Mango Trees, Carbon Dioxide, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

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Ginger Brown Vanderveer of Northside Valley in St. Croix, Virgin Islands just sent me an email about mango trees.  She decided that since mango trees are one of the best trees for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, she would do her bit.Â

“I have always had mango trees on my estate but now I have planted two more trees and will continue to add trees as I can.  I am also promoting the idea among the people of St. Croix and working with the legislature to come up with a way to get even more mango trees on our island.”

It’s such a simple idea and yet so beneficial.   She ended her email with….pass the word on.  And so I am!

To see a picture of the tree planting and to learn more about staying at North side: http://www.northsidevalley.com/

Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge, computers, and the local schools

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Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge, Dominica, is delighted to announce that following the success of our computer for schools programme last year, we will be repeating the process next month.This year 4 schools in the UK including the Bromsgrove School and Uppingham School, have donated nearly 300 computers, which are now sailing to Dominica for distribution amongst the primary schools on the island.The project is made possible through a collaborative partnership between Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge, NS Optimum in the UK, the donor schools in the UK, Geest Line shipping, Lifeline Ministries, and The ministry of education of the governement of the commonwealth of Dominica, and our registered NGO The Sustainable Living Initiative Centre, Dominica, SLIC.The computers will be installed at each school during one day workshops held by SLIC, Rosalie Forest, and assisted by two technicians from NS optimum in the UK.

This year we are also hoping to assist a number of local NGOs to get computers into their organizations.

For more information please visit www.rosalieforest.com or email Jem Winston at jem@rosalieforest.com.
Contact information:
Jem Winston, Managing Director.
PO Box 1292,
Dominica,
West Indies
tel: 1 767 446 1886cell: 1 767 275 1886
e-fax: 1 510 578 6578

Ron Mader at Planeta.com and government spotlights

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I’ve been in a conversation with Ron about “eco certification”  and he offers up the idea that the focus ought to include certifying governments, particularly the eco and tourism departments. Ron’s brilliant idea is to create an award program to judge how well government portals walk the talk of responsible travel and ecotourism. I think this topic begs for discussion and would appreciate your thoughts. Ron has given me permission to list his posting here about nominations for government entities promoting ecotourism and responsible travel:  Planeta.com — Government websites that spotlight ecotourism and responsible travel are eligible to win Planeta.com’s 2008 award.  Nominees include environmental, tourism and other government portals in three categories: local, national and international institutions. Voting takes place July 16-September 1. Information collected will help update the Planeta.com website as we add links.

The award is announced in advance of World Tourism Day (September 27) as way of pointing out best practices.

2008 will be the second year of the Ecotourism Spotlight Award. The first winner was Ecotourism Laos funded by the Laos National Tourism Administration.

HOW THIS WORKS

STEP 1: NOMINATING WEBSITES –

Ideally we would like to hear from respected local tour operators, comunity leaders and journalists who are pleased with how their local, regional and national governments are working to develop and promote ecotourism. Eco travelers who have found helpful websites may also nominate their favorite government portal. Those in charge of government sites can also submit their own work. The first stage is to collect as many quality nominees as possible.

The application asks what information the website includes, particularly the practical information for travelers about ecotourism, responsible travel and sustainability. We ask whether the site includes details about local operators, city parks and public transportation. Does the site includes exterior links to local businesses and conservation groups? Does the site highlight indigenous or aboriginal tourism options?

STEP 2: CHOOSING NOMINEES – Nominees will be shortlisted and the best sites will be asked if they are willing to participate in the award. Those who wish to be considered as nominees will be asked to include a link to the Ecotourism Spotlight Award and if possible, the logo.

STEP 3: VOTING – Voting takes place July 16-September 1. Respondents will be asked to review all the sites and choose their favorite. Multiple votes from a singe user will not be permitted.

SPONSORS

We welcome financial sponsorship to help develop the awards as a means of creating an incentive for communication and showcasing best practices. Those interested in helping finance development should contact us!

PLANETA.COM

Planeta.com is an award-winning website that presents articles and discussion about the environment and travel. The site debuted in 1994. Travelers will find tips on choosing eco-friendly, people-friendly and place-friendly trips. Professionals will find a number of helpful resources, including our Exploring Ecotourism Resource Guide.

WINNING TIPS

Government websites are advised to:
1) Create an informative, content-rich website that provides detailed information for visitors seeking eco-friendly, people-friendly and place-friendly travel. Provide direct links to local operations and seek input from those at the vanguard of in-country ecotourism on making your site even better for national and international visitors.
2) Add the logo and link for the award on your website. Alert visitors to check out all the contenders.

Amazon Yarapa River Lodge in Peru

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The Amazon Yarapa River lodge begins 2008 with great expectations and continued growth. …

Our biggest news is that we have significantly increased the size of the Yarapa River Reserve by approximately 15 more miles.  This involved us purchasing the land from the Peruvian Government and then giving it to the villagers to manage in agreement with a conservation contract signed by all parties!  The individual villages, energized with pride in regaining land in their name, now actively protect their property. Since the land exchange, several villages have seized illegal shipments of logs and have contacted government authorities to stop the loggers.  We believe this is a gigantic step for the indigenous people, their land, and the environment.  We are proud of the continued success of the reserve in 2007 and look forward to further expansion in 2008.

