| 1. Policies and Programs |
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1.1 The hotel keeps written records identifying and monitoring negative environmental impact. Weight:
1
[ ] yes [ ] no |
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| Lapa Rios was designed and built to model proven environmental practices, and includes this challenge as part of its sustainability mission
(Copy: sustainability plan)
(Copy: statement of purpose)
(Copy: vision statement) |
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Each day management and department leaders confirm and report any negative environmental impacts to the manager and maintenance leader for immediate documentation and repair.
(Copy: ongoing maintenance report)
(Copy: diesel consumption chart)
(Copy: waste control data
(Copy: water report)
(Copy: forest guard daily report) |
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A copy of permits/licenses to harvest and transport protected products must accompany each purchase.
(Copy: suiita permit) |
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1.2 Specific mitigation plans have been designed by the hotel to deal with negative environmental impact or accident (emergencies). Weight:
1
[ ] yes [ ] no |
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The generator and diesel tank platforms are equipped with large curbs and drainage ditches to capture any spill.
(Copy: generator emergency procedures) |
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To mitigate sound pollution, 2 new generators have been purchased. Each has a special soundproof case and an additional muffler system.
(See: new generators) |
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There are over 20 drainage ditches throughout the project to reduce/eliminate soil erosion. They are cleaned routinely. Lapa Rios also maintains public roads and culverts.
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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Lapa Rios drivers and staff remove any trees, branches and trash found along the Lapa Rios portion of the public road. |
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There is an operational trash separation program for both guests and staff. Management routinely monitors all separation and distribution areas. Only recycled materials are promoted, and collected/non-recyclable waste is disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. |
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There are 10 small, separate septic tanks that are monitored/cleaned routinely.
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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The kitchen drains have separate grease tanks—monitored with routine cleaning.
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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There is 1 gray water rock-filled catch basin per/2 cabins, 1 each in large sink areas. |
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Lapa Rios recently spent over $8,000 engineering and upgrading the laundry drain field. |
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The hotel has a management plan for water, waste and energy.
(Copy: water conservation plan)
(Copy: waste reduction plan)
(Copy: energy conservation plan) |
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1.3 The hotel continues to participate in programs for environmental improvement of its surrounding areas and/or other regions throughout the country. Weight. 2
[ ] yes [ ] no |
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Lapa Rios helped to rebuild and promote a locally run turtle project at the Piro Beach area. Guide-designed tri-weekly turtle tours fund the community’s effort and assist their involvement for the area’s conservation. The hotel encourages other local tourism projects to support the Piro Community.
(Copy: tours – turtles)
(Copy: turtle project booklet) |
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- William Gutiérrez, a Lapa Rios guide, takes the Carbonera School children on guided rain forest tours to encourage appreciation of nature. |
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Lapa Rios works with the Corcovado Foundation and donated $8,200 for a forest guard’s salary June 2003-04. Lapa Rios promotes this idea within the Osa Peninsula and Costa Rica, challenging other projects to assist the National Park’s better management goal with 5 extra forest guards.
(Copy: donation report)
(Copy: Tico Times article) |
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Lapa Rios promotes the “Save the Tapir” project, an ongoing project at Corcovado National Park. Guests are encouraged to leave donations for this project.
(Copy: Corcovado tapir project) |
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The Lapa Rios staff is looked upon as models in the Osa community, as they are employees of a successful business that teaches and promotes solid environmental practices. For this reason they must be stewards to local environment practices. Without exception employees participate and choose environmentally correct products, support local recycling programs and give support to the Lapa Rios program. Their environmental training is continuously upgraded. |
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In 2003 Lapa Rios naturalist guide Danilo Alvarez gave a lecture about snakes to the Pto. Jiménez High School. |
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In 2001 the Lapa Rios office in Pto. Jiménez created an office-style recycling program, demonstrating to local businesses how to improve their use of products and minimize waste. |
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M.O.P.T. (Ministry of Transportation) and Lapa Rios have designed a “no-cut canopy roadway” in the Matapalo area. This movement was begun by Lapa Rios in 1993 and now has numerous neighbors helping preserve the forest canopy through controlled ‘low branch-only’ trimming. |
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Lapa Rios cleans pubic road litter found along the 5-km. road passing through the area. Lapa Rios beach area waste is collected and recycled weekly. Signs located along the road inform tourists and neighbors about this intent.
