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NAME OF PROPERTY	Ojo del Mar
RESPONSIBLE PERSON FOR THIS APPLICATION	Nico Fischer
POSITION	Owner
ADDRESS OF PROPERTY	Peninsula de Osa, Cabo Matapalo
COUNTRY	Costa Rica
PHONE NUMBER inc. area code	506 735 55 31
WEBSITE	http://www.ojodelmar.com
E-MAIL	ojodelmar@yahoo.de
TYPE OF PROPERTY	Eco lodge
NUMBER OF ROOMS	5 cabins
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GUESTS	15
ECO-CERTIFICATION(s)
ECO AWARDS

GENERAL ECO INFO

Do you have an environmental and/or social sustainability policy YES

If yes, please attach.

Do you have an environmental Management System YES

If yes, please attach.

Brief Description of property – aim, size, facilities (150 words max)

1,5 ha Beachfront , 5 cabins and restaurant in lush tropical gardens, Yoga studio, Spa,

Brief description of location (100 words max)

Southern Costa Rica, Peninsula de Osa, in the Golfo dulce (one of only 5 tropical fjords on earth !), nestled between the ocean and the tropical rainforest, off the grid !

ENERGY CONSUMPTION / CONSERVATION

Do you use any renewable energy? YES

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

We ONLY use renewable energy, solar power.

What percentage of your power is made from renewable energy?

Do you use any energy saving devices? YES

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

Do you have programmes to encourage energy conservation? YES

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

Nico is the author of the book ‘Living in the Jungle|’, a handbook about sustainable living in this area. Power resources are a big part in it. The book is made especially for landowners to give helpful information about construction, gardening, power, water, waste, sewage, recycling, organic food, ethic guidelines, and much more …

GARDENS – ORGANIC FOOD – RECYCLING

Do you have gardens? YES
If yes, are they organic? YES
Do you encourage your food suppliers to be organic? YES

If yes, how?

We support the local farmers market which delivers organic food from local farmers in the mountains. We are one of only a few lodges that support this market till now and hope it will grow in the future as Costa Rica is still known for using a lot of chemicals for farming !

Do you compost your waste where possible? YES
Do you practice any other recycling? YES
If yes, please describe? (100 words max).

Nico is co founder and part of WOO, Women of the Osa, protecting the Osa from within, striving for conservation, education ecological awareness to preserve one of the most intense reservoirs of biodiversity on Earth. This organisation works to
design, implementt and aid projects with public-private partnerships to protect the Osa. We just opened the first recycling center on the Osa !!! We recycle glass, plastic, aluminum. Our guests get recyclable waterbottles, and we don’t sell any beverages in cans. We compost all food leftovers.

CHEMICALS AND CLEANING PRODUCTS

Do you use chemical cleaning products? YES
If yes, which ones and what for?

Only in extreme rare cases we use Cloro for removing the black mold from kitchen boards.

Do you use bio degradable cleaning products? YES
If yes, which ones and what for?

Laundrydetergent, guests soaps, cleaning soaps

WATER CONSERVATION

Do you use any water saving devices? NO

If yes, please describe (100 words max).

Where does your water come from?
Is it potable? YES
If not, what method do you use to make it drinkable?

Thw Water comes from our own well, its filtered and drinkable . We have lots of water !!!

Do you have programmes to encourage water conservation? YES

If yes, please describe.

‘Living in the jungle” See above

ECO EDUCATION / PARTICIPATION

.Do you educate guests about eco best practices? YES
If so, how? (100 words max).

Booklets in the cabins, the handbook, lots of flyers from organisation in the area, talks at dinner

Illustrate the opportunities for the guest to become involved in the hotel or restaurant environmental activities

Information of all the ;local foundations to protect the Osa

Are your staff fully aware & do they understand all your eco practices? YES

If yes, how was this achieved?

By talking to them all the time

What kind of materials do you have to communicate with your guests (brochures, posters, pamphlets, etc.)? Please list.

Brochures, booklets, website, flyers, the Handbook

LOCAL COMMUNITY

What percentage of your staff are local nationals? 100%

Approximately, what percentage of your purchased goods is locally produced? 100%
Do you involve the local community in your activities? YES

If yes, how? (100 words max)

Through WOO, see above

Do you support/sponsor community projects? YES

If yes, please describe (100 words max).

Trough WOO, see above
Recycling center, fundraisers, earthday, private school

Do you encourage your guests to contribute to environmental / charitable causes locally or internationally? YES

If yes, please describe (100 words max)

See above

Do you provide information on how those contributions are supporting the environment / community? YES

If yes, please describe (100 words max)

See above

FLORA AND FAUNA CONSERVATION / PRESERVATION

Describe any flora or fauna conservation/projects you are involved in? (100 words max)

The Bamboo club, sustainable growing building material

How do you encourage your guests to participate in the programme?

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

What is the single most significant achievement you have made regarding

local people, (100 words max).

Nico teaches englisch for the local workers, Mark teaches Kung Fu nad Tai chi for the local community.

the environment (100 words max).

We don’t use a Generator !!! All the buildings are built by hand, no powertools .
No cement, all renewable materials, like bamboo , thatch,…
We compostall the garden waste, we don’t burn it. ……….

Conservation? (100 words max).

Matapalo refuge

Education? (100 words max).

Please describe what you feel is your single most important eco achievement? (200 words max).

We cook with organic ingredients , also see above

MONITORING / FEEDBACK / IMPROVEMENTS

Do you monitor your environmental impact? YES / NO

If yes, please describe?

Do you get customer feedback? YES /

If yes, please describe how you collect the feedback, and what you do with it.

Guestbook, travelguides, e/mails

LOCAL IMPACTS

Please describe (100 words max each answer) what you do to:
Minimise negative impacts of tourism on the environment

The Handbook !!!see above

Minimise negative impact on the local community

Increase environmental awareness

Increase cultural awareness

Ensure local community benefits

Improve on your eco work?

ECO CERTIFICATION

If you have a green / eco certification label, please give details and explain:

your reasons for joining the scheme
The benefits you feel you receive
Any negative points
If you do not have a green certification / label, please explain

Your reasons for NOT joining any schemes,
Any benefits you feel you are missing

We are a very small business

Anything else you feel is relevant or important.(250 words max)

Please provide as much documentary evidence as possible.

Please provide 2 references, preferably one from the local or national government tourist authority or a registered NGO (Non-profit Non Governmental Organization) locally, and the other from your certification scheme if you are in one.

Questionnaire created with the help of Jem Winston, owner of award winning 3 Rivers Eco Lodge, Dominica, jem@3riversdominica.com ; http://www.3riversdominica.com ; http://www.jemwinston.com

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