Our laboratory director, Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, continues to promote the Cornell University Esbaran field lab as a wonderful facility for high school field trips to major university research projects. We have had several university students visit throughout the year to work on a research project.

We have always been and will remain a top notch destination for your guests.  We have remained the #1 lodge in the area on tripadvisor.com.  Furthermore, we continue to get outstanding reviews in all the top guidebooks.  Lastly, we have either won or have been nominated four years in a row as the “Best Resort in Peru” by the World Travel Awards. 

We feel that 2008 will be a great year for us!  
Yours truly,
Charles Mango
Owner, Amazon Yarapa River Lodge
www.yarapa.com
info@yarapa.com

Energy Awareness Seminar in the U.S. Virgin Islands at Northside Valley

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Follow the link to find out more about this seminar taking place Tuesday August 21 through Saturday August 25, 2007 or go to http://www.northsidevalley.com where you can also register for the event.

Scholarship Fund in Dominica

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The Scholarship Fund in Dominica has just been started. The Sustainable Living Initiative Centre“, S.L.I.C., is proud to announce the launching of the Grand Fond Pre-School Scholarship Fund. It is sponsored by Miami University, Ohio, USA and 3 Rivers Eco lodge, Rosalie, Dominica.

It is hoped that these scholarships will be the first of many scholarships awarded as the project grows.

SLIC, 3 Rivers Eco Lodge, Lifeline Ministries and Miami University are proud to facilitate another educational project with immediate and direct benefits to the local community. This is following the recent success of Computer Mission Dominica, which saw SLIC, in collaboration with http://www.nsoptimum.co.uk, the Bromsgrove School, in the U.K., and 3 Rivers Eco Lodge, facilitating the transport, training and installation of nearly 200 computers in schools around Dominica.

The Sustainable Living Initiative Centre is a Dominican NGO launched in February 2005, which now has nearly 100 members. SLIC runs training programs to enable Dominicans to install their own alternative energy equipment and help to preserve the planets resources and save money! A revolving loan fund has been set up. The loans are funded by the British High Commission in collaboration with the Roseau Cooperative Credit Union. And thus, members can borrow the cost of the equipment they need, and repay the loan from the savings on their bills.

For more details please contact: Berns on 449 8593 or lifeline@cwdom.dm.

You can also contact 3 Rivers Eco Lodge at 446 1886 or email them at info@3riversdominica.com. You can also contact The Grand Fond pre-School.

Saving the Amazon Rainforest in Peru…Amazon Yarapa River Lodge

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I got an email today from Charles Mango of Amazon Yarapa River Lodge that I thought was well worth spreading the word about.  When I asked permission to post his email on my blog he sent me even more information about saving the Amazon Rainforest and his involvement in Peru.  He needs publicity to help his efforts, so please spread the word. This is important stuff! Here’s what he wrote:

“Recently I have established the first conservation agreement in the Amazon area. This is the first effort of its kind in the Amazon basin. This includes the three villages along the Yarapa as well as the Dept. of Agriculture and INRENA. We now have the entire Yarapa from its mouth to the village of Puerto Miguel under this agreement. No commercial fishing or hunting, and no logging. Also, preservation of the riparian edge of the river and the local flora and fauna. This area runs both sides of the river from its mouth to the lands held by Puerto Miguel. This is about 35 miles or river.

In Feb. of this year the villages united were able to seize a shipment of illegal logs as well as arrest the loggers. This was the first time that villagers were able to stop illegal logging in the Amazon.They were supported be the Agriculture minister in their actions. To establish the legal right to defend their property, I first established titular title for the villages. In return I asked that we establish this Yarapa preserve as well as sign the agreement. This agreement was signed Jan. 10th, 2007 in the village of Puerto Miguel.

We are miles ahead of Brazil in trying to save the rainforest. Their recent article in National Geographic stated that they are trying to repopulate the Amazon with indigenous people in the hope that they would stop the loggers and poachers. If the government will support the local people at the expense of big money from the loggers was not answered. The people were removed from the land by or with government help to allow the logging industry to gain a foothold in the area. What I have done in Peru is to get the government and the people together as a force to protect the area. Unfortunately there has been no publicity about this project.”

His original email was to tell me about improvements in the lodge and a new educational laboratory center. He wrote:

“We continue to actively work with the nearby villages and the government of Peru to ensure the growth of the Yarapa River Reserve. Recently, we purchased the deeds to the land of the individual villages from the Peruvian government and gave it back to the villages for them to manage. In return, the village chiefs have pledged to work with us to discourage commercial fishing, logging, and poaching. In addition, the villages have recommitted their enthusiasm to work with INRENA (Peruvian parks department) to create and maintain a national park status reserve.

