Discussion about entry
Sustainable Ecotourism Seeds: Compost, Conservation, Community and Comfort
This is discussion about Sustainable Ecotourism Seeds: Compost, Conservation, Community and Comfort.
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Kudos
This is one of my favorite eco lodges in the world. Like Andy and Michelle I toured Ecuador in the early 90s and was profoundly impressed by Alandaluz, the environmental center that became a lodge to support its programs. It also had the distinction of having bright, cheerful dry toilets. Andy and Michelle took that nuget and many others in developing the Black Sheep Inn. Their work in the Andes receives high praise and kudos to Arnaldo Rodriguez for his sterling summary.
Good work should unite
There is so much good work being done in the field of ecotourism... ChangeMakers is showcasing projects around the globe in this 'Geotourism' contest. We just read about Yachana in the New York Times today and we are glad to see them featured. The Black Sheep Inn has been showcased with several of the entries in this contest in the past.
It would be great to unite and consolidate and cooperate, sharing best practises across the board amoung these leading ecotourism enterprises and projects. Conservation and Geotourism needs to become the norm for all travel. By supporting one another and openly sharing lessons learned the world can become a better place.
Hello Andres Hammerman, It
Hello Andres Hammerman,
It is great to see your entry in the competition. It is clear that the Black Sheep Inn is a hollistic geotourism location that really works to involve and give back to the local community. Do you consider the primary innovation of The Black Sheep Inn the way in which you work to seed community businesses? Thank you for your response.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Living Innovatively
Yes, that is one of our many innovations. We had a hard time stating what is the best innovative practice at the Black Sheep Inn. Every aspect of the BSI has been innovative. The model for community development is very different than what we have seen in other parts of Ecuador and it has proven to be successful. The community participates and benefits directly from sustainable tourism, which has proven to be a new economic lifeline in the village.
In the past we have also highlighted our composting toilets as innovative, because they have multiple functions and built-in efficient systems such as: roof-water collectors for handwash sinks that use biodegradable soaps and drain into gardens (auto-irrigation) inside the bathrooms. The bathroom itself is a functioning greenhouse and all bathrooms have a great view. We often find guests taking photos inside the composting toilets and it is the first stop during a tour of the property for our neighbors.
Thanks for the question and let us know if there is anything else you are curious about the community of Chugchilan and Black Sheep Inn. Where are you writing from Dana?
Thank you for your response.
Thank you for your response. I'm writing from Arlington, Virginia where the Ashoka office is located - right outside of Washington D.C. The composting toilets sound great! What do you grow in your garden? I just planted mine! Best, Dana.
Black Sheep Inn
As a former guest at Black Sheep Inn, I appreciated reading about the further developments in Chugchilan, and at the Black Sheep Inn. Just last night, we were showing our Ecuador photos to friends who are about to revisit Ecuador, and encouraging them to visit you.
Respect, Long-term Engagement, Creativity, Play
I'm impressed with this unique combination of factors that I think contributes to the success of the BSI and Chugchilan as an ecotourist destination more broadly. It's clear that Andres & Michelle have deep respect for the environment, but also for the community of Chugchilan and the people they work with there. I admire how they've worked to both teach and learn from locals, how community members trust one another over the long-term to figure out what works and to work well together, but also how they've used the work as an opportunity to be creative and play. They clearly take their work seriously and have developed a huge number of initiatives to improve the lives of people in the village, to improve the environment and the local economy, to teach people about sustainability, and generally to make a difference. But they've also made beautiful buildings and delicious food and nurtured opportunities for people to sing and dance and play (frisbee golf anyone?) and relax (hot tub and sauna) and be renewed (yoga room) and much more. The "King of Garbage" is clearly laughing, even as he helps people clean up the environment and create much needed compost. This is an example of how people can make their dreams come true, enrich the lives of all of us, and have fun doing so all at once. The Black Sheep Inn and Chugchilan are an inspiration!
Dedication
It has been almost ten years since I first saw the smiling faces on the internet of Michelle and Andres and fell in love instantly with their energy and dedication to the people of Chugchilan. Since then I have followed their innovations with amazement as they taught and worked to turn the village and their own area in to a sustainable and important place. They did not think of themselves primarily, but of the villagers, and how first and foremost they could improve lives there without losing the culture of the people as so often happens.
