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UXUA Casa Hotel, Brazil

August 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Who They Are

In the remote village of Tracosco on the lush southeastern coast of Bahia, you’ll find the unique UXUA Casa Hotel. Conceived by Dutch-born Wilbert Das (fashion designer and longtime creative director for Diesel, the hip clothing line), the gorgeously bright and airy hotel took over two years to build using recycled materials in this tribute to the area Das loves so much.

Casa Seu Pedrinho do Quadrado

Six of the nine 1- to 3-bedroom casas or cottages (three are restored fishermen homes) are scattered around beautiful gardens, while the remaining three face the town square. Some are equipped with plunge pools, some with a Jacuzzi, and others nestle in the gardens and on terraces. Each casa has an open living room and a full kitchen where local chefs will help the culinary-adventurous create local Bahian feasts in their own casa. Meals are also served in the restaurant, at the pool, are delivered to your casa or can be taken at the beach just five minutes away. On the sand there’s a scenic lounge whose bar and kitchen were created out of an abandoned fishing boat that washed up on shore.

The Aventurine Quartz Pool

The swimming pool was made by a local, self-taught “mosaicist,” who used over 40,000 unique green aventurine quartz pebbles, well known in this part of the world to be especially healing. There’s also a spa where, in addition to acupuncture, massages, yoga, and Pilates, you can take private classes in capoeira and forro dancing, which is extremely popular at most of the social activities in the village.

There’s plenty to do if lying on endless beaches is not your thing: trek, horseback ride, snorkel, dive, canoe, play tennis, visit the nearby Indian reserve Barra Velha, a national park that 500 Pataxo tribe families call home … or join a local soccer team in the square!

What They Are Doing

To build the lodge, Das recruited local craftsmen to construct eight individual, traditional casas and one treehouse using recycled and organic materials wherever possible, while applying the local building customs to create a lodge that fits into its surroundings. Almost everything was carved by hand, which includes some unique touches in the bathrooms that are made out of fallen trees. Hardwood roof tiles were restored from old farmhouses, local ceramics cover the floors, and recycled woods and irons make up the bathrooms to create the rustic ambiance.

Casa Quintal da Gloria

UXUA has also roped in an area containing native vegetation and mangroves. The lodge owners have partnered up with the local administration and have taken responsibility for keeping the mangroves and the beach clean.

The Spa

Bahia has high levels of illiteracy, and training for luxury hospitality services is uncommon.  Das wanted to employ locals so, two years before the hotel opened, he began a ‘hotel school’ on the property, where locals were given hospitality training by professionals from international hotel schools. In addition, all personnel who had not finished high school were put into classes to complete their diplomas, and those staff who lacked basic literacy skills were given one-on-one instruction.  Every one of the present staff of 45 has either finished high school or is in the hotel’s program to get a diploma. Three of those who got diplomas are now taking university courses in a neighboring town, with tuition and transportation provided by UXUA.

Medical benefits are provided to all staff, something extremely unusual for Bahia. They are also guaranteed employment year-round, also rare in this part of the world, where staff are hired seasonally. The hotel pays the salary of the local professor of capoeira, which guarantees that the town’s children and teenagers can practice this sport even if they can’t afford to pay for the classes.

Produce for the magnificent Brazilian fare served in the hotel is sourced locally.

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Filed Under: Brazil, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Health, Restoration & Repurposing, UXUA Casa Hotel Tagged With: bahia, capoeira, mangrove, pataxo, quartz, recycled

Diving the Philippines

August 23, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The Philippine Siren

In January next year, a unique 10-day diving trip will set sail in the Philippine Islands. It will include both travel on the yacht the Philippine Siren, which will course through some of the country’s 7000 islands, as well as a stay at the Lagen Island Resort in Palawan Island’s El Nido Cove. But there is a special aspect to this trip, and it has to do with the rehabilitation of coral reefs.

One of the world’s premier dive locations, the Philippine reefs remain largely unexplored and offer sightings of hammerhead and whitetip sharks, manta rays, barracudas, diverse corals, and many other reef species. The Boracay region is also home to World War II-era Japanese shipwrecks, as well as the Apo Reef, the world’s second-largest contiguous coral reef and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Divers Lay the Snowflake-Shaped EcoReefs

The trip will also visit two sites where group leaders Seacology, a nonprofit environmental organization that aims to preserve the highly endangered biodiversity of islands throughout the world, has been trying to revive reefs destroyed by blast fishing. Several years ago it planted ceramic EcoReef units shaped like snowflakes in the fishing ground off El Nido on Palawan Island. Snorkelers and divers on this trip will get to see the amazing transformation that has since taken place. El Nido has declared several hundred acres of the surrounding marine area a no-take reserve.

