Greencastle Tropical Study Center is a not-for-profit institution formed to provide economic, social and educational benefits to rural Jamaican communities, students and visitors through the integration of sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism and education.

The Center was created in 2005 at Green Castle Estate, an ecologically rich and beautiful property of 1600 acres on the north coast of Jamaica, between the Blue Mountains and the Caribbean Sea. Green Castle Estate has a rich history of land use and culture, from the indigenous Tainos who inhabited the site 1,000 years ago, through 300 years as an prominent plantation of sugar cane and bananas, to the modern estate of today that is one of the largest orchid and organic farms in the Caribbean. The land, its history and the many assets of the Estate offer the Center an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the poor, rural communities that surround it, to draw researchers and students from Jamaica and abroad to study the land use and its effects on the ecosystems and people that surround the Estate, and to create remarkable and educational eco-experiences for visitors, whether they come for a dip in the sea, a tour of the farm, or a week relaxing at a beautiful, tropical estate.

The primary purpose of Greencastle Tropical Study Center is to preserve the land and its heritage while demonstrating a sustainable way to generate income for the Center and its employees. To be sustainable, we need to be financially viable, maintain the ecological health of the property, and be a vital part of our community. Our vision is to operate our agriculture and eco-tourism enterprises within the context of a research station, encouraging interaction among all of our visitors and staff. Our efforts are creating entrepreneurial activity and economic improvement in our community, improving our agricultural, horticultural and livestock production to help support the Center, and stewarding the diverse landscapes and ecosystems of this unique site. We believe that Greencastle Tropical Study Center is an innovative model for sustainable development and land use, to be applied elsewhere in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Come and be a part of this wonderful experience. We seek researchers, students, and guests from near and far that wish to enjoy the land, its people and culture, while fostering greater understanding of the connectedness that is woven through the land, people and time.