The results of their work....the sharing and teaching will last through several generations.
I have never had the chance to visit BSI but still hope, before my life ends, to ride the top of the bus with the chickens and to experience first hand the fruits of their work and dedication.
Inspiring project!
I had the pleasure of staying at Black Sheep Inn in the summer of 2006 after living 2 years in Ecuador. I have traveled throughout the world and was very much impressed and inspired by the total dedication to sustainable eco-tourism.
Many places claim to be sustainable, eco-friendly, while helping the locals but Black Sheep Inn really lives up to its claims!
I hope others will be inspired by their work, patience, and dedication.
Kathleen Miszuk
Commitment & Passion
After travelling in many destinations around the world, and staying in many a lodge that claimed to be eco-friendly it was exciting to stay at the BSI that truely lived up to its beliefs. The BSI provides one with a unique travelling experience whilst reducing the tourist impact on the community and environment that surrounds it. Michelle and Andy's passion for sustainable tourism, environmental practices and cultural awareness is matched by their commitment and dedication to the community of Chugchilan.
Keep up the great job!!
Black Sheep Inn
We visited BSI in November 2006. It is an amazing place, and they really follow through and do what they say. The sensitivity to the environment is wonderful, and links to the community are stronger than any others I have seen in South America. They practice what they preach, and the project description for their entry is the real deal. They also make it easy to visit, with very responsive connections to travellers - they made it possible to get there and away and to understand the experience before we arrived. We have travelled a lot, and this place is unique.
From the beginning
As detailed as this is, it can't tell the whole story or capture the magic that is the Black Sheep Inn. From the beginning, Michelle and Andres have been more concerned about being a part of their community than about their personal gain. They have brought water to local communities, supported local residents in any number of endeavors, helped locals learn about and practice permaculture, and helped to create a thriving eco-destination out of a formerly poor and remote town.
Black Sheep Inn Entry
The Black Sheep Inn is a remarkable place where real, positive action is being taken to create a unique place in this world. I was a visitor twice during a summer in Ecuador, and it is still my most memorable stay in any of my travels.
The inn has nestled into the hillside in a way that feels comfortable and natural - the sensitivity towards the needs of the community and the environment has informed all aspects of how life works at the Black Sheep. There is deep and evident truth in all of the statements in the application - each visitor could attest to it. They have accomplished not only blending in, but bringing beauty to the place... the "composting toilets" are not only environmentally aware but aesthetically beautiful: an open window lights the flowers watered from the sink and allows a breathtaking view across the Andes.
a great place
What BSI has accomplished is amazing, not only for themselves but for the community. They truely believe in what they do and what ecotourism stands for. After our visit to BSI we came home determined to make change in our home and community. Good luck with your future. We hope to make it back someday.
Cheers Shelley and Mark
how fun is this
I can't wait to visit.
Sensible progress for the Andean indigenous community
The Black Sheep Inn provides a venue for "First World" cultures and the local Quechuan culture to interact. The result can benefit both sides as face-to-face contact gives a chance for both to see the humanity in each. The local indigenous culture can learn and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of their visiting guests and the outside visitors can learn an important lesson of how important the attachment to our Mother Earth is for human survival and happiness.
Although the technology of the developed nations gives humanity many great things it can lead us astray from our important responsibilities to the very ecosystems that have created us. The attachment of the Andean communities to the land and the unique ecosystem of tropical highland Ecuador is an important lesson forgotten by many of the so-called developed "advanced" cultures. A sensible, nurtured development of the people of this incredible land can preserve those values while benefitting its new generation.
Cultural Preservation = Earth Preservation
This is a great comment. The "First World" often has a lot to learn to make their society sustaianble. Geotourism can be a tool for poverty reduction, but also an educational tool for travelers to open up their hearts and minds to sustainable living and cultural differences.
Good ecotourism, responsible tourism and geotourism breaks down barriers to help both worlds develop in a positive way.
