Eco-tourism
When Dr. Dodson bought the mountain land for FunaVid about 10 years ago most of it was degraded cattle pasture. He allowed the forest to regenerate. Now there is attractive forest cover on much of the mountain. FunaVid are therefore creating an eco-tourist route up the mountain. This will provide income for the local people, some of whom have already expressed an interest in becoming guides, and a local lady has been taught the skills of preparing meals for the tourists. The clean water that has been brought down from the mountain spring will be a great asset for this. Tourism will therefore provide an incentive for the preservation of the forest for years to come. It can also serve as an educational facility for Honduran school students. The plan is to make a trail up the mountain with suitable tropical fruit trees planted along it, which will attract toucans and monkeys. The trail will end at the large Inga facility high up on the mountain. This will thus serve to publicize the Inga, as well as being itself an interesting tourist attraction.
There is a champa (shelter) well up the mountain and the eco-tourist trail will go there and provisions can be taken up to it. There is a lovely view over the sea from there.
The little white thing is a champa (shelter) where tourists could be taken. (Copyright © T. Miller. 2009)
The champa will be extended and furnished, and toilets, hopefully of an environmentally sound design, such as compost toilets, will be added.
A champa .(Copyright © T. Miller.2009)
View from the champa. (Copyright © T. Miller.2009)
Lower down the mountain where the main FunaVid buildings are situated was a small slightly derelict unused building. This is now being converted into nice tourist accommodation. The eco-tourist trail can be entered from next to this house, but also from a little shop in the local community. FunaVid employees make the building blocks themselves, and the structure is made with sufficient steel to be resilient when there are earthquakes.
On the left is the house in its original state. On the right is a computer created image of what it will be when extended and renovated (Images copyright Tiiu Miller 2010)
Extending and renovating the eco-tourist house.(Photo copyright Dr. M.L. Dodson 2011)
Progress with the eco-tourist house extension. (Photo Photo copyright Dr. M.L. Dodson 2011)
CURLA graduate students have been working with the nurseries and have planted a variety of trees on the mountain. They have been very well motivated and helpful. The three CURLA professors involved with the forestry, wildlife/environmental preservation, and eco-tourism departments have all been assisting in the project with valuable advice and help. Professor Norman Sabillion brought 200 special coffee trees and Dr Valle’s graduate students planted them high up in the mountain along the quebrada (steep valley with a stream). Many fruit trees are being planted next the champa so that tourists can sample fresh tropical fruit straight from the tree.
Dr. Valle and Dr. Dodson on the FunaVid mountain trail. View of Carribean sea behind, showing the potential for eco-tourism. (Photo copyright Tiiu Miller 2010)