Greencastle Tropical Study Center (GTSC) is a not-for-profit organization formed to provide learning opportunities to students and visitors and economic and social benefits to rural Jamaican communities, through the integration of conservation, ecotourism, education and community development. GTSC 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 Taino who inhabited the site 1,000 years ago, through centuries as a 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 experiences for our visitors.

The primary purpose of GTSC is to preserve the natural and cultural heritage while creating sustainable educational and economic development opportunities for the local community. To be sustainable, we will be financially viable, maintain or improve the ecological health of the property, and be a vital part of our community. We are creating entrepreneurial activity and economic improvement in our community, protecting the diverse landscapes and ecosystems of this unique site and partnering with educational institutions in Jamaica and the U.S. to provide lifetime learning opportunities. We believe that GTSC 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, teachers, 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. You can participate in many ways – stay a night or a week at our Estate House *, enroll in or teach a class, volunteer in our community or make a simple donation!

Donations to Greencastle Tropical Study Center are US tax deductible and are directed to support specific projects consistent with the vision and mission of Greencastle Tropical Study Center.