ECOCLUB.com > ECOCLUB Rating™ > The Lodge at Big Falls: 3.9

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1. MINIMISING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

(a) Lighting: We are gradually replacing tungsten bulbs with long life bulbs but are keeping the brighter bulbs for guests reading convenience. We use a combination of solar path lights and low voltage lights for pathways at night-time. Training for staff and information for guests includes ways in which to minimize waste of electricity.

1a. Low voltage lighting at dusk provides sufficient light for guest safety and convenience at night.

(b) Heating: We do not heat any space. Water in the guest cabanas is heated by energy efficient Paloma on-demand gas water heaters.

(c) Cooling: Our cabana and lodge design removed the need for much cooling. Each guest cabana has one ceiling fan which draws from 18-80 watts at the various speeds. The main cooling was achieved by having high thatched ceilings and tall corner windows (2m x 1.3 m) which catch the available breeze. The thatched veranda is also part of the living area which requires no cooling.

1c Cabana design showing high thatched ceiling, tall corner windows and ceiling fan.

(d) Cleaning: Cleaning is done using no electrical energy and using newly available bio-degradable cleaning products. Laundry is line dried whenever possible in order to reduce energy use. Our tumble drier is gas powered and less energy hungry than the electric alternative.

(e) Water: We purify water drawn from the Rio Grande river. Water is one resource in which we are well-endowed with 3.5 metres of rainfall in 2006 and an annual average of more than 2.5 metres. Nevertheless we use electric power to pump from the river and purify but have balanced the system so that with large pressure tanks the pump runs for just 50% of the time that water is being passed through the system. We have information in our rooms for guests and in the kitchen and laundry for staff to help them minimize waste.

(f) Cooking: We use bottled gas for cooking. We re-use plastic water bottles. We offer vegetarian and vegan cuisine on request and use as many local fruit and vegetables as possible and are including more local recipes prepared by our Mayan staff.

(g) Waste disposal: We have three methods. Vegetable waste is composted and used in our gardens. Other organic waste is buried in a pit on the edge of our site away from guests and water sources. Metal, glass and plastics are transported to the local municipal dump 12 miles/19 kms away. The nearest recycling facilities are about 150 miles away so the small quantities of waste generated and energy used to transport waste there do not make the use of that recycling facility viable. We collected and used crushed cans instead of steel rebars in building a weather proof concrete walkway from the car park to the lodge.

(h) Insect, pest control (how): The main pest we have to deal with is termites which after rains may attack the thatched roofs of the cabanas or the wooden verandahs. The most effective way to deal with them is by finding and physically removing the nests from trees and drowning the occupants. If they get into the thatch we have yet to find an alternative to malathion. Leaf cutter ant nests are removed by digging and finding the queen.

(i) Noise Protection: We do not create any noise that could be a nuisance to our neighbours.

(j) Accessible by public transport: We have buses passing along the main road 800 metres from the Lodge entrance.

(h) What is the recommended way of reaching your Lodge from the nearest International airport:
The distance is 20 miles/32kms. Either by bus or taxi.

(i) Distance from nearby village / city: 18 miles/29 kms.
 

2. FUNDING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

(a) Initiation or participation in environmental projects:
I recently presented a proposal for a business plan for sustainable income generation to the UNDP. The executive summary is as follows: 1. Executive Summary 1.1 The stated objective of the project is “for the Golden Stream Watershed (GSW) to function as a replicable model of how multiple protected areas working within an ecologically interconnected and interdependent area can jointly achieve conservation and sustainable use objectives, thereby catalyzing the sustainability of Belize’s national protected area system.” 1.2 The people of the six villages within the GSW area have expressed a clearly perceived need for “projects” or initiatives to address their basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and education for their children. This will be achieved by the generation of new household income streams or the creation of new free standing businesses. 1.3 Previous projects have not brought long term improvements in the well being of a significant proportion of the local population nor produced significant sustainable results. Rather than analyze past failures the team believes it will be more productive to look at problems associated with income generation, the competitive disadvantages traditionally affecting villagers within the GSW area. The villagers’ needs then become the starting point from which we will develop a well-focused strategy and practical business plan in consultation with the village communities, land managers other stakeholders and the project management unit.
1.4 The income generation will based around the creation of a communally operated marketing and logistics organization. The business plan the team will produce as the output from this consultancy will describe a viable business operation focused upon marketing and distributing agricultural produce, crafts and other goods.
1.5 Integration will be achieved by finding practical ways to balance socio-economic development with sustainable use of the land and its resources. The focus of the business plan should therefore be upon income generation that satisfies the requirement to achieve a balance between people, planet and profit. An accreditation programme for suppliers to the business will be lever by which environmental aims are achieved.

