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The Sierra de San Francisco archeological site, located in the central part of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, has a set of rock paintings belonging to what is known as the Great Mural, a pictorial tradition that experts consider to be one of the greatest in the world. It is estimated that these paintings were made at least 7,500 years ago, amid canyons in the area's majestic mountains.

This photograph shows a group of images in the "La Pintada" cave, located on a cliff nearly 200 feet above the bottom of a ravine. La Pintada is more than 550 feet long and its large mural is almost entirely decorated with hundreds of images of human figures wearing strange headdresses and bearing long spears and arrows painted black and ochre tones; different animals are also portrayed.

In 1993, UNESCO designated the rock paintings of Sierra de San Francisco a World Heritage Site.

This photograph is courtesy of Ecoturismo Kuyimá.

This entry was posted on February 7, 2014 at 12:24 PM and has received 150 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

In 2006, Meghan Casey and her husband Davis Azofeifa purchased Chilamate Jungle Private Reserve, a 52-acre (21-hectare) reserve in Costa Rica's San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor founded by Don Lindley Lumsden and his family in the 1940s. Together, Meghan and Davis built the Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ sustainable lodge.

Visitors to Chilamate can enjoy rafting, canopy exploration, horseback riding, zip-lining, mountain biking, kayaking, safari boat tours, sport fishing, swimming and more. We spoke with Casey about the reserve, home to 500 bird species, 300 tree species, and nearly 140 mammal species.

Question: How did you and your husband come to own the property?

Casey: In 2006, just after the birth of our daughter, my husband and I were trying to come up with a family project that would make a conservation difference in the area. One day, we were walking by the river and decided to explore a little farther than usual. We came across some people who turned out to be caretakers of the property. They let us look around and we asked if the owner was selling. A few days later, we got a call from Don Lumsden's daughter, who was then in charge of the reserve. She had been having trouble maintaining it, but had refused to sell because she wanted the next owner to be someone from Sarapiqui (as my husband is) who was committed to protecting the land.

Question: What are you doing to manage the retreat with an eye toward sustainability?

Casey: As soon as we started [building the lodge], we got the Rainforest Alliance's manual for best tourism practices. We also attended a number of [Rainforest Alliance] training sessions. We learned even more when Rainforest Alliance verification program auditors came to our property and gave us some great advice about improvements we could make.

Question: Tell us about some of their most valuable suggestions.

Casey: While my husband and I have always been committed to sustainability, we were not exactly business people. When the auditors came the first time, we had no computer, no website, no written materials and no real business plan. They gave us ideas for the business side of our project. They helped us develop a sustainability plan and a mission statement, and they told us that we needed to keep track of everything we were doing in terms of our work in conservation with the local community.

Question: What other sustainable business practices have you adopted?

Casey: We exclusively use biodegradable soaps and cleaning products, and we have solar panels that provide much of our electricity. We use live bacteria to clean the plumbing system. All of our organic waste is composted and we recycle everything we can. My husband is also really creative about devising eco-friendly alternatives. For example, he built a system of diverting rainwater for showers and toilets.

Question: Has doing all this helped your business to thrive financially?

Casey: Yes, purchasing waste wood and recycled materials from local businesses brings costs down significantly. In addition, our commitment to conservation appeals to visitors.

Question: How does Chilamate support the local community?

Casey: We support our neighbors' businesses whenever we can. We have a place close by where we buy cheese, eggs, milk, chicken and even fish. We also recommend that our guests go on tours with local companies.

In addition, Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat facilitates a program with Earth University and about 60 families in our community who run small farming operations. We meet periodically, and the farmers learn how to integrate affordable sustainable practices into their everyday farming.

We also give discounts to guests who make a donation to the community, do service days or support the community in some way.

Question: What's next for Chilamate?

Casey: We'd love to expand our reserve so that more of the region's biodiversity can be protected. We also want our neighbors, the smallholder farmers, to be able to continue their work; it's not easy for them to sustain themselves.

Question: Any highlights from your time managing the lodge and reserve?

Casey: When we first got here, I kept meeting kids and parents who had never even been in the rainforest before. I am proud to say that today there is not a single child in any of the three closest schools who has not visited us. This year, we're developing a program in the local schools so that students of every grade can come to the reserve at least once a year and experience walking through a rainforest.

This entry was posted on February 4, 2014 at 1:30 PM and has received 480 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

On the warm black sand beaches of the Caribbean island of Dominica, hundreds of tiny baby sea turtles emerge from their eggs and crawl to the sea. If you know when to go, you can witness this amazing natural phenomenon for yourself, and some hotels even have sea turtle conservation programs where you can help protect the adorable hatchlings (under the supervision of a trained scientist, of course). It's a spectacular experience all animal and nature lovers should have at least once in their lives.

