by climate pressures, land-use change and other environmental challenges.

Speaking from a policy perspective, Coordinator of Flora at NEPA, Samantha Grant, said protecting plants such as pimento begins with strong conservation measures on the ground.

“At the National Environment and Planning Agency, our role is to safeguard Jamaica’s flora through habitat protection, regulation, research and public education. We support plant conservation by regulating the activities that impact our native and threatened plants. Our work is guided, as well, by many national policies and international commitments, including the Convention on Biological Diversity,” she explained.

Ms. Grant emphasised that these frameworks ensure conservation efforts are science-based, sustainable and inclusive.

Expounding on the threats faced by this particular plant species, the NEPA representative told JIS News that “even in biodiversity hotspots like the Blue and John Crow Mountains, extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, droughts [and] fires, can significantly impact plant population”.

The pimento berry carries big value, extending beyond the signature flavour it adds to cuisine. It also has medicinal, aromatic and cultural uses.

Research into those medicinal properties is carried out at the University of the West Indies, Mona, with Endemic Plant Researchers Dr. Frederick Boyd and Dr. David Picking.

For his part, Dr. Boyd described pimento as a remarkably versatile plant, noting that “it is a very useful spice”.

“We have used it in a variety of ways. Some people use it to get rid of aches, and it’s used in combination with other herbs for general health and well-being,” he shared.

Echoing similar sentiments, Dr. Picking highlighted the importance of ancestral knowledge in shaping scientific direction.

“Even before the research, if you go back to what tradition shows you, it tells you that pimento, as a food, has been used extensively. As a medicine, it’s been extensively used for things like dietary issues, abdominal pain and physical pain. So, it’s used both internally and externally,” he stated.

Dr. Picking further explained that across the Caribbean and beyond, traditional applications of pimento have been extensive and well documented.

“Scientific investigation often reveals even broader benefits. When you look at other countries, you suddenly find not just one or two uses; you find five, six, seven uses. When you combine that traditional use with scientific endeavours, that traditional knowledge is supported and expanded, it becomes very powerful,” Dr. Picking added.

As Jamaica reflects on the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants, the focus on pimento stands as a timely reminder that conserving endemic species safeguards not only ecosystems but also health, heritage and livelihoods for future generations.