Little Corn Beach and Bungalow | Eco-Lodge, Eco-Tourism and Sustainability
We are fully committed to being an Eco-Friendly resort destination by utilizing sound conservation and earth friendly, green practices whenever possible. We hope our guests will be even more refreshed knowing that their place of rest and relaxation has helped minimize their carbon footprint while enjoying all that Little Corn Island has to offer – what a comfortable way to spend your vacation!
TripAdvisor has awarded Little Corn Beach and Bungalow their highest “Green” designation, Platinum.
For more information regarding our efforts to minimize our environmental impact and maximizing our Eco-Friendly actions, click on a link below.
- Eco-Friendly Resort Construction
- Eco-Friendly Resort Operations
- Eco-Friendly Island and Community Actions
- Eco-Friendly Animal Actions
Eco-Friendly Resort Construction:
- Bamboo (restaurant, bar and bungalows) furniture was made in Nicaragua
- Bamboo was brought from the mainland with the proper permits and harvested from required areas
- Lumber was brought from the mainland on sailboats minimizing the carbon impact of fossil fuels
- Some construction used 2” x 2” lumber effectively halving the amount of lumber used in those installations
- Adirondack chairs where made here on the island by local craftsman.
- Most paint used on the island is petroleum or oil based paint – we use mostly latex water based paint
- Paint is diluted at ratio of 10:1 reducing the total amount paint used, paint cans and equipment brought to the island and eliminating the need for toxic chemicals for cleaning
- Bamboo and lumber construction of bathrooms reduces the carbon used to produce and deliver bricks (most hotel bathrooms on Little Corn Island are made from brick)
- Each bungalow and cabin has a “water bottle” windows that allow for ambient light while maintaining privacy
- Light fixtures are made from used glass beverage bottles that otherwise would be littering the island
- Local fisherman materials, bottles, rope and other “trash” that washes up on shore is used in construction
- Energy efficient light bulbs are used throughout the resort
- Some bungalows and cabins have a water meter so you can monitor your water usage – we ask all our guests to be aware of their use of the island’s precious water supply through en-suite information sheets
- The ONLY hotel, resort or eco-lodge on Little Corn Island to recycle rain water in each cabin, bungalow and common areas
- Commercial grade septic system is the best on either Big or Little Corn Island
Eco-Friendly Resort Operations:
- Water Bottle Refill Program – bring any bottle and fill it with purified water for a small charge
- Available to all visitors, not just Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow hotel guests
- Costs less than buying a bottle of water
- Saves island visitors money
- Reduces the trash on Little Corn Island
- Proceeds help fund some of our community projects
- Rechargeable battery system stops the use of a fossil fuel burning generator during the day (saves 2 gallons of diesel each day)
- Started a 1/4 acre farm that grows sweet potatoes, cassava root, pineapple, banana and plantains
- Recycled rain water is captured and is used in every cabin and bungalow shower
- Non-recyclable materials and trash created at the resort and materials that collected off the beach are voluntarily (at our expense) shipped to the mainland every Saturday for proper disposal
- The only entity, private or public, on the island that ships items that can not be disposed of properly on Little Corn Island to Managua for proper disposal
- No Styrofoam (cups, to go boxes, etc.) of any sort at the resort
- Use of cloth napkins only in our restaurant and bar (reduces trash burden of paper napkins)
- All liquor , wine and beer bottles are returned to Managua to be reused or recycled
- Margarita glasses are poly-carbonate (will last for years without replacement and no broken glass on the beach)
- Return reusable hammock parts to our Masaya hammock maker so they can be reused
- Parents of infant guests are provided with a diaper “disposal” bag (used diapers are shipped to mainland for proper disposal)
- All crafts sold at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow are created by local, native artisans
- Work with local fisherman only for the best guest experience and food
Eco-Friendly Island and Community Actions:
- Utilized only local labor for all lodge and resort construction paying fair legal wages
- One and only gringo-owned hotel and restaurant on Little Corn Island that employees ONLY Nicaraguans (18 jobs as of 12/12)
- Helped launch the Reading Room library and reading teaching center, a permanent facility started in 2012
- Sponsor local youth baseball teams with equipment donations and fund raising opportunities
- Member of the the B-Eco-I program
- Ship up to 150 bags a week of recyclable plastic that has accumulated over the years to be recycled in Managua
- Little Corn Beach and Bunglow pays for all packaging and shipping
- Donates 100% of the proceeds from selling the recyclable material in Managua is donated to the “Communal Movement” local government
- Created Adopt a Beach program – helps keep Cocal Beach clean
- Two young people who must attend school to stay employed, were hired to clean 900 meters of beach three times per week
- All garbage collected is shipped back to Managua at our expense for proper disposal
- A portion of profits are spent each year helping the Little Corn Island community with worthwhile projects
Eco-Friendly Animal Actions:
- Animal Sanctuary and Rescue
- Iguanas, Sea Turtles and Boas that would be eaten and placed on our grounds where no hunting is allowed
- Sponsor of Minnow Projects
- Grass roots effort to help Little Corn Island whenever and wherever possible
- To date the program has sponsored and organized five free veterinary spay and neuter clinics (2008-09-10-11-13)
- Cumulatively, these five clinics had 23 veterinarians treat over 500 cats, dogs and pigs during 12 days of surgery
- We will be supporting and organizing future clinics as needed
- Donated substantial funds (over $3,200 in 2008) to school construction projects
- Donated over 300 pounds of school supplies, 30 sacks of cement to help finish the school floor, oil (2012) and a fuel pump for the village generator (2009), $2,500 as well as cabins and food donated to the 2013 free veterinary clinic.
- New plans include Micro Loans for local business people, a separate “community” building on our property and fund raising through various means to continue the good work.
- Veterinary clinics
- Originally only vets from the U.S., now it includes vets from Nicaragua (thanks to our clinic partners)
- Teach, train and encourage the use of education to help limit animal suffering in all of Nicaragua
- Partners will provide annual animal care clinic on Big Corn Island thanks to the success of Little Corn Island Veterinary Clinics
- Nine homeless island dogs have been adopted to new homes in North America
- Cash donations to help the new proud owners get their new dog home – three of the nine are now named Nica!