The trip will take place January 11-25, 2011. Seacology sets off all their travel through a carbon offset fund and an integral part of their small customized trips are visits to their projects sites all around the world.  Seacology does not require that trip participants partake in initiatives – you can just go along for the dive.

How the Reefs Have Grown

Seacology expeditions – there are two others this year, to Micronesia and Vietnam – are one-of-a-kind adventures that bring you face-to-face with the island habitats that its projects protect and the island communities that it works closely with. The expeditions combine land- and sea-based activities (such as scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking) with fascinating visits to Seacology project sites. Seacology asks participants to make a $1000 donation to Seacology.

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Filed Under: Asia & Middle East, Carbon Footprint, Conservation, Environment, News Tagged With: coral, dive, palawan

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Canada

August 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Safari, North American-Style

Who They Are

Inspired by late 19th century Great Camps, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is located at the mouth of the Bedwell River, where it spills into a 9-mile-long fjord, an area teeming with birds and wildlife. Just a 45-minute boat ride from the town of Tofino on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, the area is reachable only by boat or seaplane.

Luxury Amidst the Canvas

The enclave, well concealed by the bush under the rainforest canopy, consists of 20 great white canvas safari-like guest tents – which are done, Great Camps-style, in Adirondack-type beds, down duvets, woodstoves, antique dressers, opulent rugs, and oil lamps – as well as massage and treatment tents, dining tents, lounge and library tents, and a massive timber cookhouse area. They are linked by cedar boardwalks. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve contains a very rare temperate rainforest with towering cedars and Douglas fir trees, some over a thousand years old.

A Summer Night

Spa...aaahhh

The resort is open only from May through September, All activities and adventures are planned to make the most of the region’s history, people, natural environment, and wildlife. Upon arrival guests receive an orientation about the activities, which range from taking a spa to hiking (along trails such as the Wild Side First Nations Interpretive Trail, which include Flores Island), from horseback riding to whale and bear watching, from river and sea kayaking to numerous other sports. There is even yoga. Do as much or as little as you want – but always in the serene isolation.

A Black Bear and Cubs

What They Are Doing

When developing the resort the owners set out to be as mindful as possible of the surroundings. It built the resort with an emphasis on making a limited environmental impact while repairing past damage from logging and mining. It purchases and emphasizes local foods and wines, and it employs local First Nations people.

At a First Nations Ceremony

The Ahoushat First Nations Community, numbering about 1500, is based on Flores Island. Clayoquot has signed a tourism protocol agreement with them on matters regarding operating in their traditional territories, and is working with them to create a holistic healing center and on building a first-ever First Nations adventure park, which would include canopy walkways, zip-trekking, storytelling, dance, carvings, canoe building, and traditional cooking.

Your Playground

The resort donates its staff housing and some public spaces during the off season to the Ahoushat to use in drug- and alcohol-substance-abuse and family-issues programs. It also provides the participants with food.

The fish population in the Bedwell Watershed has declined significantly over the past 20 years and Chinook salmon are at critically low levels. In 2003, the resort began restoring more than six kilometers of crucial spawning habitats in the Bedwell River basin. This restoration work represents the only privately funded initiative of its kind in North America. To date, and with the assistance of corporate sponsors and resort guests, about 20,000 cubic meters of overburden  (gravel and debris jams) have been excavated to restore the pond channel, and additional excavation work is  being done upriver. Already, chum salmon have been seen digging egg nests in the new habitats, and this spring, young adults found their way back to the ocean.

Great Camps Style Bedroom

The resort has committed $3 million over five years to research, conservation, and rehabilitation. A 3-percent sustainability fee is included in every guest’s fees, one-third of which goes towards the nonprofit British Columbia Wilderness Tourism Association to assist in environmental stewardship activities. The remaining money goes to the Environmental Legacy Program that includes habitat restoration, First Nations programs, and wildlife studies. The resort is testing compostable plastics made from corn and potato to replace standard plastic items used in packed lunches. It is also its carbon footprint and intends to reduce the amount of carbon the resort expends by five percent a year. It is about to install hydropower by building a generator on the river.

