For the 2005 Fall semester, my family and I lived on the Kew Park farm in Jamaica, where we initiated some studies of birds & insect pests in coffee.

It was a great experience we won’t forget, and we’d like to thank all those that made it possible, especially Peter Williams and Gina Green of Kew Park.

With several Humboldt students and Dr. Dwight Robinson of the University of West Indies, we investigated economic incentives for coffee farmers to retain “shade-trees.” Shade-coffee farms (left photo) are much better for wildlife than are sun-coffee farms (right photo).

While at Kew Park we initiated experiments to determine whether birds in shade-coffee farms can act as “free pesticide” by controlling economic insect pests.

We put bird-proof cages (immediate right) around coffee bushes in shade & sun-coffee farms, and we’re monitoring the numbers of insect pests, such as the coffee berry borer (small black beetle in far right photo).

We conducted this work not only at Kew Park, but also at several coffee farms in Jamaica’s famed Blue Mountains – home to some of the finest coffee in the world, and also the Blue & John Crow Mts. Nat’l Park (right), a threatened forest park filled with endemic wildlife species, such as the Jamaican Tody (left).

We are particularly interested in identifying ways to encourage farmers adjacent to the park to retain enough forest & shade trees to provide good bird habitat. This could help buffer the park from habitat loss typical of most of its perimeter.

That describes our work, but this WAS our sabbatical…or should I say so-good-itcal?!

We enjoyed taking it easy and experiencing the Caribbean! We explored waterfalls, went on a boat trip to see crocodiles (left), and snorkeled in coral reefs.

And of course we all love the beach -- Jessie (my wife), and two sons Anders and Isaac (who were 2 years and 3 months when we arrived in Jamaica)!