OUR ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
3 Rivers & Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge is situated in an environment of outstanding natural beauty.
The Eco Lodge is set in the heart of Rosalie rainforest, surrounded by clean rivers and jungle trails, leading to stunning waterfalls and lakes, and on the edge of the Morne Trois Pitons National Park World Heritage Site.
One of our most fundamental aims is to live in harmony with, and have as little harmful impact on, those surroundings as possible. We recognize that our business has an important role to play in protecting and enhancing the environment for guests and the residents of the local community.
In keeping with this goal, every aspect of the project has the environment in mind. We espouse a sustainable lifestyle, minimizing our consumption of all resources, using renewable energy, and monitoring all systems. We compost all kitchen and garden waste, try to avoid purchasing packaged goods, shop locally, recycle and use biodegradable products, and strive to keep our waste products to a minimum.
An important aspect of this policy is to involve the local community.. Our employees come from local villages, and we train them in sustainable living. We are trying to showcase environmentally sound practices, hosting free school visits and giving guided tours and workshops, to all interested parties, explaining renewable energy, organic farming, and the sustainable lifestyle in general, as well as being involved in various local community projects.
We aim to comply fully with, and go beyond, all environmental laws and regulations, to review our policy and practices annually and to communicate relevant information to all interested parties, from guests and locals up to government officials. We hope we can help Dominica retain its still relatively unspoilt environment, and move into a greener future.
As a member of pack for a purpose, we encourage all guests to donate small items to our worthwhile community cause
SUMMARY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL WORK :
The eco work began from the start, reclaiming spoiled land which had been destroyed by chemicals used by the banana farmer whom I bought the land from.
Composting began on day 1 and continues today, with the use of a rotating four bin composting system.
All soaps, washing liquids and cleaning products are eco friendly and biodegradable.
All of our electricity is a wind and solar combination system.
We pump our water supply from one of the pristine rivers bordering our land, using a solar powered pump, which works in silence to avoid disturbing the surrounding natural habitats.
We separate all garbage and compost everything, helping our gardens flourish.
We have recycle as much as possible, including a damaged water tank for use as an eco shower unit, and a converted shipping container for our office.
We run environment education workshops for local people and tourists on solar hot water heating systems, organic farming, and general renewable energy usage.
Our grey water passes through grease traps, which are changed daily to help our compost system and protect our waste water leachfield soakaways.
We monitor our water, electricity, gas, solid waste and paper consumption, and aim to continuously reduce our usage to protect the environment.
OUR ECO AWARDS
Although we have only been open since the end of 2002, 3 Rivers & Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge is very proud of its achievements thus far. We have a great team of staff who have all worked extremely hard to create the ideal green holiday getaway and sustainable living education centre that 3 Rivers is today.
Island’s Magazine Blue List -Celebrating Community Tourism
National Geographic Adventure Magazine -Top island Lodges
British Airways selected 3 Rivers as number 9, in the top 20 Ultimate Island Activities, throughout the Caribbean: Click here for British Airways High Life
Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference at The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami, 3 Rivers Eco Lodge was awarded, for the second year running ! The most prestigious American Express and Caribbean Hotel Association Caribbean Environmental Award In the small hotel category
Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association First Annual Awards dinner 3 Rivers Eco Lodge & Sustainable Living Centre was proud to receive the honour of The DHTA Eco Best Practices award, in recognition of our Positive Action for Sustainable Tourism in Dominica.
We are happy to inform you that the 3 Rivers Eco Lodge & Sustainable Living Centre was selected as this month’s business that is “Making a Difference” on the Eco-Index Sustainable Tourism site. This designation will appear on the site’s homepage, the Making a Difference section and in the electronic Monthly Update that is emailed to all site subscribers.
3 Rivers has been voted runner up in the Green Globe 21 Best Overall Green Globe Business Award.
At the World Travel Market in London,
3 Rivers was awarded 2nd place in the First Choice Holidays and responsibletravel.com Responsible Tourism Award for Best Technology.
At the International Hotel & Restaurant Association 42nd Annual Congress held in Beijing, China, 3 Rivers was awarded 2nd prize in the Environmental Award.
One of our proud moments was when Green Globe 21 awarded 3 Rivers its champion of the month award, in recognition of our work for sustainable development, here in Dominica, The Nature Isle of the Caribbean.
