Ecotourism -- Finca Dos Lados Reforestation and Research Project

Accommodations and amenities:

Accommodations are in the completion phase with bunk beds for 10 people so far. There is indoor plumbing and hot water, a comfortable classroom, dining area and lounge with a view toward the central valley. At night, a few lights twinkle far below, and oh, you should see the stars in the unpolluted dark dark sky-- and wait until you see the lightning bugs.

Our electric power comes from a small Pelton wheel generator on the Rio Trojas, which supplies power about 11 months of the year. It is backed up by a 5000 watt Honda gasoline generator to keep us going when needed. A solar panel is on the drawing board for the future.

Activities and volunteering:

We have a wide variety of options:

There are building projects to do for our furniture, classroom and dining room tables
There are always fences to repair and paint to keep the neighbors cows from trampling the new trees
An organic garden to plant, tend and harvest, and eat
An endless array of organisms to count for inventories which will provide baseline data for future comparisons as the forest regrows
There is a derelict cabin in the back of the property in the Caribbean drainage, ready to fix up for a data collecting outpost in the Rio Gorrion Sector and/or stopover spot on hikes from Poas Volcano
And another one about 10 minutes walk from the Center to refurbish as a monitoring station on the Rio Sarchi Sector; the main Center is located between two branches of the Rio Trojas
During the rainy season, more or less May through November there are trees to plant to enhance the natural regrowth
Sustainable development: meaning we plan to build some earth structures with sod roofs, first for a caretakers house then for cabins to rent to help support our reforestation and research project, and at the same time to demonstrate an alternative building technique in an area of predominantly cement block homes
Weekly outreach through English Conversation is available in the town of San Jose de Trojas; we are exploring an option of volunteering in the local grade school, which generally runs from February through November
The Women's Association of Agricultural
Industry of Trojas Orchid Nursery project
A small Butterfly export project being started by a former tomato grower who seeks to live a pesticide free life