All sea turtle species are threatened with extinction, often because of humans disturbing or destroying nesting beaches. Rosalie Bay Resort, where this photo was taken, has pioneered sea turtle conservation efforts in Dominica, and offers their guests opportunities to learn about and interact with leatherback, green (pictured), and hawksbill sea turtles.

 

You may also like:

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This entry was posted on January 31, 2014 at 2:25 PM and has received 801 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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Imagine staying at a hotel surrounded by the most delicious fruit trees and plants--where every trail you explore offers a sweet, natural snack. This is what you'll find at Fond Doux Holiday Plantation, on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, which features a delicious "edible landscape."

Oranges, bananas, starfruit, coconut, coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, and giant pods of cocoa grow all over this 19th century colonial plantation. In this picture, you can see their home grown cocoa beans drying in the sun after the fermentation process. These are used as the main ingredient for many delicious recipes, like their famous cocoa tea!

This entry was posted on January 24, 2014 at 1:39 PM and has received 323 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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By Thomas Enderlin

As the Costa Rican tourism industry continues to take off, one of the biggest challenges rural communities face is finding a balance between the conservation of traditional ways of life and the need for economic growth. A visionary new agrotourism project in the Dota region of Costa Rica--developed by a group of community leaders and Vancouver Island University--helps rural communities establish financial security, protect the environment and conserve their traditions.

The project is centered on a multi-day trail, known informally as the Los Santos EcoTrail. Descending through the Dota region before arriving at the Pacific Ocean in the city of Quepos, the trail links a handful of small coffee farming communities and homestays. Currently, five Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms are directly involved in the Los Santos EcoTrail project, with many others indirectly benefiting from the gradual growth of community-based ecotourism in the area.

The Dota region is world famous for its top quality coffee production. Here, Rainforest Alliance certification is helping to improve farming practices while reducing environmental impacts and providing economic and social benefits. But volatile coffee market swings and erratic climate patterns make economic diversification an important attribute in the region--and local communities are achieving this critical diversification through small-scale tourism enterprises connected to the Los Santos EcoTrail.

"We really believe in this project, and we are doing this for the future of our children," one community representative explained. "We love our rural way of life, and don't want to see that disappear."

With increasing demands for adventure and culinary tourism and an upswing of consumers interested in purchasing products featuring the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, projects like the Los Santos EcoTrail will provide opportunities for travelers to take their commitments one step further. These immersive vacations can provide a more direct connection to the origins of certified ingredients while demonstrating how farm and forestry certification benefits local rural communities and biodiversity.

On the trail, visitors also learn how local communities have survived off the land for generations. The people of Providencia still grind their shade grown coffee by hand. The people of Naranjillo let guests test their skills processing sugar cane into juice and crude molasses. Elsewhere along the journey, visitors are invited to make tortillas, learn traditional dances, and make artisanal crafts.

This model of diversified local economics is the future of sustainability. The Rainforest Alliance is currently exploring other agriculture and forestry landscapes that could benefit from small-scale sustainable agrotourism projects so that consumers can have an opportunity to travel to the places where their coffee, tea, and chocolate originate.

For more information on unique agrotourism opportunities, visit the Heart of Gold website.

Thomas Enderlin has a background in conservation, sustainable tourism, commodity trading and agriculture. He is currently based in San José, Costa Rica, where he divides his time as a project consultant, adventure travel guide, photographer, writer and cactus cultivator.

This entry was posted on January 7, 2014 at 1:03 PM and has received 1077 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

From Selva Verde Lodge's beginnings in the 1980s, it was a pioneer in supporting the local community, especially women. Deep in the lowland tropical rainforests of Sarapiquí, founders Giovanna Holbrook and Berth Carter hired members of remote local communities to work at their budding ecotourism lodge. They established a rule that staff members must retrieve their own paychecks, so that husbands could not collect their wives' earnings, helping women to gain domestic empowerment and independence.

For a long time, attending school was just a dream for Sarapiquí's poorest children because their families could not afford the cost of textbooks. Consequently, in 1993, Selva Verde Lodge partnered with JADE (Joventud Activa Desarrollo Educativo, or "Active Youth for Educational Development") to open a public library to give local children free access to the textbooks they needed. From these noble beginnings, the library evolved over the years into the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC), a robust community center that is now the local headquarters for the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor. Today, this impressive place is a community center, conservation organization, and ecotourism operation all in one.

Travelers to the Sarapiquí region come for the multitude of nature activities available in this lush jungle setting, such as rafting on the Sarapiquí River and visiting nearby hot springs, waterfalls, and volcanoes. Twenty minutes away from SCLC is another amazing ecotourism attraction: La Selva Biological Station, one of the world's most important sites for tropical biology research. La Selva Biological Station offers accommodations in its Rainforest Alliance Verified™ ecolodge and nature tours with bilingual naturalist guides. Back at SCLC, travelers can take advantage of the center's rich cultural ties and participate in Costa Rican cooking classes, Latin dancing classes, and visits to local schools and farms.

The Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center remains the only public library in the region. It is currently implementing programs such as a children's theater camp, preschool story time, open lab computer assistance, movie days, adult literacy programs, women's empowerment workshops, and celebrations for national and international holidays, such as World Water Day.

If you're looking for a great gift for an environmentally-conscious loved one (or if you're in the generous holiday spirit yourself), think about making a donation to SCLC's library! You'd be hard pressed to find a better cause than giving the gift of books, learning, and literacy. Learn how to make a donation on SCLC's donation page.

This entry was posted on December 18, 2013 at 12:35 PM and has received 1429 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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Our Making a Difference winner this month is Yacutinga Lodge, a very special sustainable lodge in Argentina located in the middle of the jungle and very close to one of South America's most famous attractions -- Iguazu Falls. The hotel is part of a small group of lodging providers in the department of Misiones that recently achieved Rainforest Alliance verification for sustainable tourism. As the first business in Argentina to earn Rainforest Alliance verification, it is a pioneer in the field of sustainability nationwide.

Yacutinga Lodge's director Carlos Sandoval tells us more about why tourists love this hotel, its history, and its efforts to remain an ally of the environment.

Question: What makes Yacutinga Lodge's location so special?

Sandoval: Yacutinga Lodge is located in one of the last remnants of the Interior Atlantic Forest ecoregion, which used to be the second largest forest in Latin America up until the early 20th century. Today, the forest that's left remains an area of very high biodiversity, rich in endemic species, with nearly 500 species of birds and more than 700 species of butterflies. Our guests can explore the curiosities of this subtropical forest accompanied by professional ecologists and native Guarani guides in Yacutinga's private nature reserve.

In addition, we are close to the legendary Iguazu Falls, a main attraction for visitors to southern South America.

Q: Why did you decide to build a sustainable lodge instead of a traditional one?

Sandoval: Yacutinga Lodge was created to be the economic backbone of a larger environmental project in the region. It was made for lovers of nature and for the intelligent traveler who wants to interact responsibly with the environment.

Q: What are the importance and benefits of becoming Rainforest Alliance Verified^TM ?

Sandoval: Achieving Rainforest Alliance verification is a reflection of our commitment to continuous improvement. We are delighted to receive this distinction after working so hard since the lodge was opened years ago to support sustainability. We hope that the Rainforest Alliance verified seal will now help us attract responsible tourists and build a sustainable identity.

Q: What were the main challenges you had to overcome to build and now run a business that is friendly to the environment and the communities?

Sandoval: Throughout the history of this project, there was one undeniable challenge: building with local labor in a quasi-pristine environment of tangled, wet jungle, far from modern civilization. It took us two years of intensive but highly constructive and creative work. Everyone involved participated enthusiastically, sharing technical or empirical knowledge and showing great coordination to optimize costs and efforts in a difficult working environment that had no drinking water, electricity, or roads. We consider ourselves late 20th century pioneers.

After inaugurating Yacutinga, the second great challenge began: constantly improving the delivery of services to ensure guest satisfaction and to keep local staff trained. This chapter is still alive, and it is a never ending process.

Q: How has Yacutinga's private wildlife refuge helped protect the valuable ecosystem in which it's located?

Sandoval: The refuge, which we administer, has been essential in protecting the region's natural resources. This reserve is a stronghold for the conservation of the Paraná Forest. Many scientific studies funded by Yacutinga Lodge have been carried out that have high academic value and have provided important data for improving our management of the area. We've used this information to make the hotel a self-sustaining economic and conservation system.

More than 320 species of birds and 572 species of butterflies have been documented in the reserve, and we even discovered 70 species that were new to Argentina and one subspecies new to science! We have planted over 20,000 native trees in the reserve as part of the project for forestry enrichment that we have been developing for six years. We also have volunteer and environmental education programs that we consider the soul of the Yacutinga project.

Q: Do you do anything to benefit the Guarani indigenous people?

Sandoval: The neighboring Kagui Pora community is a Guarani settlement of about 45 families who have many immediate and structural needs. We are constantly supporting them, not with a "charitable" approach but rather by training them to adapt to the dynamic of today's world without losing their roots. Little by little, and with great respect, we invite them to be involved in our ecotourism activities and our DO project, which aims to recycle non-polluting wastes generated by the lodge and transform them into art.

Q: How can tourists get involved with your sustainability efforts?

Sandoval: We invite guests to actively participate during their stay and provide ideas and contacts to help them do so. We do not ask for help or donations; we encourage them to have a respectful and responsible attitude toward our ecosystem and the local communities.

Q: What are Yacutinga's plans for keeping current and making improvements in the realm of sustainability?

