Community

"What we are doing in Santa Lucía is for the heritage of our children and our children's children"

These were the words of one of the administrators of Santa Lucía, one of the first community ecotourism projects in the Nanegal/Marianitas area. Santa Lucia was formed with three basic missions: first, to conserve and protect the over 650 hectares of montane cloud forest belonging to the community; second, to develop sustainable sources of income for the community members; and third, to help educate and benefit residents of the nearby villages of Marianitas and Nanegal, Ecuador.

But what does it mean to be a community? What is ´sustainable community development´? Too many visitors to community projects forget about the impact of their visits on a community and its social structure. Visitors who flaunt local norms can negatively impact especially the lives of local women and children. Please remember to be respectful of local traditions, and to be mindful of the lasting effect that your actions may have on the community (see Volunteer/Visitor norms).

Brief History of Santa Lucia

(For a more detailed history of the development of this community-based ecotourism project, click here.)

Santa Lucía was originally formed as an agricultural cooperative with the objective of providing lands to a group of twenty landless local families. But the realization grew that the cloud forests of Santa Lucía were more valuable for their natural assets including beautiful vistas and waterfalls, and a wide diversity of animals, birds, and plants. In the late 1990´s - thanks to a project through Peace Corps volunteer Russ Parsons - the community began a project to study sustainable income-producing alternatives compatible with their conservation objectives, and identified ecotourism as the most promising option.

Since around 1999/2000, the community has managed its ecotourism project largely on its own, with the help of SL´s then Community Consultant Mary Finn, and the support of international conservation organizations. Thanks in particular to British-based conservation organizations Rainforest Concern and Quest Overseas, Santa Lucia was able to make key land purchases and finish the construction of an Eco-lodge with room for up to 20 visitors. The first volunteers to Santa Lucia helped finish the ecotourism construction as well as building trails and reforesting key areas. The community continues to receive volunteers as well as ecotourists. (See the Santa Lucia ecolodge site www.santaluciaecuador.com)

The Women and Families of Marianitas & Nanegal - the Colibris Cooperative

In Marianitas & Nanegal, as in any community, you will find some community members to be more ´visible´ to outsiders because of the nature of the work they do, or perhaps due to their relatively outgoing personalities. Generally in traditional rural communities, the men and especially the younger generation are more outgoing and quicker to warm up to strangers.

However, the ´heart and soul´ of any community are its families. Many of the community elders and the women may be quiet and retiring, but it is their support which makes the community work and their sacrifice alongside that of the men, which has enabled local community ecotourism operations to become successful.

Many of the women are also active participants in community development activities, including working as coordinators, guides and cooks or through production of artesanry from renewable materials such as bamboo and tagua (vegetable ivory).

"I have made some great friends there, warm and gentle people with perhaps few possessions but a tremendous energy for life. They have been working hard for all their life, but with a smile. They are brave people as well. The easier road to follow is to turn the forest into pasture and have some cattle. I can sincerely say that being a volunteer for the Santa Lucía cooperative has been one of the most profound experiences in my life. " - Robert Planqué, Dutch biologist/birder/volunteer

Copyright Mary Finn 2002

Last updated June 24, 2006