(Photo) |
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In 2001 Lapa Rios assisted the teacher at the Carbonera School to create and complete a school-sponsered recycling program. Every year Lapa Rios helps teach new skills with and for the teacher and students. |
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To support ongoing local recycling Lapa Rios collects the separated trash collected and sorted at the Carbonera School every Monday morning. |
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With funds collected by Lapa Rios-sponsered La Asociación de Educacion an solar panel system was installed at the Rio Oro school.
(Copy: donation report) |
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Model with organization: minimize truck use by including recently purchased vegetables, refilled soda/beer bottles, etc. in guest transfer vehicles. This practice models to guests and the community that trucks can be multi-functional in order to save diesel, create less exhaust, minimize road use, lower noise pollution, etc.
(Copy: transfer schedule/control) |
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| At the request of staff leaders the hotel buys bulk-size boxes of energy efficient bulbs for resale to employees at a reduced per unit cost. |
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| 1.4 The hotel is a member of regional or local organizations that work on solving environmental and social programs. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no. |
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| Lapa Rios funds the Asociación de Educación de la Escuela Carbonera, thereby promoting and supporting basic and environmental education for local children and families. |
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| We build with gmelina trees/branches from the Stone Forestal trimming process or plantation-grown teak. Non-endemic tree plantations already exist in the region, creating small scale lumbering for small communities. Though planting exotic species is not environmentally sound, using these byproducts helps relieve pressure locals feel to cut their old growth forests for profit. |
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Our gift shop is small intentionally; we encourage guests to support the village entrepreneurs.
(See: gift shop promotional flier) |
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| All postcards sold at Lapa Rios are purchased retail from The Neotropical Foundation, a World Wildlife Fund project educating local landowners in alternative uses of old growth forests, encouraging farmers to avoid deforestation with alternative indigenous planting/harvesting activities. |
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Lapa Rios is member of The International Ecotourism Society and supports it on a yearly basis.
(Copy: Thank you letter from Ecotourism Society) |
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| Lapa Rios seeks cooperation and guidance in environmental issues from The Cecropia Foundation. This foundation is financially assisted by Lapa Rios with weekly donations of recyclable glass. |
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Lapa Rios employees demonstrated commitment to the environment with a non-support letter to the government and national media, protesting unchecked deforestation in the Osa Peninsula.
(Copy: letter to the government and media) |
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Lapa Rios works closely with INBio in San José, training guides and providing a platform for research for INBio scientists.
(Copy: meetings notes)
(See: INBio park, Heredia) |
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| Lapa Rios supports the The Nature Conservancy office in Costa Rica. |
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With assistance from the legal staff at CEDARENA in San José the 400 hectares Lapa Rios nature reserve is in process of a permanent donation to The Nature Conservancy.
(See: conservation easement) |
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CEDARENA’s informational packet helps educate guests and promote conservation.
(Copy: CEDARENA/land trust program) |
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| 2. Emissions and waste |
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2.1 The hotel strictly maintains and periodically registers the composition and quality of its residual water (treated wastewater) Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no
(Copy: letter from Ministry of Health) |
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2.2 The hotel has a (treated) wastewater certification issued by the Department of Environmental Control in the Ministry of Health. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no
(Copy: letter from Ministry of Health) |
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| 2.3 The hotel operates wastewater treatment to avoid discharging waste directly into the environment. Weight: 3 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| Black wastewater (toilets) passes to septic tanks then rock-lined drain fields. Gray (washing) water into rock-lined drain fields. |
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| The disposal areas and septic tanks are checked monthly for leaks, improper draining, saturation, etc. |
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Proper and periodic cleaning of the septic tanks is done to avoid saturation. The waste removal company presented the proper waste disposal permits.
(Copy: waste dumping permit) |
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| No wastewater goes into neighboring rivers or the ocean. |
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| An environmentally proven design covered drain/leach field was built in 2003 for the laundry area. |
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| 2.4 Wastewater is discharged without alteration to the environment. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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If any saturation problems have been detected the drain fields have been closed and new areas constructed.
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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A new swimming pool drain system (2003) captures fast flowing pool wastewater for slow release, non-impact distribution into the forest.
(See: new construction) |
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| 2.5 Residual water is appropriately re-utilized (recycled). Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] NA |
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There is regular and frequent rain throughout the year in the Osa Peninsula rain forest. Capturing rain water and building a distribution system is non-applicable.
(Copy: precipitation report) |
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| 2.6 Rainwater is managed and diverted through systems that do not alter the environment. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a. |
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Over 20 large drainage ditches divert water, greatly reducing erosion problems.