ECO-turism in Black Sheep Inn
My name is Jenny Aragundy. I work on ecological sanitation since 2000 in Ecuador and Latina America and the Caribbean by ECOSANLAC. I wonder always why the majority of the lodges or hostels that we have in Ecuador called themselves ecoturistic places if all that make them ecologically friendly was the marvelous biodiversity of the country, but the way in which those are managed isn't ecologically friendly at all. Black Sheep Inn on the contrary is one of the few resorts in Ecuador which can be called ECOTURISTIC and is doing a great job in this area, contributing also with the local development and being an example of integral and sustainable sanitation.
Black Sheep Inn
There is a difference between being a tourist location and creating lasting change and growth for an area and that is the difference you will find at the Black Sheep Inn. They are a part of the community and looking for opportunities to share the wonder of the area and the people with travelers all around the world while at the same time, embracing and encompassing all the area is instead of exploiting it. It is a place to be one with God in the beauty He created that surrounds you with people that want to keep it that way.
Black Sheep Inn
Black Sheep Inn was the highlight of our visit to Ecuador. Getting there is not for the faint of heart....but once there, it was everything we had signed on for. The Inn is an outstanding example of how sustainable practices can make it possible for outsiders to see "real life" in a developing country without being overly intrusive. From shared, organic meals of local food to the composting toliets, the BSI contributes to the local community and leaves a very small footprint. Hats off to Andres and Michelle for living out their dream and allowing us to participate in it and learn from the experience.
Good Roads to Good Development
Funny how you stress how it is difficult to get to the Black Sheep Inn. We are just 85 kms or 53 miles as the crow flies from Quito yet Chugchilan is still extremely rural and it takes 4 to 5 hours to get here from Quito in a private vehicle.
People often define development as having good roads, but we at the Black Sheep Inn disagree: there are already too many roads and cars on the planet burning too much fuel. If you asked someone if making parking lots was a good development tool, they would probably disagree, but everybody speaks in favor of building roads.
Development should be defined by education, health and sustainable conservation of natural resources, not pavement.
If an area has good education, good conservation policies, and good health care - then prehaps development projects can open up the road to: ROADS.
Black Sheep Inn
We very much support this entry. The philosophy behind the Black Sheep is excellent and, having stayed there on more than one occasion we can testify that it works. The Black Sheep is also very much involved with community projects. A very worthy entry indeed
A dream came true
Dear Michel and Andy,
We travelled a lot around the world, and stayed in many lodges.This was one of the best -ecolodges. Food was good, very friendly staff. It was exciting to stay at the Black Sheep Inn. It was a unique travelling experience.Michelle and Andy's passion for eco tourism, environmental practices and cultural awareness is matched by their commitment and dedication to the community of Chugchilan. We visited the lodge 13/07/07 and 14/07/07 We came from Lasso. It is a perfect stop ( very quiet) between Lasso and Banos. Michel and Andy, thank you very much for your hospitality and we wish you good luck in the competition.
Keep up the great job!!
Rob and Ann
A fantastic place
I took a break from motherhood finding BSI online while searching for a place to visit which was isolated. When I arrived at the inn I found myself in my personal paradise! I'm an obsessive re-cycler and guilt-ridden American and now I'm enthusiastically spreading the word about composting toilets to anyone with land to build one (I get funny looks). I loved the vegetarian meals, meeting the locals, and the positive impact the inn had on the surrounding community (I bought locally knit hats from them). Wow! Next time I'll bring the kids to show them how we can all vacation in a way to preserve the nature and culture of the places we visit. I know I'll be hard-pressed to find a place which is as faithful to its mission as Black Sheep Inn.
Inspiration of the Andes
I was lucky enough to be able to personally get an impression of Chugchilan and the BSI and i am happy to say that it was an incredible experience. It was impressive to see how the various projects launched by the BSI in cooperation with the locals helped improve conditions and build new structures. The frequent interactions with locals always struck me as very honest and sincere. At the BSI itself, the water-management and preservations system, but most of all the composting toilets are nothing short of inspirational and should serve as models for sustainable eco-tourism projects.
All the best for the future and i am glad to hear that the recycling project is making good project!
2 thumbs up!!!
G.B.