Guests can be involved as much or as little as possible in Clayoquot’s raptor rehabilitation, salmon habitat restoration, black bear mapping, whale acoustics, and program working with the Roosevelt elk.

In Their Own Words

“We try to teach our guests as much as possible about sustainability and the environment to take a proactive step towards a better future for us all.”

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Filed Under: Canada, Carbon Footprint, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Community, Conservation, Environment, Features Tagged With: adventure, bear, chinook, elk, first nations, kayak, raptor, salmon, tofino

October in Saba

August 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Mt. Scenery, Saba

Once more this year on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, the non-profit foundation Sea & Learn will be putting on a fabulous learning program in the slower month of October. It will focus on environmental issues, particularly those important to the island.

The event brings to the island a variety of naturalists, scientists, and academics in fields ranging from sharks and dolphins to bats and orchids. Besides nightly presentations, participants can join field and research projects or assist in nature surveys. All events are free.

Not only are the events beneficial to the schools, locals, and after-school programs, but it brings business to the hotels, restaurants, and shops when traditionally there’s hardly anyone visiting this Caribbean island.  The restaurants get creative by putting together special menus at great prices. Good idea!

This year’s events include “The complex patterns of fish sex changes” by Graham Forrester, “What’s Rumbling with Caribbean Earthquakes” by Rod Stewart,  and “Where’s the Fish?” by Matt Potensky, a shark researcher who explains the dynamics of removing the top predator in our oceans.

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Filed Under: Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, News, Saba, The Americas Tagged With: marine

Feynan Ecolodge, Jordan

August 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Desert Life

Who They Are

Powerless Chic

Deep in the heart of the mountainous Jordanian desert, in a place known as the Wadi Feynan, lies an idyllic lodge quite unlike any other. Set against this glorious landscape, Feynan Ecolodge has 26 gorgeously simple rooms that all face the wadi. Because there is no electricity, light comes from candles – and we mean lots of candles! – and the showers are solar-powered. Spacious terraces, one on the roof, give you a view of the startling terrain by day and stars by night.

Situated about 215 km. south of Amman, off the Dead Sea-Aqaba highway, Feynan is not far from the famous archeological site of Petra and is in one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the world. The archaeological ruins date back more than 12,000 years, and there are some 100 sites are in the area, many under excavation and others still unexplored. Bedouin live traditionally in their tents in the surrounding valleys.

The Ruins of a Byzantine Church

A short walk from the lodge are Neolithic ruins that illustrate the shift from nomadic to village lifestyles are some of the oldest copper mines in the world, where Christian slaves were later worked to death by the Romans, a Roman aqueduct and mill, and remnants of Byzantine churches.

Two Rare Sinai Agama

Feynan is also situated in the 300-sq.-km. Dana Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses the four different bio-geographical zones of the country: Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian. Owing to its diverse elevations and geographical formations, Dana hosts a wide array of flora and fauna – more than 800 plant species, three of which are unique to the area, and 449 different animals that include threatened species such as the sand cat, the Syrian wolf, the lesser kestrel, and the spiny-tailed lizard. Dana also falls within the Dana Important Bird Area.

Au Naturel

What They Are Doing

Feynan employs its staff from the local Bedouin community, whose only alternative is to herd goats, which seriously damage the fragile environment. Part of Feynan’s revenue is allocated to helping conserve Dana and protecting endangered species. Water is sourced from nearby springs and is used carefully and under strict controls. Food excess and waste are composted to reuse as fertilizer.

Preparing the Evening's Lights

The solar-powered lodge illuminates its rooms with candles, which are made on site by Bedouin women. Other women work at an annex creating leather goods that are sold at Feynan and other reserves in Jordan. All transportation to and from the lodge, Petra, Aqaba, and elsewhere is provided by Bedouin using their own pickups, providing income to some 40 families. Feynan is introducing extracurricular programs to teach English and other subjects in English to local children at the community school.

The lodge is operated by EcoHotels and owned by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, a nongovernmental organization established in 1966 under the patronage of the late King Hussein and devoted to the preservation of Jordan’s natural resources. The RSCN introduced its people-centered approach to the management of protected areas in Dana in 1994.