Sandoval: We believe that keeping current requires constant improvement and maintaining the love for what you do. Regarding project sustainability, we aim to get the authorities more actively engaged with our work, since the threats are coming from outside of our gates. We need a stronger stance from those who govern us, one that is characterized by a long-term vision for solving together the negative impacts generated by the exploitative culture that has traditionally prevailed in the area.

This entry was posted on December 3, 2013 at 4:49 PM and has received 910 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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Guanacaste, a province located in the northwestern part of Costa Rica, showcases some of the most beautiful sites in the country – and the beautiful Catarata Oropéndola is one of them! This waterfall spills an impressive 82 feet (25 meters) in a natural shower to a sparkling turquoise pool below. It is placed in a beautiful vegetated canyon of Río Blanco (White River), close to the Rincón de la Vieja volcano, making a picturesque tropical oasis that is inviting for a refreshing swim.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín organizes horseback riding and hiking tours to Oropéndula waterfall. Visitors can go by horseback 45 minutes on a scenic trail and then have a short walk to get to the waterfall canyon. There are two options available for those who prefer to enjoy a hike. One departs from the hacienda by minibus to the parking lot of the national park (10 minutes); from there, they walk 15 minutes to the waterfall. The second option is hiking a scenic forest trail from the hotel to the waterfall – approximately 1.5 hours each way.

This entry was posted on November 29, 2013 at 5:33 PM and has received 424 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon is the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve, an area that is rich in biodiversity and home to several small communities that depend on natural resources for a living. Pousada Garrido is the only hotel in the Tumbira region, and it is owned by a former logger and community leader named Roberto Mendonça.

Pousada Garrido has become a source of income for Mendonça as well as several other local families who offer tourism services to visitors. The inn also uses solar energy (as does the entire community), recycles, supports local artisans with reusable materials, and purchases foods from local producers. This year, Pousada Garrido earned Rainforest Alliance verification for sustainable tourism.

Tourists are drawn to Tumbira for the richness and exuberance of its forests, including the many bird species that abound there. Mendonça partnered with a local tour guide named Cleudilon, whose nickname is Passarinho, or "little bird" in Portuguese, because he can perfectly imitate 32 types of birds! (Scroll down to see an awesome video of Cleudilon calling to birds in the forest.) The two recently undertook a project to make the inn into a perfect site for bird watching. And you can help make it happen! Visit the community's crowdfunding page, to help them turn Tumbira into a community-based ecotourism center.

Paula Arantes of Garupa, the NGO helping Mendonça and Cleudilon raise money for the project, tells us more about the initiative.

Question: What is the plan for the money you hope to raise?

Paula Arantes: Roberto and Cleudilon want to turn their community into a birding and community tourism center. To get started, they intend to adapt the infrastructure of Pousada Garrido to sustainably accommodate more guests and provide what is needed for birding. They also want to publish a guide to the local birdlife as a reference for tourists and an educational resource for the children of the community.

Q: Why are Tumbira and Pousada Garrido such special places for bird watching?

Arantes: Though you can see birds everywhere in Amazon, Tumbira is special because its pathways make it easy to see many varieties of birds, and the area is easily accessible by land or by boat. Furthermore, Cleudilon's incredible talent for imitating birds and really enhances the birding experience.

Q: What do you need to carry out the project?

Arantes: Investments need to be made to expand the inn without negatively impacting the environment. More equipment is also needed for bird watching, and Cleudilon needs resources to develop the bird guide. The goal is to raise around US$8,800 (20,000 Brazilian reales) to help cover building materials, labor, the development of the guide, and more.

Q: What progress has been made so far?

Arantes: Thanks to the Rainforest Alliance verification process, we've identified the appropriate areas for making investments and improvements in a sustainable way.

Q: How does this project benefit the community?

Arantes: More tourists means more sustainable income for the residents! Supporting community-based tourism is one of the best ways for travelers to ensure that their vacation is sustainable.

Q: How can people help?

Arantes: On the project page on the Garupa website, you can find more details about the initiative and make an online donation to co-finance this effort. Donors receive tokens of appreciation, such as photographs, the bird guide, and even stays at the inn, depending on the amount contributed. Donating any amount, no matter how small, and sharing our project with your friends and family is the best way to make Roberto's dream a reality!

Watch this amazing video to see how Cleudilon imitates birds!

This entry was posted on November 25, 2013 at 5:13 PM and has received 1849 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

The Andes Mountains form some of the most beautiful natural scenery in South America. The larger-than-life landscapes will leave you in awe, whether you're exploring on foot or on horseback. Where this picture was taken, in Peru, temperatures will range from a mild 65 degrees Fahrenheit in the lowest valleys to a frigid 32 degrees among the snow-dusted peaks.

This photo was taken on a tour with Condor Travel, a member of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS).

This entry was posted on November 22, 2013 at 2:15 PM and has received 665 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.