(b) Contact, cooperation with local environmental organisations:
We work with the Ya’axche Conservation Trust located 8 miles/12.8kms away in Golden Stream village. I am a member of their Golden Stream Watershed advisory council representing the private sector and helping them to develop ways that will benefit "planet, people and profit". e.g. to improve supply of organic produce to kitchens of local tourism operators and sustainable crafts to gift shops thereby helping to develop new income streams for local households. The lodge also promotes the Ya’axche Conservation Trust scholarship scheme. So far five local students have been sponsored for their high school education by guests at the Lodge.

(c) Direct Donations:
We have raised US$2000 for the purchase of equipment for the Julian Cho Technical High School construction department. They used not to have any practical work but the new saws, planers, drills etc have made it possible for them to build their own furniture for the school and they hope to be able to make and sell furniture for other local schools. Guests regularly bring donations of school supplies for the village primary school. This has included expensive items such as ink cartridges for printers, stationery supplies and sports equipment.

2c.i. Presentation of equipment to Julian Cho Technical High School

2c.ii. Students at Julian Cho examine their new equipment
 

(a) Initiation or participation in poverty-reduction projects:
We recently prepared a proposal for a community-owned marketing and logistics organization to help local growers and craftspeople find a market for the products. This idea is being taken up by the local UNDP and the Ya’axche Conservation Trust who are trying to identify potential funding for our proposal. The aim of the project is to increase household incomes while promoting the responsible stewardship of lands. See 2a above.

(b) Direct Donations:
We contribute to requests from schools for contributions to school funds. In Belize the teachers have to raise the money for school resources since the government only builds the schools and pays the teachers but offers little support beyond that.

3b. Most donations are not formally recognized as this one was.

(c) Other:
Our own business has never been called a "poverty reduction project" but its effect is the same for the staff and their families who benefit from the employment opportunities that we have brought to the village. Our male employees would most likely be working outside the district away from their families if they did not have employment here and the female employees would probably have no work at all. We have gained great satisfaction from seeing the growing confidence and self-esteem of all our employees who we believe will better equipped to find employment elsewhere should they decide to move on. In a project this would be called "capacity building", we call it "professional and personal development".
 

(a) Do your employees have health insurance?
Yes. Our employees are all employed under conditions laid out by the Labour Department of the government of Belize and we make social security payments on their behalf.

4a. The staff at the lodge. All come from Big Falls village half a mile away.

(b) Do your employees have paid leave?
Yes. Paid leave and paid public holidays.

(c) Are your employees entitled to maternity leave?
Yes.

(d) Do you pay your employees above the minimum wage?
Yes. We also offer other benefits such as including staff orders in our bulk purchasing so that they can benefit from wholesale prices.

(e) Average and maximum working day, and work hours per week:
7-9 hours per day and 35-45 hours per week. All hours above nine hours in any single day are paid at overtime rates and all hours above 45 in any week are paid at overtime rates.

(f) Do you employ your staff all year round?
We have three full-time staff whose hours remain fixed throughout the year but hours for housekeeping and food and beverage services vary with the seasonal fluctuations in the business and we will take on extra staff during the busiest periods. Total number of staff when fully operational is thirteen.

(g) Do you offer concessions to elderly visitors?
No. We offer concessions to Belizeans of 50% on the room rate so that local people are able to afford to stay here.

(h) Is there disabled access at your Lodge?
We do not have any specially designed disabled access although we have hosted disabled visitors and used wooden ramps during their stay. Our tallest flight has four steps.