The Wadi by Night

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Filed Under: Asia & Middle East, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Feynan Ecolodge, Jordan, Women Tagged With: archeology, bedouin, byzantine, candles, dana biosphere, desert

Mayakoba – The New Wave Riviera

August 5, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The Heart of Mayakoba

Mayakoba is an anomaly. An area smack in the middle of the Mayan Riviera, it is almost the antithesis of everything the resort-laden Mexican coast has become known (and is often criticized) for. Though three of the world’s best-name hotels are on the property – Banyan Tree, Fairmont, and Rosewood – they are, untypically, not skyscrapers, rarely have a view of the ocean, and have been created with the utmost care for the environment. “In nature but sophisticated,” one of the developers called it.

Canal Transport is an Electric Boat

When the Spanish company OHL began planning the 640-acre Mayakoba in the late ‘90s, it first spent a number of years studying the ecosystem of the region, halfway between Cancún and Tulúm, with a view to making as little impact as possible. Now Mayakoba is starting to become a beacon for sustainability in Latin America – it is the act to follow.

While other Mexican resort hotels in the Yucatan Peninsula often tear out the mangrove and destroy the coastal dunes in order to build right on the beach, Mayakoba did not. A network of canals were created using the underground water arteries, which gave access to the sea but also meant that many of the hotel buildings would have to be built virtually out of sight of the ocean. When the land was ready, the first (and what would become the largest)  hotel, the 401-room Fairmont, opened in 2006. The 132-villa Banyan Tree opened in 2009. Mayakoba has made provision for six hotels, although only five will be allowed.

El Camaleon Golf Course

Today a third of Mayakoba’s undeveloped land is mangrove, ten percent is coastal dune (much of which has had to be revived after the double whammy of the hurricanes of 2005 and 2007), and the remainder is jungle. When the resort’s PGA-ranked golf course was created, it was done in such a way that not a drop of irrigation water could reach the subterranean rivers below them, and a type of grass was used that needs little fertilizer or chemicals and can be irrigated with salt water.

Mangrove Wildlife

The thirty or so species of fish, birds, and vertebrates in the area before Mayakoba’s creation have since increased some tenfold. No fishing is allowed on the property. Five on-site biologists led by Luis Ortiz keep an eye on everything from the quality of the water in the canals and the importation of exotic plants species – Banyan Tree, the Asia-based hotel group whose first hotel this is in the Americas, was refused permission to bring in its typical foliage – to rescuing injured wild animals and abandoned dogs and cats (something the Yucatan Peninsula is infamous for). Each hotel also has environmental officers.

Suite Life at the Mayakoba Rosewood

Perhaps some of Mayakoba’s most significant contributions have been to the local communities. This being the area where chewing gum originally came from, locals are assisted in revitalizing the tree-gum industry, as well as that of the stingless Mayan honey bee. Both honey and chewing gum are sold at the Banyan Tree, and the profits go to the communities. The other two hotels have their own social programs. The 2010 PGA tournament at the Mayakoba golf course collected one million dollars for local charities, and one day a month the course is open to anyone to come in for a lesson and a free meal.

The Banyan Tree Mayakoba

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Filed Under: Community, Conservation, Environment, Features, Mayakoba, Mexico Tagged With: banyan tree, coastal dune, fairmount, golf, mangrove, ohl, rosewood

Q & A with Africa’s Eden

July 29, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Gabon’s tourism – most of it sustainable tourism – will quite possibly vanish by the end of August. The sudden withdrawal of Africa’s Eden, the main creator of tourism to the country, spells disaster for many people’s dreams, the country’s name, and a section of the economy. The marketing director for Africa’s Eden, Jacqueline Van den Broek, answers questions about what went wrong.

A World Different How long have you been in Gabon?

Van den Broek Africa’s Eden grew from a pilot project named Operation Loango, initiated in 2001, with the aim to conserve the pristine nature of Gabon through small-scale tourism. Loango National Park was one of the 13 new parks created in 2002, and it did well thanks to thanks to the efforts of SCD (Société de Conservation et Développement) and its parent company, Africa’s Eden.

AWD What kind of money and infrastructure did you put in there”

Van den Broek Fifteen million Euros for aviation, tourism, education infrastructure (we built school in the village, educated eco guides), and three million Euros went directly to conservation projects.

AWD Why did you choose Gabon as a venture?

Van den Broek Rombout Swanborn, Africa’s Edens’ owner, grew up there, saw the beauty and fragility of the ecosystem, and wanted to protect it via an entrepreneurial and sustainable way.

AWD Can you say a little about the owner of Africa’s Eden?

