ECOCRED

Ecotourism and Alternative Energy

Some of our guests will be even more refreshed knowing that their place of rest and relaxation has tried to minimize their carbon footprint on this part of their journey, partly because Little Corn B and B attempts to utilize sound conservation and earth friendly practices when ever possible.  Recycled rain water flows through the room shower. The casita they sleep in was largely built to minimize the carbon footprint from construction. What a comfortable way to spend your vacation!

What have we done or will be doing to be eco friendly:

1. Lumber was brought from the mainland on sailboats minimizing the carbon impact of having lumber delivered.
2. Some construction was done with 2”x2” lumber effectively halving the amount of lumber used in those situations.
3. Most bathrooms at hotels on the island are made from 100’s of bricks, ours our made with none. Again, limiting the amount of carbon produced manufacturing and delivering said bricks.
4. Most of the paint used on the island is oil based paint. We used mostly latex water based paint and diluted some of it with water to ratios of 10 to 1. This eliminated toxic chemicals used for cleanup with oil paint and limited the total amount paint, paint cans etc. brought to the island.

5. Each casita has “water bottle” windows that allow for ambient light. These are bottles that were in the trash, now used for construction.
6. We are the only hotel on the island that recycles rain water in each casita and where appropriate in the common areas.
7. We used local fisherman’s materials in construction, as well as rope that washed up on shore.
8. We sponsor “Minnow Projects”, a grass roots effort to appropriately help the island where possible. To date this program has sponsored and organized four free veterinary spay and neuter clinics (2008-09-10-11). Cumulatively, these four clinics had 20 veterinarians treat over 400 cats, dogs and pigs during 10 days of surgery. We will be supporting and organizing future clinics as needed.
9. Our veterinary clinics were originally only vets from the U.S..  Now we are including vets from Nicaragua (thanks to our clinic partners) to teach, train and interest them in the art of using their education to help limit animal suffering in all of Nicaragua.
10. Minnow Projects has donated substantial funds (over $3,200 in 2008) to school construction projects, over 250 pounds of school supplies, 30 sacks of cement to help finish the school floor and a fuel pump for the village generator (2009).
11. On Minnow Projects agenda are Micro Loans for local business people, a separate “community” casita on our property and fund raising through various means to continue the good work.
12. We utilized local labor for all construction. We employ local folks at our lodge facilities and we pay fair wages.
13. We are the only "gringo" owned hotel/restaurant on the island that employees ONLY Nicaraguans.
14. We utilize an ultra efficient generator that only uses 2 quarts of fuel per hour running approximately 2.5 hours per day. While that generator is running, we are planning to store the excess energy produced in batteries so that after the restaurant closes and our energy needs decrease, all of the lights will be powered by batteries.
15. We use energy efficient light bulbs.
16. We use only corn starch based, biodegradable straws.
17. Our light fixtures are made from used glass beverage bottles that otherwise would be littering the island.
18. We are the only entity, private or public on the island that  returns paint cans and similar garbage that can not be disposed of properly on Little Corn Island to Managua for proper disposal.
19. We have planted a 1/4 of an acre farm in sweet potatoes, cassava root, pineapple, banana and plantain.
20. Our Adirondack chairs where made here on the island by local craftsman.
21. We are serious about our septic system.
22. We sponsor through equipment donations and fund raising opportunities local youth baseball teams.
23. We have implemented an “adopt a beach” program to help keep Cocal Beach clean.  We have hired two young people (who must attend school to stay employed by us) to clean about 900 meters of beach three times per week.  The garbage collected is shipped back to Managua at our expense for proper disposal.
24. We work with local fisherman only.
25. Some of our casitas are equipped with a water meter so that you can monitor your water usage while here on the island.
26. We ask all of our clients to be aware of their use of the island precious water supplies through en-suite information sheets.
27. Our bamboo was brought from the mainland only with the proper permits and harvested from the required area.
28. All crafts sold at LCBB are created by native artisans.
29. We use corn starch based cups that dissolve in water.
30. We use only cloth napkins in our restaurant and bar.
31. We return all of our rum bottles to Managua to be reused.
32. We use glass beer bottles that are returned to the brewer to be refilled.
33. Our margarita and drink glasses are polycarbonate so we will never have broken glass on the beach and they will never need to be replaced.
34. When our hammock need replacing we return all the reusable parts to our Masaya hammock maker to be reused.
35. We return as many of our wine bottles and glass liquor bottles to Managua where glass recycling is available.
36. A portion of profits are spent each year helping the island community with worthwhile projects.
37. Through our efforts and the kindness of guests, LCBB has been instrumental in getting the “Reading Room” (a library and reading teaching center) constructed and opened in a permanent facility in 2011.
38. Our bamboo (restaurant, bar and bungalow) furniture was made in Nicaragua.
39. We are the only entity, public or private on LCI that ships all non-recyclable materials that we collect off that beach and that our created by our resort to Managua to be disposed of in their municipal dump.
40. We are helping to expand our spay and nueter clinics that we help sponsor to Big Corn Island.