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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| 2.7 Any source of emissions pollution in the surrounding area of the establishment is reported to government agencies. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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All employees are aware that a healthy environment is crucial to their job security. The forest guard, as well as any other employee active in and around the project, must report any source of emissions pollution into the monitored logbook.
(Copy: ongoing maintenance report)
(Copy: good environmental habits) |
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| Because of excess exhaust both generators were completely overhauled in 2002. |
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| During Easter week 2003, a taxi truck crashed when coming up the steep hill by Lapa Rios. Management and maintenance checked the surrounding area, looking for oil or gasoline spills. |
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| 2.8 Warning signs are used to identify contaminated areas. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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| Products that are contaminates and have not been fully used (paints, varnish, roof poison, etc.) are sent to town to the gas station (bomba) for immediate containment and/or re-use by locals. |
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The battery containment area has been sited with GPS and mapped with the international ‘toxic’ symbol on the Lapa Rios baseline.
(See: baseline study)
(Copy: map) |
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A self-guided trail booklet highlights facts regarding various points of natural interest along the 1-kilometer trail. This guide identifies an area of noise pollution coming from the generator, suggesting the balance that tourism imposes on land conservation.
(Copy: Self guided tour booklet- generator) |
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| 2.9 The hotel actively participates in the program “Ecological Blue Flag Program” for coastal zones. Weight: 3 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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Lapa Rios began conversations with community members living near the beach about the need for the Ecological Blue Flag program. The Playa Dulce beach is still considered remote and inaccessible and after 3 years we still encounter intense resistance to participation, as neighbors feel added infrastructure or improvements to the beach area will only attract greater use. To introduce change (even pre-emptive) to an isolated wilderness beach without any community endorsement or assistance would potentially be hazardous to the community-hotel relationship. More time and conversations about preventative measures are required to shift attitudes and cooperation.
(Copy: Blue flag application) |
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| Lapa Rios installed a 55-gallon drum for trash at the beach closest to the lodge (1/2 km. away). This trash is collected weekly, separated and distributed for routine recycling. |
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| 3. Gardens |
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| 3.1 The garden area is primarily composed of local or indigenous plants. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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The gardens in 2003 are primarily endemic species plants found locally in the shade-covered Lapa Rios reserve. These transplanted native species plants have gradually replaced formerly planted sun-loving exotics.
(Copy: gardener’s monthly maintenance routine)
(Copy: receipt vivero, augmenting endemic species) |
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| 3.2 The hotel does not allow non-native ornamental plants used in the gardens to disperse or impact the surrounding environment. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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| All exotic plant materials are being removed as the shady areas expand to support indigenous plants. (The 1993 exotic grass hillsides had to recover soil nutrition as well as shade cover before any shade-loving endemic plant species would survive.) |
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| Most exotic plants were planted with cuttings (estacas); few produce seeds. Management oversees control of possible exotic dispersal. |
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| Plant propagation/introduction is management-directed. |
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Rain forest harvested endemic plant material is labeled and included in the guide.
(See: plant identification booklet) |
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| 3.3 Common tree species are properly identified with both its local and scientific name. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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Yes: more than 50 different endemic species plants have been scientifically labeled with plastic tags.
(See: plant identification booklet) |
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| 3.4 A written and illustrated brief guide to the garden species is available for guest education. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no [ ] n/a |
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Yes. More than 50 different endemic species plants have been scientifically identified and illustrated.
(See: plant identification booklet) |
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The guests are provided with a self-guided tour book when walking on their own on a short trail near the main lodge.
(See: self guided tour booklet) |
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A glossary of Central American edible endemic plants precedes The Lapa Rios Story.
(See: The Lapa Rios Story, Chapter 1) |
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The medicine tour provides guests with a printed handout identifying various local medicinal rain forest plants.
(Copy: medicine tour handout) |
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Guests are provided with an overview of trees and birds along the route from Pto. Jiménez .
(Copy: drive between Lapa Rios and Pto. Jiménez) |
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| 3.5 Natural techniques are used in garden maintenance to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or fungicides. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| Dead leaves and plant cuttings overlay the plants’ roots, a locally sound practice that provides natural fertilizer as well as help in protecting the plant’s roots from drying during the hot summer months; it eliminates the need for frequent watering. |
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All fruit and vegetable peelings from the hotel and staff kitchens are deposited in compost piles for soil production. This composted soil is used for planting new plants as well as garden dressing to existing materials.