We continue to look for ways to improve our lodge. We plan to add another solar panel system. We already are running about 90% solar and would like to make this as close to 100% as possible. We are opening the Cornell University Esbaran laboratory to any university, college, or advanced high school that would like to come down for a research project or field trip. Our laboratory director, Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, is now marketing the field lab as a wonderful facility in a world-class environment. We pride ourselves on having the best guides in the area and continue to treat and respect our workers as we do our guests.”

Conservation and Ecotourism go hand in hand and kudos to Charles Mango for what he is doing in Peru. Please spread the word!

Defining Ecotourism Lodging

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I have been working on my directory for almost 4 years now.  My habit has been to look at each eco lodge on an individual basis to see whether I consider them as promoting sustainable tourism.  If I do, they get added to the directory.  I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t as discerning when I first started this directory and now need a way to go back and weed some of these lodges out.  I’m finally at a point where I think it would be beneficial to have some type of questionnaire for each lodge, more of a definition of what an eco lodge is. So, I need a quantifiable way to define ecotourism lodging.  I don’t want to re-invent the wheel, so I am looking at different websites and questionnaires.  I’d like something that can be quantified by a yes or no answer.  For example, do you have an organic garden?  Do you employ local staff?  Do you have local staff in management?  In this way I could have some kind of numbering system (actually I’m looking at a butterfly system, but that’s for another blog) where you get 1 point if you’re trying to be eco but haven’t quite suceeded and you’d get the top number of points if you’ve attained true eco lodging.

Green Globe 21 has an extensive evaluation process and I laud that, but for my purposes I need something simpler (and less expensive).  If you have any ideas of good questions that can be answered by a yes or no, please feel free to post them here or email them to me through my website https://www.eco-tropicalresorts.com.  Sorry, I didn’t want to put my email here as I’ve already got enough of a problem with spam!

Some of the yes/no questions might need further comments.  Like: Do you use alternative energy sources?  And then ask what kind they use.  Of course, one of my goals is to visit all the eco lodges on the directory to get a first hand view.  I’m a trusting soul and tend to believe lodges when they tell me that they practice sustainable travel, but once or twice another lodge in the same country has emailed me that they really didn’t.  That is very disappointing to me but enforces my desire to see first hand. 

My goal is to start with Mexico this winter.  I live in Northern California and Mexico will be the least expensive place for me to start.  There is a cluster of 3-5 eco lodges relatively close to each other.  I find this prospect really exciting as I learn more and more.  Of course, I will blog about each lodge as I visit them! 

The Many Different Kinds of Eco Lodges

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At this point I have added well over 300 eco lodges to the site.  They are so varied and present themselves in so many different ways I think it’s hard to think of them all in one breath, and yet they’re all on this site.  There seem to be two main types of eco lodges with many shades in between.

There’s the boutique eco resort, which caters to people wanting to be pampered and surrounded by luxury.  They’re often quite pricey as a consequence.  The impression I get is that they were built to make a nice profit albeit still promote “green” tourism.  There are many of these on this site and yet it is the other type of eco lodge that I get excited about finding.

These are the ones that might start out as someone’s dream of making a difference, or they could be a non-profit that is buying up land to preserve it and as an extension, offers lodging.  Most of the time, they are not luxury accommodations.  Instead they are more basic and less intrusive on the environment.

In Dominica recently there was a big misunderstanding that thankfully got resolved in a very commendable way.  3 Rivers Dominica (http://www.3riversdominica.com/) is one of those types of lodges that is someone’s dream of a better world.  One of their accommodations is in a tree house quite a ways from the main lodge.  It is very basic and yet allows someone to really experience nature.  The Dominican Tourism Department is very involved in having standards for tourism and in their eyes this tree hut didn’t meet those requirements.  They took the time to understand that ecotourism can be a very different kettle of fish and have reached a compromise for 3 Rivers Dominica that will enable the owner, Jem, to continue with his dream.  Of course there is more to the story but in the interest of brevity I just hit the highlights.  I think what occurred in Dominica is a very hopeful sign that rustic eco lodges trying to impact the environment as little as possible are becoming more mainstream. 

Kudos to Dominica and to 3 Rivers Dominica for pioneering the way! 

Extending the concept of ecotourism lodging

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I’ve just added Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize to Eco Tropical Resorts.  The sanctuary is located in Belize, Central America.  This is a new kind of listing as their focus is an environmental education center that offers experiential learning programs and training opportunities while serving as a model of conservation land stewardship.  They also have a Wildlife Rehab Center where they care for wildlife with the hope of returning the animals into the wild.  The Sanctuary consists of 1,070 acres of tropical forest, riverine and savanna habitats.

Their lodging facilities are an adjunct to their real purpose of land and animal stewardship.  They offer all kinds of lodging from camping, a bunkhouse, private rooms, and homestays.  The homestays are with local families which helps involve the community in what they’re doing.

I think eco-tourism includes Wildlife Sanctuaries and Parks, working on ways to maintain habitat for wildlife and preserve nature for the future.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I really want to visit Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.  I used to do Wildlife Rehab in Northern California and loved rasing baby squirrels and birds.  My sister is a biologist and I’m thinking this might be perfect for a little family get together.

If you want to go see what I’m talking about, here is their url: http://www.monkeybaybelize.org