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Past Awards & Winners: 2004 | 2005

Also see our other project, the Ecotourism Research Paper Series

To celebrate its 7th anniversary, ECOCLUB.com - International Ecotourism Club announced on July 1, the results of its third annual eco-project competition, the ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards 2006 which fund community and environment-supporting projects, organised and implemented by genuine Ecolodges around the world. The funds for the Awards are exclusively sourced from Membership dues and ecoproduct sales at the ECOCLUB.com Shop.

Candidate projects were posted online in May 2006, then scrutinised by ECOCLUB.com Members, and a democratic Members vote followed to choose the three winners in June 2006. Presenting the Awards at a live on-line ceremony, ECOCLUB.com Founder,    Antonis B. Petropoulos, said: "Building on the success and experience of previous years and thanks to the enthusiastic support of our growing Membership, this year we were able to increase the grant amount to Euros 2,000 (around US$ 2,560) so as to fund a third, additional eco-project. ECOCLUB.com stands for thinking globally and locally, and for acting locally and globally".

Voting took place by email throughout June, and following a tightly run contest between seven worthwhile projects, results were as follows:

The 2006 Winners

2
Click for details

Second Prize

1
Click for details

First Prize

 

3
Click for details

Third Prize

The First Prize, (Euros 850) will fund the Building of a Rural Andean Recycling Centre, by Black Sheep Inn of Ecuador, who received 28.9% of the vote.

The First Prize Winners, Black Sheep Inn proposed to help the village of Chugchilán high up in the Andes, turn its waste into a resource by creating a sustainable Recycling Centre.

Accepting the 1st Prize, the proprietors, Andres Hammerman and Michelle Kirby, said: "Chugchilán and Black Sheep Inn want to thank ECOCLUB.com and voting Members for making this recycling centre possible. Step-by-step, working together, we can sustain our planet and our minds. People inherently need land, but must work to sustain it, so that land in turn will sustain them. As promised, we will keep ECOCLUB.com Members informed of the projects' progress."

Black Sheep Inn Project Status: in Progress - Click for Details

The Second Prize (Euros 650) will fund the Rescue of Fishermen's Small Boats in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala by Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan (26.7% of the vote).

The Second Prize Winners, EcoHotel Uxlabil Atitlan, proposed to improve 30 old and unsafe cayucos, fishermen's small boats, to preserve a Lake Atitlan tradition and an income source.

Accepting the 2nd Prize, Manager Francisco Sandoval, stated: "Thanks to the confidence of ECOCLUB.com members, at the end of August, cayucos � the small fishermen boats of San Juan La Laguna, in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, will be safer and colourful. With this project we seek to rescue a tradition, increase the pride of its carriers. In August we will hold a two-day feast with local painters and fishermen restoring and painting 30 cayucos. With pictures and transparent bills we will document the process."

Eco Hotel Uxlabil Project Status: Completed! - Click for Details

The Third Prize (Euros 500) will fund a Tree Planting Project by Sukau Rainforest Lodge of Malaysia. (13.3% of the vote).

The Third Prize Winners, Sukau Rainforest Lodge, proposed to rehabilitate a section of the river bank near their Lodge, by planting a diverse range of tree species, to provide corridor for migrating wildlife and fruiting trees to attract more birds and animals.

Accepting the 3rd Prize, Mr Willie Ki, Marketing Coordinator, said: "We are very blessed to have had this wonderful support from ECOCLUB.com. Implementing a Tree Planting Project is not hassle-free and there is always obstacles, including financial support. We truly appreciate this reward of Euros 500 and we shall make full use of these funds to continue our project which we consider imperative to conserve our dear environment".

Sukau Rainforest Lodge Project: Completed! - Click for Details


2006 Awards Timeline

Pre-Implementation: March - July 2006

March: Call for Proposals

April 15 - May 25th, 2006: Accepted project proposals posted online at the dedicated ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards 2006 Forum. The Forum is accessible by Members, who asked questions about the proposed projects.

June 1, 2006: Presentation of the candidate projects at the ECOCLUB.com Live Chat Centre.

June 1-29, 2006: Members voted for the three winners by email.

July 1, 2006: On the 7th anniversary of ECOCLUB, the three winners were announced at an on-line live Event at the ECOCLUB.com Live Chat Centre.

July 21-26, 2006: Award funds (total of Euros 2,000) sent to the three winners, who confirm receipt.

