Sustainable Ecotourism Seeds: Compost, Conservation, Community and Comfort
Black Sheep Inn is a small eco-lodge and permaculture demonstration site in Chugchilán Ecuador. Its unique location in the middle of the Latacunga Loop boasts four distinct climates in a ten kilometer radius: high alpine paramó, Andean Humid cloud forest, semi-tropical in the canyon’s lower elevations and patchwork sierra fields.
Chugchilán, a rural Andean village at 10,500 feet above sea level, three hours from the Pan-American, nearest Bank or Post Office, is a sustainable tourism destination that has become popular over the last decade.
Black Sheep Inn guest facilities are in harmony with the land, contributing to its biodiversity and sustainability. Property has nine adobe buildings, ten composting toilets, gray-water recycling, organic gardens, ponds, a wood-fired sauna/hot-tub, greenhouse, treehouse, zipline cable-swing, solar-powered waterslide and Frisbee golf course. Animals include: llamas, guinea pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, and of course a Flock of Black Sheep. Guests learn about ecotourism, enjoy fantastic scenery and experience intercultural exchanges while day hiking, horseback riding or cycling in the area.
Village population: 500+/-;
Total guest accommodations in three hotels: 45 rooms;
Average tourists/night in village: 30+;
Locals working directly/indirectly in tourism: 50+;
Tourists: 44% North American, 40% European, 10% South American, 6% other.
Your idea
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Street Address
Chugchilan - Sigchos Road
City
Chugchilan
State/Province
Cotopaxi
Postal/Zip Code
05-01-240
Country
Ecuador
Year innovation began
1995
Geotourism Challenge Addressed by Entrant
Quality of tourism management and impact on the destination
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Indicate sector in which you principally work
Destination-stewardship business
Geographic location
Rural, Mountain.
Plot your innovation within the Mosaic of Solutions
Main insight addressed
Develop community assets
Name Your Project
Sustainable Ecotourism Seeds: Compost, Conservation, Community and Comfort
Describe Your Idea
Black Sheep Inn is a small eco-lodge and permaculture demonstration site in Chugchilán Ecuador. Its unique location in the middle of the Latacunga Loop boasts four distinct climates in a ten kilometer radius: high alpine paramó, Andean Humid cloud forest, semi-tropical in the canyon’s lower elevations and patchwork sierra fields.
Chugchilán, a rural Andean village at 10,500 feet above sea level, three hours from the Pan-American, nearest Bank or Post Office, is a sustainable tourism destination that has become popular over the last decade.
Black Sheep Inn guest facilities are in harmony with the land, contributing to its biodiversity and sustainability. Property has nine adobe buildings, ten composting toilets, gray-water recycling, organic gardens, ponds, a wood-fired sauna/hot-tub, greenhouse, treehouse, zipline cable-swing, solar-powered waterslide and Frisbee golf course. Animals include: llamas, guinea pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, and of course a Flock of Black Sheep. Guests learn about ecotourism, enjoy fantastic scenery and experience intercultural exchanges while day hiking, horseback riding or cycling in the area.
Village population: 500+/-;
Total guest accommodations in three hotels: 45 rooms;
Average tourists/night in village: 30+;
Locals working directly/indirectly in tourism: 50+;
Tourists: 44% North American, 40% European, 10% South American, 6% other.
Innovation
What is the goal of your innovation?
Improving local community and natural environment while providing a comfortable, educational experience; and teaching about the area, local customs and Permaculture.
How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
Mission Statement and Vision:
Black Sheep Inn (BSI) aims to provide a comfortable, educational experience for guests, teaching about the local area, local customs and Permaculture, while contributing to and improving the local community and the natural environment. BSI’s goal is to be a leader in environmental stability and ecotourism.
Eco-Permaculture Features include: solar panels, adobe construction preserving traditional architecture, composting toilets, recycling, roof-water collectors, gray-water systems, organic gardens, community education and aid work, reforestation, and erosion control.
We moved to Chugchilán in 1994 with the goal of creating an affordable sustainable tourist destination. Before 1994, the village of Chugchilán was unknown by tourists, travelers, and agencies. There were no accommodations. Fourteen years later Chugchilán has preserved its cultural charm and has several community businesses that profit from sustainable tourism. Businesses include: horseback riding tours, women's knitting cooperative, 2 locally owned hostels and restaurants, local native guides, student folkdance troupe, transportation cooperative, Public Library/Computer Learning Center, and Recycling Center. Other improvements in the community since 1994 include: telephone service (both landlines and now Cellular), new health clinic, an ambulance, pavement in the plaza, new market, public park, over 200% more bus routes, and police station.