Van den Broek Rombout Swanborn spent part of his childhood in the Gamba region of Gabon. When he returned to Gabon after many years, he realized that west central Africa is one of the few places on earth that has remained relatively untouched by humankind, and that it deserves to be conserved for current and future generations. Africa’s Eden’s approach aims to establish and sustain west central Africa as a unique global destination for tourism, in order to conserve and protect its natural and cultural heritage.

AWD What has gone wrong now in Gabon?

Van den Broek The move is a result of the failure of negotiations following a dispute between the Gabonese civil aviation authorities (ANAC) and Africa’s Eden’s sister company, SCD Aviation, which ran a regional airline charter company to transport tourists from the capital Libreville to the park. Even active support of key members of Gabonese government could not prevent the severe consequence of a malfunctioning civil aviation authority that failed to create the conditions necessary for regular and safe aviation transportation: SCD Aviation was consistently refused the renewal of its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), even though all requirements were met.

Another consequence of this problematic situation is the fact that the European Union blacklisted all Gabonese airlines in 2008 when a large number of deficiencies were reported with regards to the capability of ANAC “to perform their air safety oversight responsibilities. More than 93 percent of the ICAO standards were not implemented.” This was the lowest percentage of all audited countries, and makes ANAC in Gabon one of the poorest performing civil aviation authorities in the world.

AWD You have the support of some of the government, though?

Van den Broek Correct. But ANAC is a fairly independent operating agency which apparently is hard to control from government side. This remains, however, also one of our own questions.

AWD Gabon got a lot of publicity in America and elsewhere the last few years as a travel destination. Do you think that was largely (if not solely) due to Africa’s Eden?

Van den Broek Africa’s Eden has always actively sought publicity and welcomed journalist and film crews from all over the world. Publications in National Geographic and documentaries on BBC and Animal Planet contributed to create awareness. Apart from that we went to all the large travel trade shows to promote Gabon.

AWD Do you think this is going to change things for the country?

Van den Broek Yes, they will lose their spot on the tourism map, I’m afraid. Without a decent tourism infrastructure in the national parks, tourism development as a serious economic sector will not happen.

AWD Is this a typical case of African corruption or how do you see it?

Van den Broek I am not the person to make these kind of qualifications, we can only see the result of this conflict by no longer having international tourists visiting Gabon. Other countries like Malawi, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe won’t stand still. In other words, if you don’t develop other countries will.

AWD Africa’s Eden is strongly in favor of sustainable tourism, isn’t it? Was this having a positive effect in Gabon?

Vandenbroek Very much so. One only has to consider the conservation projects conducted. Apart from that we created many jobs and education and provided a stable economic base for people in Gabon.

AWD How many people came to Gabon as a result of Africa’s Eden having camps and lodges there?

Vandenbroek Africa’s Eden realized 8000 bed nights a year

AWD What is your next move?

Vandenbroek As long as there is no reaction or action from ANAC or government, the lodge will remain closed.

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Conservation, Environment, Gabon, News Tagged With: aviation, bbc, loango, national geographic, swanborn

Going, Going … Gabon!

July 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorilla, Goodbye?

The small Central African country of Gabon has been getting a lot of great publicity over the last few years. A tourism jewel, magazines and newspapers called it. This was mostly due to the efforts of – and 15 million Euros paid by – one man, Rombout Swanborn, the low-key Dutch businessman and conservationist. Investing in aviation access, tourism infrastructure, and nature conservation in Gabon, he had lodges and eco-camps built, staff trained, and he made way for research and monitoring groups to study the area, especially the rich Loango National Park.

But no more.

Swanborn’s company Africa’s Eden, has announced it will pull out of Gabon on September 1, 2010. Behind it the company will leave a country to which it, as the main tourism operator, has helped introduce thousands of tourists. Through Africa’s Eden they saw Gabon’s magic rich forests, lowland gorillas, and rare beaches.

The sudden move - a serious blow to sustainable tourism in the region – comes as a result of “the failure of negotiations following a dispute between the Gabonese civil aviation authorities (ANAC) and Africa’s Eden’s sister company SCD Aviation, which ran a regional airline charter company to transport tourists from the capital Libreville to the park.”

In a strongly worded statement, Africa’s Eden called ANAC a “malfunctioning civil aviation authority that failed to create the conditions necessary for regular and safe aviation transportation.” As a result of this, the EU blacklisted all Gabonese airlines in 2008 and it got “the lowest percentage of all audited countries (which) makes ANAC in Gabon one of the poorest performing civil aviation authorities in the world.”

