More Than Green Paint

by Jack Ewing

Hey, look at this! I looked up from the advertisement. There is an ‘Ecological Rent-a-Car in San Jose. Their cars must be hybrids or run on fuel cells or maybe butane. Isn't that great?

My daughter's tolerant smirk, told me I was way off base. Oh Daddy, don't be so naive. ‘Ecological' is a popular word. It attract customers.

Not to be daunted, I dialed the number and asked the question: Why are your rental vehicles more ecological than the others. The line went dead. Later, a friend called and actually got a curt answer: It is only a name. So, what's the big deal?

That was 1993 and my daughter was right. Ecology had become a magic word in Costa Rica, and it did attract business. The terms ecology and ecological tourism eventually became so overused, misused and abused that we, at Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge quit using them in our publicity.

My dictionary defines ecology as: The system of relationships between organisms and their environments.

Several ecological tourism organizations have definitions for the term, all of which have certain points in common. A business that claims to do Ecological Tourism in the true sense of the word, must:

•  Conserve Nature -- Participate actively in the protection and restoration of flora and fauna and contribute to environmental causes.

•  Conserve Cultural Values -- Support local culture and community development, without trying to mold them to its own needs.

•  Improve the Local Economy -- Hire, buy and reinvest locally. Not import all of the furniture and fixtures, hire a staff from somewhere else and export the profits.

•  Have Minimum Environmental Impact -- Have facilities and practices that minimize damage to ecosystems. You can't bulldoze a road through a rainforest, level off a forested hill top with a spectacular ocean view, build a concrete monster and call your business ecological tourism.

•  Educate Visitors about Ecology -- Put clients in contact with nature and help them to understand relationships between organisms and their environment.

Shortly after my disillusionment over Ecological Rent-a-Car, I was driving through a tourist area near a well known National Park when a sign caught my eye, and then caused me to jerk my head around. It read Ecological Casino. Being the sucker that I am, I had to ask. The answer. The walls are many shades of green, with a rainforest scene of leaves and trees, birds and monkeys.

With overuse the magic soon wore off of Ecological. We at Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge, got over our phobia and you may again see the term ecological tourism in our ads.

If you are looking for true ecological tourism, the attributes listed above may be helpful. As you can see, there is a lot more involved than simply painting the walls green.

Tel. (in C. R.): (506) 787-0003
Fax (in C. R.): (506) 787-0057
Email: info@haciendabaru.com

Focussed in Birdwatching Costa Rica and Ecotourism