Describe your approach in detail. How is it innovative?
Quote-Ecotourism-Inspector, Arnaldo Rodriguez:
“Black-Sheep-Inn (BSI) is one of the most honest, grassroot lodges I’ve seen in Latin-America. A true example of sustainable tourism: environmentally-sound practices and installations, composting toilets, gray-water recycling, garbage separation and rain-catchments.
BSI shares business opportunities with locals, for instance advising visitors to use local guides, horses, transportation and bicycles, instead of having their own. Oddly enough, BSI encouraged locals to build their own lodges, even under the risk of competition. Owners of these lodges acknowledged that BSI was inspirational and always willing to share expertise.
Community-based ecotourism projects in Ecuador have failed because initiatives didn’t start in the communities, but were created by NGO’s or development agencies, which normally lack experience in tourism management. These initiatives focused efforts on building infrastructure and then left communities on their own, without any further training. In Chugchilán the model is different, because locals have the opportunity to learn from BSI’s experiences, developing products well designed for the target client, and most importantly, learning first-hand how to provide good service. I’ve been related with community-based tourism for several years and I can assure that Mama-Hilda and Cloud-Forest are amongst the best locally owned lodges in Ecuador, both in terms of infrastructure and service.”
What types of partnerships or professional development would be most beneficial in spreading your innovation?
Instead of private lodges individually seeking eco-certification, it would be advantageous to share best-practices and lessons-learned through a united ecotourism association. People mutually benefit when working together. The spirit and style of partnerships at BSI can be adapted to new locations.
Partnerships/donations to create Chugchilán’s Public Library/Computer Learning Center:
Tourists donated books, computers and money,
Foundation Room-to-Read donated hundreds of books,
Press Attaché US Embassy provided a shipping address,
Catholic Church gave library room and furniture,
Cloud Forest Hostel donated renovation materials,
BSI provided labor, technical support and librarian’s salary,
British School Quito annually gives computers, programs and tech-support.
Impact
In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
Sustainable development takes time, patience and commitment: in one decade the village of Chugchilán is “On-the-Map” as a Geotourism tourist destination.
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? 200 words or less
BSI offers best-practice examples: composting toilets, water conservation, organic vegetarian food, building with local materials, reforesting with native-trees and community participation.
Best-practices are copied by other hostels in Chugchilán. Both have built with homemade adobe blocks, planted native-trees, purchase or grow organic produce, offer vegetarian options, have improved water installations and employ local labor and guides.
BSI sponsored several workshops including: knitting, family-planning, first-aid, natural history, guiding etiquette, animal care, soap making, health and nutrition. Cloud-Forest-Hostel hosted lunches for workshops. A Peace Corp Volunteer started native-tree nurseries at the BSI and Hostel-Mama-Hilda.
Public Library/Computer Learning Center, with 1000+ books and 8 computers, provides incentive to learn to read. Older students can do research and investigations. As the 1st-world moves ahead with new technology, communities like Chugchilán get left behind. The Library/Computer Learning Center bridges that gap.
Recycling Center is a similar success story of people in Chugchilán working together to solve a common problem. Organic/inorganic wastes are sorted, composted and stored for recycling. The village is healthier and cleaner.
In 1994 only one guidebook described Chugchilán, "a very poor village in one of the most scenic areas of Ecuador" no accommodations listed. Now there are positive reviews in every Ecuador guidebook.
How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Chugchilán community participates and benefits in all aspects of local tourism; primarily in OWNERSHIP of hostels, restaurants, women’s coop, transportation coop and guided activities. Community also benefits from employment, food selling, providing materials and labor for building including local inventions and designs. Chugchilán has a new economy based on eco-tourism.
Andres and Michelle are well accepted community members participating in local meetings. In 2005 BSI invited county Mayor and local officials to discuss issues including garbage disposal. This meeting initiated the Recycling Center. Andres is now the ‘King-of-Garbage’ and the elected water committee President. Michelle volunteers teaching high school since 1997.
Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area’s cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
Guests leave the BSI feeling inspired to address ecological problems at home. We have received messages from guests saying they have become ‘Eco-Warriors’ after their experiences in Chugchilán.
Chugchilán receives more tourists than surrounding villages because local people realize that it’s valuable to preserve the cloud forest, that a clean village is healthier but also attractive and that keeping traditions alive such as dancing, folk music (BSI has a Folk Instrument lending library) and knitting are also profitable.