We're with you Black Sheep Inn
Andres and Michelle,
Great to see your entry in Changemaker's competition. Hardly a day goes by that i don't think or talk about the experience our families had at BSI last summer. We're gradually trying to bring what we learned in Chugchilan back to Massachusetts. Yesterday Aidan got two chickens and had the first free range organic egg for breakfast this morning. Happy kid! I'm excited about your idea for an eco-tourism association to share best practices and expand the ideal. We will direct people your way with similar aspirations.
All the best, Ed McCarthy, Lexington, MA
BSI
BSI is inspirational, the work of Andres and Michelle in the community and postive outcomes and impacts is outstanding and a model for other grass roots community projects. The lodge is also a place for travellers to learn about practival environmetak solutions (love the composting toliet). It is great to BSI in the competition and I wish them all the best.
Hope to visit again.
Stan
communities
What sort of changes have you seen in the nearby communities as they have developed tourism enterprises? And if you knew back when you started BSI what you know now, would you make any changes in how you developed your relations with the community leaders?
great questions
trying to post, but it keeps failing...
PART 1 reply
Difficult questions – thank you for asking them.
When we moved to Chugchilán there were no tourist facilities. We have effectively put Chugchilán on the tourist map.
In 1995, we wrote to several guidebooks about the Black Sheep Inn, but more importantly we provided information about the entire area. We wrote 9-pages of information about bus schedules, hostels in small villages and provided hiking information. Travel guidebooks published this information to describe a ‘new’ area called the "Latacunga-Loop" and "Quilotoa-Circuit". Suddenly Provincia Cotopaxi had tourists staying more than just one night for Saquisilí Market or viewing Cotopaxi Volcano. Now tourists were exploring deeper into the rural countryside, getting to know indigenous populations, and spending their tourist dollars on services in the area.
PART 2 reply
1994 South American Handbook described Chugchilán as, "a very poor village in one of the most scenic areas of Ecuador." No accommodations were listed. Now the Handbook has 3-pages about the "Quilotoa-Circuit." Chugchilán is currently listed in over 15 different Ecuador and South America guidebooks.
Let'sGo! Ecuador describes the "Latacunga-Loop" with these words "the tiny town of Chugchilán has seen more than its share of visitors in recent years. Part of this may be due to its oasis of idealism: the Black Sheep Inn."
PART 3 reply -please read PART 1 & 2 first
Some communities have taken advantage of this new economy while others have not been as ambitious. One negative impact is children occasionally ask tourists to give them money or things. This had never happened before tourists visited the area. We ask guests to donate to a community fund instead of giving handouts to individuals which encourages further begging.
We have learned an incredible amount establishing a sustainable eco-destination, but would we do it differently? Not necessarily… we have grown with the community and the community has grown with us.
I think that the success of this innovation is that it has always been a grassroots project. Learning can be done in leaps and bounds, but here mistakes have been valuable instead of costly.
Hope this answers your questions.
A "REAL" eco lodge that works
In the course of my work I have travelled extensively in Ecuador, visiting tourist installations, towns and villages, there's hardly a corner of this country I don't know.
The BSI is in my opinion one of the few Eco-lodges which understands what the word really means, and has acted on that knowledge. The use of permaculture, encompassing recycling, composting and care of the earth is very obvious in all the ongoing projects at the Inn and in the community. Chugchilan's residents have moved in a few short years, from barely sustainable existance with major migration of the young people to the cities, into a sustainable comunity with real wages, improved education, healthcare and opportunities. An example to all who still think that "eco" means a bit of greenery and better sales.
A great example
Took our kids to the Black Sheep - composting toilets were a firm favourite. The Inn is the most sustainable i've stayed in - from the loos to the permaculture to the recycling computers. Their work with the local community is though the most impressive and important part of their work and is a great example of how to go about it for anyone else considering a similar project
Empowering the local community through education
I could describe the Black Sheep Inn with innovating and exciting words as that is what it is. They have inspired, motivated and educated the local community, by supporting them and empowering them to start their own business, as well as assisting them in the substainable and educational side. The community still have that fastinating Andean character that tourist love, but offer so much more if you take or have the time to stay and find out. On the surface is a tripical and Andean community, my stay at the Black Sheep Inn, found more. The friendly and warm loving community that would embrace you; they saw Michelle and Andres as part of that community who were leading the way forward in innovation ideas. One instance in particularly that I exerience , was during the dry season, no rain, low water table, water was very scarce and often non-existence. This is a major problem world wide not just here in the Andean highlands, but Andres held discussions and developed ideas to deal with this problem, and for this community there was a solution. The positivity from the locals towards what Black Sheep Inn has brought to the community, without radically changing the character, is inspirational.