3 Rivers was voted 3rd in the Green globe 21 Environmental Best Practices Website Award.
WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE THE AMERICAN EXPRESS & THE CARIBBEAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION CARIBBEAN GREEN HOTEL OF THE YEAR. 3 Rivers was awarded this great honour at the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference, held in Miami in the Small Hotel category(less than 76 rooms).
ECOCLUB.COM ECOLODGE AWARDS : 2ND PRIZE WINNER
Voting took place on-line throughout June, and with all votes counted, results are as follows : ECOCLUB Members voted Rainforest Retreat of India (Karnataka) as the First Prize Winner (27.5% of the votes) and 3 Rivers of Dominica as the Second Prize Winner (23.3%). Laguna del Lagarto of Costa Rica was Runner up with 17.4% of the votes.
3 Rivers is proud to announce that we have been voted in the worldwide Top Ten of the Green Globe 21 Worldwide Environmental “Best Practices Website” award.
OUR ECO WORKSHOPS
Here is a description of our eco renewable energy workshops
SOLAR ELECTRICITY
Our solar electricity workshops give an introduction to how solar works, what areas are most suited to solar energy, and an introduction to installing and wiring basic systems, as well as details of the best equipment to buy according to your needs.
SOLAR HOT WATER HEATING
Our solar hot water heating workshops begin with a basic introduction
of the principals of solar hot water heaters, and the components
required.
Students get the opportunity to practice soldering and the other useful
techiniques needed, and by the end of the day should get to see a fully
functioning system !!
SOLAR/HYDRAULIC RAM WATER PUMPING
This workshop explores the different environmentally friendly ways of pumping water, in various situations.
Students go through the theory of both solar and hydraulic ram pumping,
and get hands on experience in the installations of both kinds of
systems.
HYDRO-ELECTRICITY
In this, the longest and most complicated of our classes,
participants get to learn how to measure the flow rate and fall of a
river, and how to use those measurements to determine the best turbine
for any given situation.
They learn how to build a functioning water catchment area, and how to instal and wire a micro hydro turbine.
GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
This is a general awareness day, held at 3 Rivers, where visitors are shown all the sustainable practices we employ, and learning how they can be used on a daily basis at their homes, at low cost.
VEGETABLE OIL FUEL
This workshop is all about recycling used veggie oil and reducing emisssions.
Students learn to make a few simple modifications to any diesel vehicle
or generator to make it run on dirty old used cooking oil!
ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICES
This course is an introduction to the benefits and practicalities of organic farming, teaching about organic pest control methods, composting and marketing organic produce.
WIND ELECTRICITY
During this workshop, participants get a good ground knowledge of how
and wind generator works and what is can be used for, exploring battery
storage, power inverters and consumption.
Students will leave being able to install their own system, providing they are not scared of heights !!
US$ 120 per person, and includes materials, teacher, a summary handout, and tax
RENEWABLE ENERGY
t 3 Rivers, we are trying to use a variety of renewable energy sources.
In keeping with our own environmental policy, we are doing our utmost to share the knowledge and explain the benefits of renewable energy sources to guests and locals alike.
Our power is all renewable energy. We have a solar electric system and a wind turbine installed on each peoperty.
Anyone is welcome to take a tour of the ecolodge, to learn as much as we are able to teach them about the benefits of using renewable energy, and perhaps to teach us a thing or two, in the hope that more people will begin to transfer to greener energy and create a cleaner environment for us all.
If you are interested in really understanding any of our systems completely, you may wish to take one of our workshops or book the learning package.
TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN
Raise a Tree, Raise a Child.
Dominica is known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean. That makes it a very attractive destination, and the island is now living a great period of transition. The tourist industry is growing each year, and contributes a great deal in the development of the country. But that fast development does not only have positive points: Sometime it doesn’t fit with the basic environmental requirement, and does not benefit everyone.
Since the beginning of the 3 Rivers adventure, the preservation of nature and the involvement of the local community have been paramount. We believe in the strength of micro-project to make an efficient and durable work, involving foreigners willing to help, and the local community.
The aim of the Indigenous Tree Preservation Program is to contribute in making the Dominican development more sustainable for the ecosystem and the local community.
Principles of the program:
The program is based on the direct relation between foreigners willing to help and the local community. Donors are informed of the use of each dollar given, and can, at any moment, see the result of their participation.
