This month's SustainableTrip.org Making a Difference award winner is Nacientes Palmichal, a community-owned ecolodge in a rural area of the San José province in Costa Rica. We spoke with Hernán Ramírez Alfaro, Executive Director of Nacientes Palmichal, to find out a little bit more about this unique ecotourism experience.

Q. Is Nacientes Palmichal a good place for travelers who want to see exotic wildlife?

Alfaro: Nacientes Palmichal owns a 104-acre wildlife reserve where visitors can hike the trails and see many species of mammals, birds, and butterflies. We are located in the upper part of a watershed with access to a river and hundreds of acres of primary forest that house springs and many species of plants and animals. This location offers a very beautiful panorama, perfect for hikes and enjoying nature.

Q. What can your guests do to learn about the local culture and traditions of your communities?

Alfaro: Our community is in an area that has several beautiful coffee farms. We are also near the Huetar Quitirrisí Indigenous Reserve.

Visitors can come and learn about the Authentic Coffee Route. At Cerco Don Manuel, you can tour a coffee farm with Don Manuel and his wife Mery, who will show you their farm surrounded by coffee, banana, and plantain trees and a large hearth for baking bread and making tortillas. During the tour of the coffee farm, Manuel shares his experiences in managing and maintaining his coffee fields and shows you the tools that are used on the farm. Visitors can strap on a basket and try their hand at coffee picking.

The outstanding farmers of the Asoproaaa Association have been awarded with the "Cup of Excellence" for the high-quality standards of their fine specialty coffees. On this tour, visitors see the roasting, grinding, and packaging of coffee beans and learn how to taste and distinguish between different qualities of coffee.

The Río Jorco Mill is a business with more than 100 years of experience producing coffee in the area. It carries out ecological coffee milling to remove the pulp and husk from the beans before putting them out to sun-dry on the patios. The mill recreates experiences in a historic house where visitors can learn about the history of this family and see the machinery, documents, and other artifacts retrieved over the years.

During your visit to the Huetar Quitirrisí Indigenous Reserve, you can learn about the history, customs, traditions, and handicrafts of this indigenous community. There is a demonstration of weaving techniques and the natural materials they use, their utensils, and foods. You can also see the endemic, endangered plants that they have planted for many years and learn about the uses of these plants' leaves and stems in indigenous traditions.

Q. What is Nacientes Palmichal's history? How did it begin?

Alfaro: Nacientes Palmichal was formed twenty years ago when several families in the town of Palmichal de Acosta created a community organization dedicated to protecting the water resources that supply the 50,000 inhabitants of the Acosta, Mora, and Puriscal communities. In the fall of 1991, Nacientes Palmichal joined with private businesses, institutions, and municipalities to coordinate the first "Ecology Week" with the slogan "We love nature." The event's goal was to instill values, knowledge, and a protective attitude towards natural resources and water in particular, using environmental education to positively influence behavior and habits. Another goal was to improve socioeconomic conditions and living standards for the community.

After the success of that event, new began planning for the sustainable development of our watershed and the creation of an environmental center that would fulfill several objectives: Favoring the development of education and training for appropriate coexistence with the environment and natural resource use, especially water; strengthening our rural community tourism model to achieve environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability, with the broad participation of families and organizations; increasing the participation of private and public institutions, the beneficiary population, and the municipalities of Acosta, Mora, and Puriscal to strengthen the planning and execution of projects for the watershed; and improving quality of life for the people by maintaining equilibrium between the supply of soil, water, and forest resources.

Q. Why is sustainability so important for your business? Tell us about the new projects you are implementing in this area.

Alfaro: Sustainability improves the development of all the resources in the community (forest, land, water), and that is the reason for Nacientes Palmichal's existence. We are also interested in the financial sustainability needed for executing our shared vision of coexistence, high quality of life, harmony with nature and natural resources, and hospitality to visitors.

New projects we are implementing include: forming a Chamber of Rural Community Tourism; developing educational programs that will help ensure the protection and sustainable management of natural resources; creating a water park to ensure the protection, management, and sustainable use of the water that is generated in the watershed; developing safe, sustainable, and high quality agricultural production using technology that minimizes negative environmental effects; and celebrating the IV Water and Coffee Fair.

Q. How do you involve your guests in your sustainability initiatives?

Alfaro: The guests can get involved by properly using the inn's resources, supporting the area's educational centers, participating in tree planting, visiting local family businesses, and exploring the culture of our farmers and indigenous people. They can also learn more about our initiatives for producing biogas, compost and worm composting, the recycling area, and how we use wastes to make handicrafts.

Q. Of all the rural lodging sites in Costa Rica, what makes Nacientes Palmichal so special?

Alfaro: The authenticity of the people who work here. We take great care to serve our visitors with respect and warmth. Visitors will also find a community that is completely immersed in the culture of coffee growing, where they can share a delicious cup of high-quality coffee year-round on the coffee farm with the campesinos who work the land every day.

Congratulations to Nacientes Palmichal for the winning the Making a Difference award!

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