Implementation: July - September 2006:

First Prize: Black Sheep Inn: Click for Details

Second Prize: Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan: Click for Details

Third Prize:  Sukau Rainforest Lodge: Click for Details


Background

Learning from, and building on the success of the past two annual ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards (2004, 2005) we called for applications for our 2006 Awards. This year, the Awards aimed to fund / co-fund three projects that would be initiated, conducted and completed by ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Members from 15 March 2006 until 31 December 2006. Winning projects had to  be initiated by August 15, 2006 at the latest and be completed by December 31, 2006 at the latest. The 2006 Awards were open to all active ECOCLUB Ecolodge Members that are full and active Members on May 25, 2006. Past winners were eligible, however they could not re-submit the same project.  The total Award fund this year was raised to Euros 2,000 (approx USD 2,500 Three prizes were awarded (1st, 2nd, 3rd) according to number of votes received. 1st winner received Euros 850, the 2nd winner received Euros 650, and the 3rd winner Euros 500.

ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards 2006 Rules

Award Scope: To finance / co-finance three projects that are initiated, conducted and completed by ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Members from 15 March 2006 until 31 December 2006. Winning projects must be initiated by August 15, 2006 at the latest and be completed by December 31, 2006 at the latest.

Eligibility: The 2006 Awards were open to all active ECOCLUB Ecolodge Members that are full and active Members on May 25, 2006. Past winners were eligible, however they could not re-submit the same project.

Project Type & Eligibility: Projects had to be compatible with the ECOCLUB Philosophy and be directly relevant to our criteria as detailed at http://www.ecoclub.com/philosophy.html  We encouraged realistic, implementable projects, which have been duly researched (legal, technical aspects) and do not depend on the performance of 3rd parties, or on factors outside your control. Our Awards are best suited for local, small projects which benefit the local environment and local society. Ecolodge Members can submit projects that cost up to Euros 850 to fully implement. Projects should have been received by the 25th of May, 23:59 GMT, and should be completed by December 31, 2006. ECOCLUB SA was be the sole judge upon project and voting eligibility matters. It is the responsibility of the Award candidate and winners to send adequate textual and photographic evidence to ECOCLUB SA that will document the progress of their project, as it happens. ECOCLUB SA will not in any way change, edit or enhance such information (apart from basic grammar & spell checking), so as to be fair to all participants.

Award Fund & Prizes: The total Award fund this year was raised to Euros 2,000 (approx USD 2,500). Three prizes were awarded (1st, 2nd, 3rd) according to number of votes received. 1st winner will receive Euros 850, 2nd winner will receive Euros 650, 3rd winner Euros 500. The Prize funds will be awarded in July 2006. We encourage realistic, implementable projects, which have been duly researched (laws etc) and do not depend on the performance of 3rd parties, or on factors outside the Ecolodge's control. Winners may use the following titles in their literature: "Winner - ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards 2006, 1st Prize" (or 2nd Prize, 3rd Prize). In the event that there are less than 3 eligible projects submitted, funds will be carried over to the next year.

Deciding the Winners: Like last year, the winners were determined by email vote by Members. Each Member will vote for their 3 favourite projects. Their first choice will receive 3 points. Their second 2, and their third 1. The project receiving most points will be the 1st winner, and so on. Voting will open on June 1 and close on June 29.


The 2006 Candidates

The following project proposals contested this years Awards:
(listed in the order that they were submitted)

The Boat Landing Guesthouse (Laos): "Network Building Study Tour".
To lower impacts of tourism, we will initiate a team building/networking building process by taking the guides and villagers on a study tour to another community-based tour program to learn from their experiences.

The Eco Hotel Uxlabil Atitlan (Guatemala): "Rescue of Fishermen's Small Boats". Cayucos �fishermen small boats- are disappearing. Uxlabil proposes to improve 30 old and unsafe cayucos, to preserve a Lake Atitlan tradition and an income source.

3 Rivers Eco Lodge (Dominica): "Composting Toilet Installation & Workshop".
The installation of a composting toilet during a workshop at our sustainable living education centre, teaching locals the benefits and uses of composting toilets, and enabling us to showcase the system for community replication.

Ranweli Holiday Village (Sri Lanka): "Planting of Mangroves".
Replanting mangroves from the mouth of the river in the estuary in the south of Ranweli Holiday Village up to 1 km towards the north, with the assistance of stakeholders.

La Selva Jungle Lodge (Ecuador): "Creation of a Pig Farm".
Building a pig farm to provide whole pigs or butchered pig meat to our closest indigenous neighbours so that they will hunt even less the wild game in our area.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge (Malaysia): "Tree Planting Project".
Rehabilitating a section of the river bank by planting a diverse range of tree species, to provide corridor for migrating wildlife and fruiting trees to attract more birds and animals.

Black Sheep Inn (Ecuador): "Building Rural Andean Recycling Centre"
Permaculture says, �Your problems become your solutions.� The village of Chugchilán along with Black Sheep Inn wants to turn its waste into a resource by creating a sustainable Recycling Centre.

Candidate project details are available to Members, at the dedicated ECOCLUB.com Ecolodge Awards Forum

 

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