UVITA, COSTA RICA—When a property is part of a nature preserve and adjacent to a national park, there is the expectation that special care will be taken to minimize one’s environmental impact. The operators of La Cusinga Lodge in Uvita, Costa Rica, which is located in a preserve that borders the Ballena Marine National Park, do recognize their responsibility and are setting a standard for other eco lodges around the world to follow. Up and running since 1996, it is only within the last year that La Cusinga has been connected to the grid. Even with that “advancement,” the lodge still relies primarily on solar panels and hydroelectric power to generate the power it needs.
Water from a nearby stream is diverted into an area where it is collected to rotate a wheel that generates electricity that is stored in batteries. A dozen solar panels generate additional electricity that is stored and 10 other solar panels heat the hot water used by guests and staff. Geinier Guzman, general manager of the lodge, says it has been a “struggle” to maintain the panels because of a lack of maintenance support in their location.
Natural springs provide the water that is needed for the 10-cabin lodge and its guests. It flows down to the lodge thanks to gravity and is captured in two tanks. Each cabin has its own septic tank. Black and grey water is filtered through different types of rocks so that once it returns to the soil it is not harmful to the local environment. All possible waste is recycled. La Cusinga partnered with a local school to help with its recycling efforts. Sellable recyclables are given to the school so students can raise money for their projects. Lodge staff constructed a recycling center at the school. Food waste that cannot be eaten is composted. Chickens help consume food scraps. “Anything organic, we do something with it,” Guzman says.
Menu Items Sourced Locally
The food served at the lodge’s restaurant (The Gecko) is made from products from the lodge’s own gardens. Remaining food items are purchased from local suppliers of organic products. Supporting local businesses is very important to La Cusinga and Guzman says his chef particularly avoids buying from fishermen who use fishing techniques that result in reckless catching of sea life—sea life that is thrown back into the ocean after catching that often dies in the process (turtles, dolphins, etc.) Lodge personnel are very active in the conservation of the park, humpback whales, the rain forest, beaches, and turtles.
The owners of La Cusinga have not cut or cleared primary forest since they started living in the area in 1972. Early on, trees were planted for lumber and furniture production. When it came time to build La Cusinga Lodge in 1996, the owners had plenty of their own reforested wood to use for construction. (By 1996, Costa Rica had destroyed 70 percent of its primary forests.) La Cusinga’s owners continue to plant new trees every year and these help create a sustainable work environment for local people who need the income.
La Cusinga, which has 12 employees, makes a strong effort to be involved in the local community. It works with local school children to help educate them about whales, dolphins, gardening, waste management and more. It also works with universities from the United States and Canada on research projects. Lodge staff maintain several trails that wind through the protected rain forest and along the nearby beaches. From three-hour treks through the forest to short walks down to the beach, there are trails for all ages and abilities. Wildlife at La Cusinga is abundant and guests see many species that may include: morpho butterflies, tree frogs, ospreys, parrots, parakeets, toucans, howler monkeys, bottle-nosed dolphins, hawksbill turtles and the great humpback whale.
Go to La Cusinga Lodge.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