BSI supports the preservation of historic adobe buildings and is outspoken in village meetings about architectural materials and styles. Other hostels also build with natural materials.
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?
Guests return from hikes or horseback excursions exhilarated by the amazing scenery and because they have had direct contact with local people and one of their first conversations in Spanish. Guided activities are with local natives who don’t speak English, but know how to communicate with tourists slowly, changing words and offering explanations, instead of simply repeating the same words louder. Guides profit directly.
Local dance troupe performs regularly at all three hotels in Chugchilán. Girls, aged 8-12, perform entertaining participatory Andean folkdances in traditional dress for tips, which supports buying schools supplies and improving their costumes and music.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Triple-bottom-line of sustainable tourism in Chugchilán: it is profitable and benefits both the community and environment. Poverty is being reduced from a new economy and cultural heritage is being protected. Natural environment continues to improve because of ecological practices.
All three accommodations in Chugchilán profit, which means they use extra income to improve facilities. Hotels pay a higher rate for water, subsidizing the town’s system. Tourism provides employment and a market for local goods and services. Local hotels lead the village in problems and concerns such as garbage disposal and water supply. Tourism is still growing in newly discovered Chugchilán.
How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
Tourism in Chugchilán was privately financed by individual entrepreneurs with small piecemeal grassroots reinvestments. BSI was self-financed, mostly with a commitment to succeed and approximately US$75,000. As business grew, reinvestments were made in the facility, local community and promoting the area.
BSI took the initial risk, unsure if tourists would visit Chugchilán. We encouraged neighbors to open hostels and take advantage of tourism. Now two locally owned hostels work closely with BSI: Hostel-Mama-Hilda and Cloud-Forest-Hostel. BSI provided a no-interest loan to help establish a local horseback riding business.
BSI employs nine full-time staff (and several part-time) who receive full legal benefits: maternity leave, paid vacation, over-time pay, tips, social security and scheduled bonuses. Most have worked at BSI for ten+ years.
BSI receives approximately 5000 people nights/year. Guests spend an average of $35/person/day. Other hostels receive a similar number of guests at lower rates and also provide local employment.
What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
BSI would like to consult and unite tourism operations in ecological best-practices.
As a lodge, BSI has chosen not to expand, but remain a small sustainable lodge constantly making improvements: solar-powered waterslide, hot-tub heated from thermal-siphon installed on the same woodstove that heats the sauna, a Frisbee-golf course, and a multifunction Yoga studio are all improvements in the last year.
Future long-term sustainable improvements include: self-sufficiency in organic food and energy production, signs along the Iliniza Ecological Reserve, a community native-tree nursery using compost from the recycling facility, environmental education and to seek financing to add internet access at public/library.
What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Community development takes time and patience. Often sustainable solutions are not the most obvious or easy paths. Sometimes communities prefer ANY and ALL development that is offered for free. We are trying to teach people to take ownership of their village and to be able to say ‘NO’ to development ideas that do not fit with the needs of the community.
As much as we highlight success stories such as: the Public Library/Computer Learning Center, Recycling Center, transportation coop, women’s knitting coop, student girls dance troupe etc… there are some development projects that have failed. For instance: elementary schools phone-line was disconnected because they did not pay their phone bill. Often new classrooms are built without funding for teachers and school supplies.
And of course, when there is new money flowing and available through tourism, some people feel left out and become envious. This is also a sign of success; there was nothing to be envious of before! A challenge is to find new opportunities that help increase services and products available so both tourists and community members can gain.
BSI strongly feels there is a need for a forum, such as ChangeMakers, to help share common problems and successes.
The Story
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Michelle Kirby, from Rochester MA, graduated with a BA in Communications and Public Relations from North Adams State College MA, but her passion was adventure travel. In addition to administrating the BSI she volunteers teaching English and computers in Chugchilán’s local high school since 1997.
Andres Hammerman, from Highland Park IL, traveled and worked across the Americas before settling down in the Andes. In addition to designing and building new features at BSI he is the current President of Chugchilán’s Water Committee and proclaimed “The King-of-Garbage.” He holds a PhD in Design from the School of Trial and Error.