Black Sheep Inn !
Even if my name was not Hammerman, I would rave about the Black Sheep Inn! Andy and Michelle have built the perfect sustainable ecolodge. After a short stay of only 2 nights, we continue to rave about our experience in Chugchilan! Andy and Michelle's involvement in the community, the 'handbuilt' sustainable accommodations, the more than friendly atmosphere, proximity of the rainforest, local cheese factory, and more - all contribute to this perfect environment. We recommend it to anyone - a great nomination!!
Black Sheep Inn
We spent several days at the Black Sheep Inn in July 0f 2006. We wished we could have stayed longer. The Black Sheep Inn is a shining example of sustainable development. The Inn has enhanced the lives of the people in its community as well as those of its visitors, demonstrating committment, intelligence and compassion as it educates. From its composting toilets (perhaps the most beautiful bathrooms we have ever seen)to its amazing meals, it was a wonderful place to stay. The BSI and the community have formed a partnership that was undeniable and apparent to any visitor. The BSI connected us to local guides for our hikes, and the BSI was very clearly much more than just a business in the town.
It became very clear to us, as we hiked in the area, that there was mutual respect and affection between the local people and The BSI.
Winners already!
I had the pleasure recently of staying at The Black Sheep Inn. Never before in my life have I experienced a more resourceful and welcoming place. To be in the presence of these two giving people on a daily basis was truly inspiring. Andres and Michelle are the definition of teamwork and community and definitely deserve this award!
Innovative and Caring
Having studied International Development and spent my adult years roaming for sustainable community based innovations I can sincerely say that the Black Sheep is the finest example of two people keeping open hearts and making a real difference in the lives of others.
I've known the Black Sheep Inn and its efforts as a business and members of the community. It is a beautiful location. It is fully integrated in the community in a positive way that promotes home-grown leadership. The BSI has made every effort to care for the local ecosystem and encourages their neighbours to do the same. The positive impact is due to the BSI's holistic approach, meticulous efforts and deep compassion.
You've got my vote.
Love unconditionally,
Iain
The Black Sheep Inn
It is ten years since we visited the Black Sheep Inn but we were very impressed when we stayed there and have recommended others to visit and watched its development ever since.
Arriving with some suspicions about just how environmental this place was going to be we were impressed by the direction and commitment of those involved and amused by the composting toilets with a view to rival anything.
As a wildlife artist with concerns about the environment it was very encouraging to find a small corner of Ecuador where some really positive things were happening.
Whilst cultivating the slopes measures were being taken to avoid soil erosion that were innovative but traditionally based and much was in progress to improve sustainability.
Local people were employed at the inn, given training and responsibility and treated with equality and respect.
There seemed to be a good rapport with the local community and from my point of view some interesting and varied wildlife to see and enjoy including some amazing moths, lizards and birds.
It was also a good place to network and we were able to share experiences with a wide range of travellers.
Jane Minor - Black Sheep Inn
I stayed at the Black Sheep Inn in March, 2007, and was amazed by Andres and Michelle's commitment to improving the local environment, estqablishing a sustainable tourist facility, and engaging and educating the local community.
Black Sheep Inn
I stayed at the Black Sheep Inn in March, 2007, and was amazed by Andres and Michelle's commitment to improving the local environment, estqablishing a sustainable tourist facility, and engaging and educating the local community.
Black Sheep Inn
I visited the Black Sheep Inn in November 2006 and was utterly impressed. They have a fine operation there in the wilds of the Andes. This is eco-tourism at its best. The compost toilets, the first I have seen in Latin America. The involvement, long term, of local people was evident in the Inn every day.