(Copy: receipt organic fertilizer) |
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| 4. Natural areas |
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| 4.1 The hotel encourages guests to visit the national parks and protected areas. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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Guests may choose to take a hiking tour to Corcovado National Park or a boat tour up the Rio Esquinas contiguous to the Piedras Blancas National Park. Tours to Caño Island are offered upon request.
(Copy: tours – Corcovado, Rio Esquinas) |
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| Almost 100% of the conservation-minded tourists coming to Lapa Rios have or will visit other natural areas in Costa Rica. The protection of the environment is the part of the Lapa Rios guests’ profile. |
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| The Lapa Rios Ecolodge and Reserve protects an area of more than 400 hectares of lowland Pacific rain forest. The private reserve is only accessible to registered guests. Guests generally take 3 reserve hikes during their visit to Lapa Rio; a part of each tour cost maintains the reserve. |
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There are numerous guidebooks to assist guests with other choices while in Costa Rica. Staff guides, management and receptionists offer tour suggestions. Because the Ecolodge is intentionally small most guests talk among themselves, sharing relevant information.
(See: library table)
(See: Costa Rican guidebooks and natural history books) |
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| 4.2 The hotel keeps detailed information about national preserved areas for its guest. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| The Corcovado and Rio Esquinas experience is described in the tour books and front desk staff also provide an explanation of what the visitors experience. |
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| Most guests have pre-set itineraries but staff have been trained to teach and use Lapa Rios-owned guidebooks with guests, recommending other parks and hotels to visit. Commonly discussed areas: Monteverde, Arenal, and Tortuguero. |
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Several Costa Rican national parks photo books have been purchased for guest use, and are offered for sale.
(See: library table)
(See: gift shop)
(See: Costa Rican guidebooks and natural history books) |
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CEDARENA, a non-profit legal organization developing private land trusts in Costa Rica, created the Lapa Rios Conservation Easement with a supporting baseline study. Information about this organization’s mission, projects and land protection is available for guests to read.
(See: CEDARENA/land trust programs) |
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| 4.3 The hotel knows and complies with the national principles for activities within natural area. It informs the clients about such regulations. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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All informational booklets include our general conservation principles.
(Copy: Welcome to the Lapa Rios Reserve) |
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Standard guide/maintenance practices in the Lapa Rios Reserve are the general regulations used in national parks and reserves, and have been taught/overseen by MINAE staff together with the agencies CEDARENA (land preservation organization) and Centro Cientifico Central.
(Copy: MINAE regulations) |
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Guides have a training manual to assist with sound environmental practices, both for guide behavior and the Lapa Rios guests.
(Copy: guide manual—Spanish and English) |
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Guest written and oral information includes simple hiking practices designed to aid conservation with personal safety issues.
(Copy: guest suggestions)
(Copy: orientation topics)
(Copy: preparing for your tour) |
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Forest guard and trail maintenance staff build steps and trail railings only in high-risk areas. Only fallen materials or regenerating forest palitos are used. Erosion control is maintained routinely. (Walk: self-guided trail.)
(Copy: monthly maintenance routine) |
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| 4.4 The hotel owns a natural reserve area. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| Yes, over 400 hectares, to be used exclusively by registered guests. |
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The guest receives a verbal invitation to enjoy hiking the reserve with guides who will educate them about the flora and fauna of the Osa Peninsula. Hikes are geared to different interest and ability and rotated daily to avoid trail abuse and interruption.
(Copy: orientation topics) |
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Guests receive a map of the Lapa Rios site, highlighting only the self-guided trail. To maintain the reserve guests must hike with guides on the unmarked, longer trails.
(Copy: map) |
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| 4.5 The hotel’s protected area is properly managed. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| The hotel uses less than 1% of the property titled to Lapa Rios. All activities within the reserve use a small portion of the land available. |
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Few trails have been cut into the huge reserve. The remaining land is dedicated to wilderness protection, never to be used in perpetuity.
(See: baseline study)
(See: conservation easement) |
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Only a limited number of people are permitted daily on the trails. Each tour has a maximum of 6-8 people: some tours are daily, others use trails on alternating days. Maximum number of guests hiking the 1,000-acre reserve is less than 30 per day.
(Copy: tour sign up sheet) |
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| Neither non-registered guests nor outside guides are permitted to use the reserve without management agreement. This plan promotes conservation by limiting the number of trails and hikers, insures ongoing payment for maintenance and controls/protects the number of hikers potentially lost. |
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CEDARENA, with The Nature Conservancy, designed a conservation easement to protect the reserve in perpetuity. Future land use will be limited to registered Lapa Rios guests. The Reserve will be monitored 4-times yearly by CEDARENA for environmental and ecotourism practices.