What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
Andres Hammerman and Michelle Kirby, founders of BSI, first visited Chugchilán in 1993 as backpackers; we loved to travel and explore ‘off-the-beaten-track’. There was no hotel in town, so we knocked on a few doors looking for a bed and ended up staying with a local family. We fell in love with the area: dramatic sierra landscape, great hiking, canyons, cloud forest, Laguna Quilotoa, excellent cheeses and most of all the friendly people. We spent two weeks in Chugchilán and did not want to leave. Previously we had looked for work outside of the United States, but had never considered buying land until a family offered it to us.
“If you like this place so much, why don’t you buy our land?”
We had to ask ourselves, “Was this a dream come true? An opportunity we could not pass by?” Here in the heart of the Andes, we could tread lightly and live sustainably. We could create a home and realize our ideals: organic gardens, friendly animals, ecological toilets, recycling waste, wastewater systems, caring for the earth and fostering our talents. Here we could live in community and have the freedom to be creative, experiment, and learn from our mistakes.
The idea of the BSI was born in 1993. The name was created before the place. We chose: “Black Sheep Inn & La Posada Oveja Negra,” because everybody recognizes the symbol of the Black Sheep, because it sounds great in every language, because there are many white sheep in the area and because many travelers are ‘Black Sheep’ that have strayed far from the flock.
After discovering Chugchilán in 1993, we returned to the USA and each worked three jobs, saving money to invest in our future. We were sure that Chugchilán was the place to put down roots, and we were determined to build a sustainable tourist destination. We moved to Chugchilán in October 1994, purchased the land in April 1995, and have been receiving guests since 1996.
Dreams have become a reality.
None of this would have been nor could continue to be possible without the support of the community and our guests. We share our home and lives with visitors from around the world in order to create an example for visitors, as well as the community of ecologically sound practices, and to encourage everyone to follow their dreams.
BSI is a work in progress. We strive to improve the facility and nurture the land. We’ve designed buildings and property using Permaculture ideas. We have built with natural and renewable resources such as adobe and straw and local labor. We harvest rainwater and humanure (abono turistico). We have reforested with native trees in terraced rows called swales and we involve ourselves with the community in the most positive ways we think possible. Everyday we learn more from the land, the neighbors, the animals and the guests. Life is a learning experience. We strive to live in harmony with and respect our surroundings.
Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on the competition homepage.
Black Sheep Inn is a small eco-lodge and permaculture demonstration site in Chugchilán Ecuador. Its unique location in the middle of the Latacunga Loop boasts four distinct climates in a ten kilometer radius: high alpine paramó, Andean Humid cloud forest, semi-tropical in the canyon’s lower elevations and patchwork sierra fields.
Chugchilán, a rural Andean village at 10,500 feet above sea level, three hours from the Pan-American, nearest Bank or Post Office, is a sustainable tourism destination that has become popular over the last decade.
Black Sheep Inn guest facilities are in harmony with the land, contributing to its biodiversity and sustainability. Property has nine adobe buildings, ten composting toilets, gray-water recycling, organic gardens, ponds, a wood-fired sauna/hot-tub, greenhouse, treehouse, zipline cable-swing, solar-powered waterslide and Frisbee golf course. Animals include: llamas, guinea pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, and of course a Flock of Black Sheep. Guests learn about ecotourism, enjoy fantastic scenery and experience intercultural exchanges while day hiking, horseback riding or cycling in the area.
Village population: 500+/-;
Total guest accommodations in three hotels: 45 rooms;
Average tourists/night in village: 30+;
Locals working directly/indirectly in tourism: 50+;
Tourists: 44% North American, 40% European, 10% South American, 6% other.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Public Library Computer Learning Center.JPG | 677.37 KB |
| Recycling.JPG | 1 MB |
| Andean Folk Instrument Library.JPG | 171.32 KB |
| Dance Troupe.JPG | 202.83 KB |
| First Aid Work Shop.JPG | 91.59 KB |
| Pres. of Community during Search for new Water Source.JPG | 106.73 KB |
| Sports Equipment for School.JPG | 162.78 KB |
| View from Composting Toilet Sunset.JPG | 141.54 KB |
| Guides Receive Jackets and Backpacks.JPG | 189.99 KB |
| Hostal Mama Hilda.JPG | 205.75 KB |
| Hostal Cloud Forest.JPG | 222.96 KB |
| Textbooks for School.JPG | 136.72 KB |
| Recycling Center.JPG | 133.51 KB |
| Laguna Quilotoa Panorama.jpg | 148.7 KB |
| Public Library Computer Learning Center 2.JPG | 149.39 KB |
| Black-Sheep-Inn-Lodge.jpg | 233.62 KB |
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Comments
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.
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 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
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. 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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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!!
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