Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
This Sunday our local school Carbonera arranged a “Domingo Deportivo”, to raise funds for some repairs that need to be done in the classrooms. Different people and organizations from the community pitched in by donating money, drinks and food to sell to the visitors who came to watch the big attraction: matches between the local soccer teams!
Besides donating some funds and drinks, El Remanso’s staff was eager to put on its bright orange t-shirts to play against the other teams for this good cause. The rain did not stop us! And the fundraiser was a success!
Gilberth watching the game!
Small interruption due to cramps...:)
Despite the rain, hotel guests Martha and Vinod joined us to watch the team play!
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Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Tomorrow’s a big day for us: we get evaluated for the Certification for Sustainable Tourism!
Ever since El Remanso’s creation, we’ve strived to make the most positive impact in our surroundings, producing 100% of our energy from renewable resources, putting our property into conservation, working with local providers, cooking with as many organic ingredients as we can get, refusing to treat our pool with chemicals or placing air-conditioning and cable in our rooms, hiring only local people, inviting you to enjoy the rainforest in its most natural state and many other efforts. We are constantly trying to do things better and this certification is our opportunity to see how well we are doing!
Tomorrow the Costa Rican Tourism Board will take a thorough look through the lodge, talk to workers and guests, take all the evidence we have managed to gather for the certification and then take it all to be evaluated with a team of experts. Hopefully in about a month or two we should know the results!
Please send us your good wishes. We’ll let you know how it goes!
For more information on this certification, please visit http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/en/.
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Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Two very big eyes stared at Walter in the dark as he shone his flashlight up the trail on his way out from working at El Remanso.
Not knowing who -or what- those eyes belonged to, he dashed to his motorcycle for better light, and the beam hit the right spot just in time to see a large puma dart into the jungle night!
Although no wildcat has ever been reported to attack a human in Costa Rica, Walter confesses to have been quite frightened when he saw it last night. Still, he knows he has been very fortunate to see this magnificent rainforest predator.
Wildcats are on the verge of extinction, and the Osa Peninsula is one of the few remaining places where they can still find a healthy ecosystem to live in. However, they need all the help they can get as habitat loss and poaching continue to be a threat to their survival.
Aida and Ricardo are two young researchers that dedicate their lives to ensure the safety and survival of wildcats in the Osa Peninsula. One of the things they have done is to install camera-traps throughout the area outside of Corcovado National Park, so that they can monitor the abundance of wildcats and their prey.
At El Remanso we have purchased and installed camera-traps in our own reserve, so that we can contribute to this wonderful project. Take a look at some of the animals that have been roaming our property! For more information on Aida and Ricardo’s work with wildcats in the area, please click http://www.yaguara.org/eng/index.php.
Ocelots' patterns are like human finger prints: completely different from each other!
Though tayras look similar to cats, they're actually closer related to the weasel family
Collared peccary searching for food
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Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Before you decide to have a pool, make sure you can keep it friendly with the environment.
1. Ensure that the water you’re taking does not deprive others from water in your human and natural community.
2. Choose a chemical-free way to treat your water (sand filters, ionization)
3. Use the water for as long as possible, but when you discard it, put it to good use (give it back to nature, water the plants, mop the floor, wash your car, flush your toilet, get creative!)
At El Remanso we have a small pool with a very unique system. We are proud to be 100% free of any chemicals whatsoever to run our pool, and this is how it happens:
-We fill our pool with spring water from our rainforest preserve. This water reaches our pool thanks to a mechanical pump activated by the force of the natural drop of the creek.
-When the sun rises, a solar panel activates the cleaning pump.
-This pump makes the water in the pool continually flow into a sand filter, which frees the water from impurities, and sends it back into the pool.
-Every 3 days, we brush the insides of the pool and plug in a special solar-powered hand vacuum, to rid the pool from dirt and prevent algae from appearing.
- When bigger sand and dirt particles build up and can’t be taken out with a net or vacuum, what we do is send the water back into the creek where it came from, just as naturally as it was “lent” to us and all with the pure force of gravity.
-The sides of the pool are washed by hand with nothing more than a scrubbing brush and more water.
-The pool is refilled again and the cycle starts over.
This system fits our particular case, but each case is different. You might not have access to your own water spring, for example, or you might live in a place where a pool heater is needed. The important thing is to always aim not only for the lowest impact on nature and the community, but hopefully even for a positive output. As we said before, get creative!
We found this link online that might be useful for more ideas on how to make your pool environmentally sound: http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/for-the-home/swimming-pools-and-the-environment-is-your-pool-eco-friendly.htm.
Let us know if you have any ideas or if you know of a different link that might be useful!
Thanks for sharing!
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
To celebrate this important nature holiday, we invited our guests to plant a tree with us in our native plant garden. Miguel and his father Alfredo were especially helpful and willing to learn about the “Guayabo de Mono” that Miguel planted and watered. When Miguel comes back to visit in a few years, the tree will have bloomed and provided plenty of fruit to the four species of monkeys that live in this area.
You can try doing the same at home! There’s no need to wait for a special occasion when you can invent it yourself:
-Consider planting a tree with your kids during the weekend, to spend some time with them and help them learn a little about the environment and about responsibility in general
-Plant a tree with your spouse as a symbol of your love towards each other =)
- Choose a tree that is native to the natural ecosystem in your area, so that it attracts birds and butterflies
-Your tree will grow into a natural element that will add life to your home, as well as privacy and shade
-You and your family will enjoy it for generations!
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