I spent an afternoon at the local village school, and watched staff from the Inn volunteering teaching English to local children. Staff went to the village to collect the garbage, with local people. The whole thing was most impressive and has made a definite improvement in the quality of life of the village. Even though it was hard to get to I would go again, partly drawn by the impact the Black Sheep Inn has had on the local community. All positive. Wonderful. I recommend them for your competition. Mary O'Donovan, Vancouver Canada.
Further development of the local community
Dear Andres and Michelle,
I am delighted to learn how much further you have developed links with the local community. Your efforts in ecotourism at the Black Sheep Inn have been impressive for some years now, but it is particularly interesting to learn that you have supported local people in setting up their own inns and that you give them so much encouragement in recycling, etc. Chugchilan really is on the map now, but in a protected way.
Congratulations,
Wendy
An inspiring and genuine experience
The Black Sheep Inn is an incredible place. After spending a week there, I am humbled in how much I have to learn about truly living my ideals. They are amazing, thorough, and genuine in their efforts to not only live, but run a business in a sustainable way, but also to inspire others to do the same. The true beauty of the Inn is that they manage to teach and lead without ever condescending. The respect for the community and culture of the area are as powerful as the respect for the natural environment. It is a rarity to find a place that is so truly what it claims and hopes to be.
Black Sheep Inn
I had the priviledge of visiting Andy and Michelle at the Black Sheep Inn several years back. Their commitment to environmental friendliness and community relations is their top priority. Every choice they seem to make involves a deep contemplation of its impact on the environment and the members of their community. They have created an incredibly hospitable and comfortable eco-tourism lodge, without compromising the aforementioned values. As a result of their dedication to these higher values, they have created an enhanced tourist experience, one that moves guests to reevaluate their own impact on the world around them. On so many levels, The Black Sheep Inn is making the world a better place!
Black Sheep Inn
My husband took his daughters to the Black Sheep for a family vacation in 2002, scouting out places in Ecuador where he had been taken by his parents in the early 40s. He returned to the Black Sheep with me, his wife, for another visit two years later and we will return again and again, I hope, to this wonderful place.
The Black Sheep is a model geo-ecotourism community, offering comfort and hospitality to its guests in environmentally sound and sensible ways, preserving the natural and cultural milieu and fostering the well-being of the area's native population.
few minor comments about your entry
Hi Michelle and Andres!
So glad to see this entry in the geotourism contest. We still think about the trip we had to Chugchillan and how wonderful it was.
We only had a few minor comments about your answers above. The content was very good but thought some of the answers could've been clearer or more directly answered the question being asked.
1. With this question "Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?"
I think your answer seemed scattered so the points didn't come across clearly. I would clearly delineate the positive impacts you've had on the community and the things you have in place to prevent negative impacts. All the content is there, just a little scattered.
2. The answers for these two questions look flipped "How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?" and "In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?"
Wish we had more helpful feedback. Good luck!!
Lara and Maneesh
Corrections and Clarifications 2
The quantitative impact can be sited in some recent stats that we are benchmarking: Business generated in the community by the BSI in 2008:
Local Drivers: US$5400
Local Guides: US$900
Horseback Trips: US$2750
Quito Drivers: US$6500
Total guest accommodations in Chugchilán in 1994: zero rooms
Total guest accommodations in Chugchilán in 2008: 45 rooms
Average tourists per night in village: 35
Local people in tourism: 100+
You are also correct about the answers being flipped around about community involvement and tourist satisfaction… I have no idea how that happened. I will write to Changemakers and check if can be corrected.
Thanks for your comments!
Corrections and Clarifications 1
You are correct about the answer to the question about ‘quantitative and qualitative impact.’ It had a 200 word answer limit and was written in several paragraphs which separated the ideas a bit, but it showed up scattered in the entry as a giant run-on.
The qualitative impact in Chugchilán is that it is now on the tourist map (quoting the difference between 1994 and current guidebooks), sustainable practices have been implemented at the other hostels (building with natural materials, native-tree planting, using organic produce, serving vegetarian food, improving water installations and providing employment), the community has received direct benefits (training workshops, education, Public Library/Computer Learning Center, schools and clinic have received continuous aid, employment, transportation coop, girls Andean folk dance troupe, etc) and the Recycling Center has dramatically helped the local environment.
Negative impacts… have been reduced completely by overwhelming positive impacts.