(See: conservation easement) |
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| 4.6 The hotel participates in or supports the maintenance or management of a natural protected area (private or public). Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| The conservation of the 1,000-acre private reserve is part of the project’s mission, a principle reason motivating a guests’ visit. |
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In 2003 Lapa Rios donated $8,200 for the addition of a full time forest guard in Corcovado National Park.
(Copy: donation report) |
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Ongoing scheduled Lapa Rios tours to the Piro Beach turtle project help maintain a pristine regional conservation area run by a local community.
(Copy: tours – turtle tour)
(Copy: turtle project booklet) |
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| 5. Protection of flora and fauna |
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| 5.1 The hotel actively promotes and enforces non-extraction of plants or wildlife by tourists, staff or neighbors. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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No plant or animal species are harvested for transplant or sale to other areas from the Reserve. This no harvest-no collect posture removes temptation by staff or visitors to extricate flora or fauna for either duplication or profit elsewhere.
(Copy: employee rules) |
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There is a written warning regarding non-extraction of plants, animals or any naturally-found materal. This policy is listed in the room information booklet. Guides also reinforce this practice during hikes.
(Copy: guest suggestions) |
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| Forest guards and/or management advise neighbors about the no hunt-no harvest natural materials in the reserve. Personal contact works better than signs; community members know their cooperation keeps jobs in the area and the intact, diverse forest guarantee visitors. |
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| 5.2 The hotel demonstrates its resolve to prevent commercialization of natural products (animal, plant or their products) forbidden by local law. Weight: 2 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| Neither commercial farming nor harvesting of any products is permitted in Lapa Rios. The staff and neighbors know that law prohibits poaching of any flora or fauna. Recent management enforcement, with the assistance of MINAE and Costa Rican law, demonstrated to neighbors that hunters would be prosecuted. |
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| The 1992/3-planted suiita crop (palm plant used for roofs) demonstrates to locals how to use a rain forest for personal use or, with granted MINAE permits, how to use a forest for commercial gain. |
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Lapa Rios only buys natural products that have registered and paid permits—for both harvesting and transporting.
(Copy: suiita permit) |
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Any staff member caught poaching, hunting or selling products from the reserve would be fired immediately and taken to MINAE. The employee rules contain this guideline.
(Copy: employee rules) |
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| 5.3 No wildlife species are kept captive or artificially fed. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| No. No bird or animal feeding stations are used. Employees are reminded routinely to resist unknowing-guest encouragement to feed animals. |
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| 5.4 The hotel has developed activities to avoid the artificial feeding (direct or indirect) of native wildlife. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no. |
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| There are numerous endemic species plants (heliconias, plantains, secondary ever-flowering trees, etc.), purposefully planted near the facilities to provide feeding areas for birds, butterflies and animals. |
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| All employees know that feeding wild animals would lead to suspension or loss or employment. |
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| The gardener has been taught which plants attract which wildlife and assist guests to see animals. Restaurant and reception staff members know which plants have the best wildlife and take guests to those areas. |
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| The collected food scraps are distributed to neighbor’s pigs. |
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| 5.5 The hotel’s external illumination system does not produce alterations on the natural environment or changes on wildlife behavior. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| 11-watt energy-saving bulbs illuminate the pathways and front of the cabins, bringing more insects and those things that feed on them. |
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| Human-introduced changes to the environment impact the wilderness; whether it is detrimental or positive depends on interpretation. Path lights have attracted greater amounts of insects thereby impacting change by attracting more nocturnal wildlife to the developed areas. Most guests find the increased presence of these reptiles, birds and animals a curiosity and the entomological disturbance a good impact favoring their experience. |
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| 5.6 The hotel’s sources of noise are appropriately away or isolated from sites to prevent alterations to the environment. Weight: 1 [ ] yes [ ] no |
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| The entire Lapa Rios project is surrounded by its natural environment, thereby any placement of noise will affect the environment. |
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| The generator is 700 meters from the public buildings, isolating most of the noise pollution from most of the guests. |
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The new diesel generators (installed 2003) have extra muffling capacities on the exhaust line as well as thickly insulated case cover.
(See: new generators) |
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Vehicle use is limited to the 2 trucks in the property by gates with private signs. Anyone entering without permission is stopped.
- There is no music played in the Ecolodge and no telephone-fax service interrupts guests with ringing bells. |
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