"Eco Tropical Resorts" is developed by Lise Tyrrell. Here is her bio and vision statement:

I was born in Dakar, Senegal and spent my childhood living in different countries. As an adult I have lived in the United States, Guam, and Mexico. I have traveled extensively.

In the last few years traveling through Central America (only countries I haven't been to are Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) it kept striking me how hotels impact the areas they're in. When I traveled to Cancun, Mexico I got no real feeling about the area. To me it is just one big hotel next to another big hotel, a very touristy area where it is hard to get a feeling for the real Mexico. On the other hand, when I traveled to Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica the jungle was so there, no other lodges nearby and the one I was staying at small with a generator providing light and tepid water from 5 to 10 p.m. The lodge in Corcovado had very little impact on the environment and yet had the greatest impact on me as a visitor.

Lise Tyrrell

This experience sparked my interest in eco-tourism, which in turn led to the idea of compiling a directory web site for eco tropical hotels.

I picked the tropics originally but am slowly expanding to include the rest of the planet. With the help of some very talented people we have come up with an Eco Rating. It is a list that can be check marked by the hotel itself and comes up with a number to rank how "eco" that hotel is.

I did a seminar with Ron Mader awhile back at Planeta.com in order to learn more about eco-tourism.

In developing this site I have come into contact with many great people who run these green hotels. They have shared their ideas freely and influenced my thinking in terms of what a real eco hotel is. Their feedback being incorporated into this site on an onging basis.

Some other websites that my family are working on: Aha Jokes, that's my son. My brother's website Social Equity Group, which has to do with socially responsible investing.

I live in Concord, California and can be reached at 916-838-1525 when I'm not travelling.