Swanborn said numerous efforts had been made to come to an agreement, but they had failed. The inability of his company’s planes to function properly in Gabon had crippled the company and led to severe financial losses.

“We are highly disappointed,” he said, “as a solution would have benefited all parties involved. In the end, the Gabonese people. ”

Africa’s Eden is no longer promoting Gabon as a tourism destination. At least 125 people will lose their jobs when the company leaves. And conservation research, which has so far been helped to the tune of 3 million Euros in the study of whales, manatees, lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees, will lose a crucial benefactor.

(See A World Different’s Q&A with Africa’s Eden’s Jacqueline van den Broek.)

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Filed Under: A-F, Anti-Poaching, Carbon Footprint, Conservation, Environment, Features, Gabon, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: africa's eden, gorillas, manatees, whales

Jicaro Island Ecolodge, Nicaragua

July 14, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Afloat at Jicaro

Who They Are

Started by London businesswoman Karen Emanuel after she saw a sign ‘Island for Sale’ when she was visiting Nicaragua in 2007 – and then she bought it! – Jicaro is barely a year old and is already attracting praise and awards. Located not far from the ocean on a private island in Lake Nicaragua, its 9 casitas that look across the water to Mombacho volcano are all extremely private but only a short walk from the pool, the wellness center, and the main facilities.

The Zen of a Casita

Each casita has two levels, with the large bedroom above, and both floors have spacious decks to take in the views. The restaurant’s menu has plenty of options and prides itself on the selection of fresh fish from the lake and the sea, local vegetables and fruit, and locally raised chicken and beef. Besides yoga sessions and a variety of massage and wellness treatments, Jicaro offers tours to the historic Zapatera island and the volcano, hikes, and boating.

A Casita Hidden in the Greenery

An interesting aside: Guests can learn about local foods’ history, uses, and the different ways it can be prepared. Papayas, for instance, can be turned into juice, jam, pickled sauce, or a salad with feta cheese. Eat up!

What They Are Doing

Jicaro couldn’t do better than to take its sustainability lead from Costa Rica, which is exactly what it did. The team in charge of managing Jicaro has a decade-long track record in the field.

Built entirely from timber reclaimed from trees blown down by 2007’s Hurricane Felix, the buildings and furniture are made of tropical hardwoods which have a controlled wood certification. This the lodge did in conjunction with Simplemente Madera, designers and builders of both furniture and buildings in Jicaro that were already supporting sustainable forestry with the indigenous communities in the hurricane-affected areas before the devastation.

The Pool

Though still in its early stages, Jicaro is developing a program to work with local schools, focusing on environmental education, providing supplies and materials, and building infrastructure. To start with, they will work with three schools and just over 200 children, all under the age of 12.

From August through December, the Learning is Change program will, for two hours a week, use art, music, drama, and multimedia in order to expand the children’s approach to learning. Subjects to be taught with a combination of textbooks, hands-on activities, games, and field trips will include conservation, climate change, flora and fauna of the Nicaragua Lake, and sustainability. In order to achieve this, Jicaro is working with, as well as training, one of the female community leaders and four young adults from the local islands.

Kayaking on Lake Nicaragua

Three times a year Jicaro will give financial aid, in the form of infrastructure, supplies, and materials, to where they are most needed in the three schools. It will work in coordination with World Vision.

Starting in July, all employees will be take 6-hour courses that cover biodiversity, water, climate change, and sustainability. Each month after that there will be a field trip, homework activity, and a relevant guest speaker.

Recycling in Nicaragua is not as widespread as in Costa Rica, but last month saw the introduction of the employee recycling program.  Though it is voluntary, each employee is strongly encouraged to separate their garbage at home and then bring it to the hotel, which will dispose of it with the hotel’s recyclables.

A Lake Resident

In Their Own Words

“It is part of our goal to have sustainability streamlined into the lives of the people that work for us. We feel that exposing them thoroughly to the issues, making it fun and creative, will awaken a passion of some sort in them and motivate them to start making changes in their lives.”

Upstairs at a Casita

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Jicaro Island Ecolodge, Nicaragua, Restoration & Repurposing, Women Tagged With: cayuga, Costa Rica, forest, yoga

Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique

July 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A Dhow on Rolas Island

Who They Are

Far in the northern extremes of Mozambique, beyond Pemba in the Querimbas Archipelago, lies the beach oasis of Guludo Beach Lodge. Set up by Amy and Neal Carter-James, a young English couple who passionately believed that quality tourism could benefit poor, rural communities, Guludo goes much further in achieving sustainable tourism than countless resorts around the world that are many times bigger.