(i) What is your policy towards volunteers?
We do not accept volunteers from overseas to do any work which could form part of paid employment for a local person. We accept “work placement” volunteers from the local technical high school. We normally host three students each year for a period of 2-3 weeks each.

(j) What measures are in place to protect the local indigenous population from some adverse impacts of tourism?
The development of tourism in southern Belize remains in its relative infancy. We have not yet reached a critical mass where adverse impacts might be felt. Rather local people have often had inflated expectations of what benefits tourism might bring and been disappointed.
 

5. PROMOTING KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING

(a) Is there a local community / e.g. a nearby village?
We are on the edge of Big Falls village. All our staff (property manager, guides, gardeners, cooks and housekeepers) are from Big Falls village and walk or cycle to work.

(b) Do guests interact with the local community and how:
Our guests interact daily with our staff who come from Big Falls village. We now have two restaurants in the village and some guests will choose to eat there or just walk into the village and explore and meet the local villagers. Some guests have enjoyed a tour of the local rice mill.

(c) What type of information is available to guests at the property:
We have a resource centre with a core collection of books on trees, plants, animals, butterflies, birds and the history of Belize and mayan culture and archaeology. We call our guest information in the rooms a Field Guide to the Lodge at Big Falls which apart from the usual description of guests services includes information about the history of the property, Big Falls village, bird and butterfly lists. They also are provided with a copy of the Toledo Howler our local tourism newspaper produced my wife and myself on behalf of the tourism association.

(d) What type of activities are available to guests at the property:
Guided bird watching, butterfly and night walks. Exploring nature trails, swimming, kayaking, tubing on the river, mountain biking, table tennis, Frisbee, badminton.

5d. Activities at the Lodge. A group of Swiss visitors conduct
a strategic planning workshop afloat on tubes in the river.

(e) Local guided tours for guests:
Our tours take guests to visit a Mayan home; visit the workshop and home of a Mayan harpist; visit a local organic cocoa plantation and organic farm and visit a rainforest medicinal plant nursery tended by local shamans. Since these are all English speaking our guests have the opportunity to have real exchange with their local hosts who are paid for the visits. These visits help to reinforce for the local people the value and interest of their culture to outsiders. These visits offer a strong cultural strand to our tour offerings.

5e. Florencio Mes a Mayan harpist and instrument maker demonstrates a new violin for guests.

(f) Events / presentations held at the facility so far:
We occasionally host musical events (either Mayan harp music or Garifuna drumming events). We have hosted workshops for the teachers from the local primary school and for local NGOs as well as providing free meeting space for the Aguacaliente Management Team a local community based organization which works to conserve an important wetland area close by.

5f. Florencio Mes and friends perform for guests at the lodge.

(g) Specific programme for children:
We have no child specific programmes.

(h) Research / Publications produced / assisted by the property so far:
None.

1. Please provide evidence of any awards or green certificates won by the property:
None.

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):

• We are published in Alistair Sawday's 'Special Green Places' to stay as one of six lodges in Belize and our entry can also be viewed online. Inclusion was after a two-day visit and inspection by one of their writers.

• We also featured in "Exotic Retreats: Eco-Resort Design from Barefoot Sophistication to Luxury Pad" by Julia Faiers, Rotovision 2005 ISBN 2-88046-809-4

• Our Frommer's entry can be found here

3. Is there anything else you feel relevant to this questionnaire, that you have not already covered?

I was president of the local branch of the Belize Tourism Industry Association for three years during which time we worked to promote Toledo as destination. As part of that work we set up the tourism information centre in Punta Gorda. Following that my wife and I have worked as editors for the new tourism newspaper called 'The Toledo Howler' (after the black howler monkeys here). We have published four editions in which we feature local villages, craftspeople, musicians, tourism activities and tour operators. We were originally three people but since the other editor left the two of us have continued alone.

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,
 if we find it unfavourable.

Please enter (paste) your signature below or type your initials to indicate acceptance:

Your Name: Robert J. Hirons  Date: 19 April, 2008