Nicaragua yoga wellness vacation

Planet

Collado RESERVE and REFORESTING Project

This project touches on many areas of sustainability. The obvious are land preservation and restoration. Along with those come other beneficial side effects.

Planting and maintaining trees is hard work and will employ many people through the years. We've got some work ahead of us and many people to employ in a sustainable economic model.

As the forest matures there will be many other benefits. The more reforestation that happens the more water is going to end back up in the underground aquifer, hopefully making Rio Escameca, the local river, flow again year round. The more trees we plant the more we safeguard against drought and mudslides, while helping provide clean drinking water for the community of Collado.

When the reserve grows in size we adding habitat for many endangered and threatened species. The tropical dry forest in Nicaragua has become quite rare and fragmented we know it is necessary to preserve, protect and grow this rare ecosystem. We are already bringing low impact ecotours into the area creating more jobs and sorely needed environmental awareness into the area.

Next to the community / environment contribution, the operator is planting trees with the help of our guests. A portion of the proceeds from every guest's stay contributes to planting trees and preserving more land.

Playa Escameca TURTLE HATCHERY

El Vivero Escameca would not have been possible without Vital Actions our partners in many environmental projects. This turtle hatchery uses a conflict free method of protecting turtle nest, creating a bond with the local community who have had turtle eggs as part of their economy for centuries.

In most of Central America there is an active illegal food trade. While illegal there is little to no enforcement of the laws. The model used by Vital Actions creates a reward system to motivate would be poachers to help protect the sea turtle eggs instead of sell them into the food trade. Creating economic opportunity and avoiding conflict. Win win for everyone involved.

The sea turtle hatchery was established in 2016 and operates 12 months a year. It supports 4 different species of turtles, Olive Ridley, Green, Hawksbill and the highly endangered Leatherbacks. They have a protection rate of over 98.5%. Protecting nearly every nest since the campaign started. Turtles hatch and are immediately released to the ocean by trained vital action staff.

As one of the oldest types animals on the planet, there are 7 different species of sea turtles and they play important roles in the ocean and coastal ecosystems. 6 of the species are listed as highly endangered and 1 is listed as threatened. They are extremely vulnerable to impacts such as rising temperatures, pollution, fishing, habitat encroachment and commercial use and will be extinct in no time, without projects like these.

The operator supports this project and so can you.


LOCAL FOOD Chain and Awareness Program

We strive for a plastic - free food chain, consuming as local and farm-to-table as possible now, to be self-sustaining in the future. This way, we cook only fresh, local foods and we have a mainly plant based diet for our guests. We have our own water filter system that provides our guests with purified drinking water and use reused glass bottles for soda and beer. Our Spa / wellness area as well just uses natural, local home-made products for beauty treatments.

People

Barrio Planta Escamequita EDUCATION PROJECT

Children -and their ideas and actions will define the future of a country, civilization and our planet.

We have been working with the Barrio Planta running an english after school project for local elementary school kids in the nearby town of Escamequita (the classic Nicaragua school model provides only half days of education). Here, many students lack access to basic education, especially secondary school, and begin work in agriculture to help support their families at a very young age. The operator, working with BPP wants to implement a new educational model in the rural areas by incorporating english as a second language and engaging the children in topics such as different types of agriculture, climate change and growing their awareness through yoga & meditation. Guests at our ecolodge get a chance to visit, meet the kids and make a contribution to this great project with guest lectures. These visit are designed to enhance the children's learning through interaction in English with visitors. This is an assisted visit where you get the opportunity to meet and converse with the children as an extracurricular activity.

DRINKABLE WATER Projects and Sports Fields

Clean drinking water is clearly an issue for everyone especially in a country that is subject to droughts from time to time. We have witnessed this as a growing resort and development it came as a wake up call, for the future needs of a growing population. We have established a water line that has given the people in Ojo de Agua drinking water that can come from a tap. As well as partnering in another project that has done the same for the people of Playa Coco. This serves both the local people, as it reduces the plastic waste, since people can just consume the tap water without getting sick (Kidney problems are a big health problem, urging the need for filters as well).