PRESS RELEASES 2005

Watershed specialist selected for OAS-Fulbright EcoIogy Program in the United States

August 25, 2005

The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that Ms. Donna Lowe has been selected to pursue a two-year Masters of Science program in forest hydrology at the State University of New York’s (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.  Ms. Lowe, who is the Watershed and Soil Conservation Officer at the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, is the recipient of a scholarship under the OAS-Fulbright Ecology Program administered by the U.S. Embassy in Kingston.

Ms. Lowe’s studies will maintain her focus on the crucial links between Jamaica’s forests and water resources in the “land of wood and water.”  She expects that her studies will enable her to make the accurate projections and analyses needed for the sustainable management of Jamaica’s watersheds, as well as to develop new training materials and enhance capacity building at the Forestry Department on her return to Jamaica.  Ms. Lowe will also continue her focus on environmentally sound land use practices, and public education, especially in disaster mitigation and prevention, which she considers an important element in her work. 

Ms. Lowe obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences and completed research for a Masters of Philosphy in Agroforestry at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona.  She has worked as Scientific Officer at UWI and as Laboratory Assistant Kaiser Jamaica Bauxite Company. 

In her spare time, Ms. Lowe gives volunteer service to the downtown Kingston community, where she helps with the preparation of meals for street people; assists with adult literacy classes; and teaches remedial science classes at a homework center.  A nature lover, Ms. Lowe is also a member of Birdlife Jamaica.