Mason River Field Station

Parish: Clarendon

The Mason River Field Station is situated off the main road from Macknie to Douglas Castle and is approximately four miles from Kellits, Clarendon. The area consists of approximately 202 acres of land divided into three sections: the botanical reserve (122 acres), the controlled area (36acres) and the agricultural area (44 acres).

The Reserve is said to have over 265 unique botanical specimen including melastomes, ferns, grasses and sedges, insectivorous plants, orchids, strawberry or mountain guava, coco plum and several others. Also on the Reserve is the only inland bog – wet spongy ground with decomposed and partially carbonized plant matter.

The Mason River habitat not only preserves some of Jamaica’s rare and more interesting plants, but it also allows botanists and other individuals to study endemic plants in their natural environment.

The Mason River Filed Station was designated as protected national heritage on November 28, 2002.