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THE BOUNDARY ISSUE

 Parrot

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Over the centuries various references, maps, and boundaries have been presented for Cockpit Country (or more correctly, what the British originally recognized as a wild country of The Cockpits).   In general, mapped boundaries reflected the specific interests of the map's creator.   Maps rooted in British - Maroon battles and military bases differed from what geologists and geomorphologists presented, which differed from what botantists presented.   Meanwhile the species of animals recognized as "Cockpit Country endemics" were too busy flitting around and making mucous to make their own maps.

In 2006, using GIS software, we allowed Cockpit Country to define itself. Without assigning any priorities which could lead to bias or exclusions, WRC's geo-database brought together layers of:

  • Geology
  • Morphology
  • Hydrology
  • Maroon & British military history
  • Plant and animal distributions

    • We then drew a boundary which enclosed these overlapping features, generally sticking to existing roads (which, themselves, developed becasue cockpit karst morphology and its hydrology greatly influences HOW humans move through the landforms and WHERE they settle to live and grow food). To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time anyone brought together all abiotic and biotic features, to let Cockpit Country define itself.

    This boundary, encompassing 116,218 hectares, was recognized by the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group (CCSG) in November 2006 and presented in early Decemeber 2006 to Dr. Omar Davies in his capacity as Minister of Finance and Planning.