ECOCLUB.com > ECOCLUB Rating™ > Rosalie Forest
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1. MINIMISING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT |
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(b) Heating: solar powered water heating
(c) Cooling: Natural cooling in all rooms. We are fortunate to have plenty of breeze. (d) Cleaning: 100% bio degradable cleaning products, including locally handmade bio degradable soaps
(e) Water: solar pump from river, and rainwater collection. Ceramic filters for potable water. Low flow faucets, rocks for displacement in toilets. Self-turning off taps where necessary. Monitor consumption to reduce usage. Monitor water quality in surrounding rivers regularly. We have a towel and sheet re use programme to save water and energy.
(f) Cooking: mostly on fire and coal pot, propane stove in restaurant (g) Waste disposal: gray water - grease traps, then soakaway; black water septic tank and soakaway. Organic waste is all composted, bottles re-used, anything else possible re used and then remainder to land fill (h) Insect, pest control (how): preventative planting, various organic pest control methods, such as garlic and hot pepper boiled and mixed and sprayed on vegetables to prevent bugs. Papaya to attract slugs so they eat that in place of crops like lettuce and cabbages. Only chemical occasionally used against wood ants if in wood. If not in wood, vinegar moves them away. (i) Noise Protection: guests asked not to play music in forest, pump works in silence so as not to disturb surrounding wildlife. (j) Accessible by public transport: 5 minute walk to bus stop and hitchhiking point
(h) What is the recommended way of reaching your
Lodge from the nearest International airport:
(i) Distance from nearby village / city:
1.5 mile to Grand Fond, nearest village |
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2. FUNDING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION |
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(b) Contact, cooperation with local environmental organisations: We established an NGO whose mission is to educate people about the benefits and use of renewable energy technology and organic farming practices, as well as recycling. We also work with many school environmental clubs, offering free eco tours of our property and giving workshops in renewable energy. We also support local sea turtle conservation efforts and educate our guests accordingly.
(c) Direct Donations:
Our lodge gives a great deal of staff hours to our various
environmental projects, offers free accommodation and meals to visiting
collaborators from overseas, and makes regular small donations to a
variety of local causes. |
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3. REDUCING POVERTY | ||||||||||||||||
(b) Direct Donations: We have been able to offer direct small donations to various projects, including a washing machine to help someone start a laundry service, a keyboard for a local band enabling them to earn money from their music, and we were instrumental in establishing the village library which is empowering people to educate themselves and eventually have a higher chance of finding employment. In collaboration with one of our university clients, we have established a scholarship fund for the local pre school.
(c) Other: |
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4. RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | ||||||||||||||||
(b) Do your employees have paid leave? Yes. (c) Are your employees entitled to maternity leave? Yes (d) Do you pay your employees above the minimum wage? Yes (e) Average and maximum working day, and work hours per week: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week
(f) Do you employ your staff all year round? 11 months open. Closed September. 2 weeks paid, 2 weeks unpaid (g) Do you offer concessions to elderly visitors? No (h) Is there disabled access at your Lodge? No (i) What is your policy towards volunteers? Welcomed regularly, full volunteer programme in operation
(j) What measures are in place to protect the
local indigenous population from some adverse impacts of tourism?
Our community life programme ensures greater visitor
understanding of local customs and traditions, thus avoiding some
unnecessary misunderstandings. Guests are actively encouraged to visit
the village and spend their money, which creates relationships as well
as wealth. We also tell our guests not to litter and explain to them the
regulations regarding seasonal hunting and fishing to avoid any
confusions. We also offer special locals rates at the lodge to encourage
local business and therefore greater mingling between locals and guests |
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5. PROMOTING KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING |
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(b) Do guests interact with the local community and how: Yes – through our community life package, home stay project, and our monthly community workshops in renewable energy
(c) What type of information is available to guests at the property: All guests are given a welcome tour of the property, explaining all of our renewable energy systems. There are signs all around the property explaining the flora, fauna, and renewable energy systems. We have a book in all rooms and public areas, explaining our environmental and social sustainability policy, our renewable energy equipment, and details of all activities available. We also have an information desk, and guests are encouraged to ask questions during our nightly communal supper (d) What type of activities are available to guests at the property: As well as the normal hiking, whale watching, diving and other nature and adventure activities, our community life programme is proving very popular, both with guests as participants and locals as hosts. We also have homestays available, and offer workshops in most forms of renewable energy and organic farming practices.
(e) Local guided tours for guests: We offer a whole host of hiking tours to both natural and historical, with fully trained registered tour guides, giving guest greater insight into local flora, fauna and the people! (f) Events / presentations held at the facility so far: Once a month we offer community renewable energy workshops, as well as private ones for the tourists on demand. Regularly schools visit and get a free eco tour of the property, with a detailed presentation by our staff. The ministry of agriculture held a training day in organic farming certification for their extension officers, and we have hosted various groups and organizations for environmental presentations. (g) Specific programme for children: Our free eco tours for schools.
(h) Research / Publications produced / assisted by
the property so far: We have memorandums of understanding with a
couple of US universities, who regularly send their students here to do
their thesis, masters etc.. Some projects have included studies of local
land slide probabilities, impacts of tourism on a developing island
state, water quality and analysis for national park visitor sites in
collaboration with the forestry and wildlife division, and some studies
on poverty alleviation in the last remaining Carib Indian territory in
the world. |
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REFERENCES | ||||||||||||||||
2. Have there been any newspaper, radio, TV or guidebook reviews on your property, which may support any of your replies above? If so please provide detailed information and links (up to 10):
3. Is there anything else you feel relevant to
this questionnaire, that you have not already covered? I hereby declare that all my answers are true and accurate to the
best of my knowledge and understand that I and/or my company will not
have the right to veto or 'hide' our ECOCLUB Rating, Please enter (paste) your signature below or type your initials to indicate acceptance: Your Name: Jem Winston Date: 30 April, 2008 |
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ECOCLUB RATING™ AS DECIDED BY THE MEMBERS OF ECOCLUB: 4.4 out of 5 | ||||||||||||||||
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