Participants give EC$ 200 / US$ 80 .That money will be used as followed:
EC$ 120 will be spent on buying a young tree, planting and taking care of it, to make sure it grows. We will put a little plaque on the base of the tree with your name on it, and we will give you a certificate. We will also educate and involve the children of our local school in the program, by giving them a chance to plant and take care of some of the trees.
EC$ 50 will be donated to the Grand Fond pre school scholarship fund
EC$ 30 will cover the government tax.
The tree planting:
Every year in Dominica, a lot of trees are cut to respond to the great
demand of wood for the new construction, and also the need for cleared
land. Our forest is so huge that people seem to think that it is an
endless resource. But if we don’t pay attention, the deforestation could
reach an important level, and have a negative impact on the ecosystem.
By participating in that program, you will sponsor a tree, and make sure
that our staff will take care of it so it grows. The different trees
proposed were chosen because they are getting rarer each year or because
they are very fragile and need good care to grow.
The scholarship:
Dominica is one of the poorest nations of the Caribbean. People are spending a great part of their income to send their children to school. For some people it is very hard to pay for the books, note books, and basic materials to study.
3 Rivers is already working to provide a scholarship to the kids in need. It is a good beginning, and we are now looking to diversify the incomes for the scholarship fund. That’s the reason why we linked the indigenous tree preservation program with our scholarship fund. The amount of a one year scholarship is EC$500, so every 10 trees sold we can give a scholarship to a child.
Educating the children:
The children are benefiting from the program through the scholarships.
But as they are the future of Dominica, we want them to understand the
issue of that initiative for their country. The Grand Fond school has an
environmental club created through an initiative of the Ministry of
Education. They organize some activities and classes on the theme of
Nature and Environment. The club will visit us to participate in the
planting, and to give care to the trees sponsored by donors. The purpose
is to train them so they will be able to, and will wish to, plant trees
by themselves.
The certificate:
By participating in that program, you will get a certificate. Through that document, you will be able to get information about the project, to see your tree and to visit the school of Grand Fond if you visit. To help us recognize your tree, we will put a little plaque at it’s base with your name on it. You’ll then be proud to own a tree in Dominica, and overall to participate in our idea of sustainable development of the Nature Island.
The first tree sponsor was Melanie Gard from the U.S., who now owns a Kubawe Tree in Dominica, here at 3 Rivers, and has contributed EC$50 to the Grand Fond pre School Scholarship fund.
Deforestation is a global problem, and here in Dominica it has not really happened yet; our aim is to ensure it never does.
If you would like sponsor a tree, or find out more about the project, please feel free to contact us any time, and we will always be more than happy to help.
Community projects
LOCAL COMMUNITY WORK
The nearest village to 3 Rivers is called Grand Fond, and is home to around 1,000 people. Some of our workers are from this village, some others come from the nearest village in the other direction, Petite Soufriere. This is in keeping with our social policy.
As well as working closely with the local villages to offer a number of community based activities for our guests, we also offer a community homestay programme, where visitors can spend one night with a family to experience village life for real, and the host gets a good income for their time. click here for details
Some of our other community projects include:
Computer Mission dominica – 200 computers installed in schools and workshops on maintenance held at each school
Grand Fond Pre school Scholarship fund
The schools visit us for free to get an eco education tour.
The local school has a library for the village, using books supplied initially from one of our guests, Peg Pattee. Staff from 3 Rivers installed all the electricity and donated the parts for the work carried out.
We bought a washing machine for a lady in the village and she now has her own laundry business. As well as doing the laundry for us and our guests, she is also able to provide a service for the villagers.
We have sponsored the village cricket team by providing them with a large amount of new equipment.
We have sponsored one of the village bands, The Blazing Squad, by helping towards the cost of a new keyboard which they greatly need, and by showcasing them, and other local bands The Sucroze Band and The Real Vibes Band, occasionally here, at 3 Rivers.
We have hosted environmentally educational school visits for a few of the island’s schools, and continue to offer this free service to all schools in Dominica. We also offer this service to all interested parties, and all of our staff are fully trained in all of our environmental policies.
We ran an art competition in Grand Fond School to design our roadside banners. The four winners won some art equipment and a weekend at 3 Rivers, during which time we held an art workshop and transferred their paper designs onto the large roadside banners which can be seen today around Dominica. We donated some art equipment to the school in order to run the competition.
If you would like to know more about any of our environmental policies and practices, please feel free to contact us any time, and we will always be more than happy to help.
We have a small library in our bar, which contains a whole host of useful information and technical details about all of our systems, and other systems which we do not yet use.