A Tented Banda by Night

Designed to blend in with the landscape without impacting it, the four types of accommodations all open up right onto the beach. The Adobe Bandas have king-size beds under a high thatched roof, and in the Tented Bandas your lodgings are beautifully furnished bespoke tents under thatch that let you feel a part of nature without losing the comfort. Also, there is the two-bedroom Family Banda and the more private Zala Suite.

The Simplicity of an Adobe Banda

If lazing on the white-sand beach gets boring, or you need a break from scuba-diving the coral reefs,  there are tours to the fascinating and historic Ibo Island and Rolas Island, as well as whale watching and, with the Querimbas National Park right behind you, a hideout to look for elephants.

Under their company Bespoke Experience the Carter-James plan to open other similar properties.

What They Are Doing

The Carter-James’s plans began to take root in 2002, when, at a meeting in Guludo village, community members said they would like to help them realize their dream of creating a lodge that helped the locals uplift themselves. Guludo was built following guidelines on how to make as little impact and be as unobtrusive as possible, and to respect local customs and culture. The lodge keeps in mind the principles of fair trade (such as employing 50 people from Guludo village and acquiring all its produce from within a five kilometer radius).

An Adobe Banda on the Beach

All furniture and furnishings were produced by local artisans on site, and even uniforms were made by a local tailor with locally bought fabric. Guests are encouraged to buy locally. Several groups have been set up in the area to provide products and crafts, including two weaving palm, one weaving bamboo, and one doing ceramics. These groups sell directly to guests and to the lodge, and a craft store is being created. It is hoped this will create work. The lodge also encourages local services, such as taking guests to a lookout to see elephants and promoting local dance groups.

Better Eating, Thanks to Nema

Five percent of Guludo’s income goes to a specially created foundation, Nema, which carries out an array of community and conservation projects. Numerous local issues were identified before Guludo opened – high infant mortality, lack of education, and lack of jobs.

Prior to Nema, less than one percent of children went on to study at secondary school and less than 20 percent completed all 7 years at primary school because of the costs and the need for children to help gather food. Nema is building two new primary schools and hopes to build a secondary school next year. A feeding scheme now provides a total of one nutritious meal to 550 children every school day. This year Nema has given out 79 scholarships, although funds are sorely needed to keep this number up (see how you can help). School attendance, as a result of these efforts, has increased by 350 percent.

The Fascinating Ibo Island

In the Guludo area the average life expectancy is 38, and 30 percent of children do not reach the age of five, many dying as a result of  malaria. In 2007 and 2008 over 4,400 insecticide-treated nets were distributed to each woman in six villages who were either pregnant or had children under five, resulting in over 10,000 people sleeping under nets. In 2010, Nema hopes to reach every woman with a child under five in all 12 neighboring villages.

Women Especially are Targeted for Help in Guludo Village

Every day 102 children in Mozambique are infected with HIV and less than three percent will receive treatment. The majority of new infections are in young people, with girls between 15 to 19 three times more at risk than boys the same age. A new local drama group has been trained to perform sketches illustrating the dangers of HIV, and its reception has been incredible, with whole villages turning out to watch the performances. Nema will also start to run HIV workshops, distribute condoms, and will show HIV awareness films. In 2010 it also plans to start a school soccer project to raise awareness among the youth.

Right Behind the Beach ... the Bush

In 2007, around Guludo, less than 50 percent of the population had access to safe water and the majority of pumps were in disrepair. In 2007/2008 Nema completed 28 new or rehabilitated water points and pumps in 12 villages, resulting in the provision of clean water to over 12,000 people.

A Humpback off Guludo

Guludo has also developed a seafood buyers guide to help people decide what non-endangered fish to buy. Guests have helped sponsor humpback whale research, and the lodge helps locals develop kitchen gardens and plans to start working with farmers to be more conscientious of protecting the forest and bush around them.

In Their Own Words

“Inspired by the people living in the Guludo area, Guludo Beach Lodge is just the beginning. Like many entrepreneurs, ideas are always abound and you never quite know what’s just around the corner in their quest of using business to relieve poverty.”

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Guludo Beach Lodge, Health, Mozambique, Women Tagged With: carter-james, crafts, nema, water, whale
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