The practical application of the sustainability strategy of ReservaConchal, FIFCO’s real estate division in Guanacaste, is made up of a large number of impacted people, more than 10 programs ranging from artificial intelligence for the protection of howler monkeys to communal apiaries.
To enter this framework, the initiatives must have a high impact in the region and be aligned with the environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars with which the operation of FIFCO and all its subsidiaries is directed from 2022.Thus, each project adds to the integral continuity of the business and contributes to the corporate purpose of sharing a better way of living with the world.
Social infrastructure
ReservaConchal has participated in the construction of 7 key projects: the playground, the fire station, the Nimboyores aqueduct, the EBAIS CaboVelas, the tourist facilities, the Public Force delegation and its most recent project, the construction of the school , all in the community of Playa Brasilito, its immediate area of influence. This educational center came to replace the school damaged after the Sámara earthquake in 2012 and to offer an adequate space, since the boys and girls received classes in the communal room.
CEN CINAI bilingualism program
It is a program that started in October 2021 in Matapalo and Santa Cruz. It is carried out through an alliance between ReservaConchal, the Universidad Latina and the National Directorate of CEN CINAI. It consists of the participation of advanced students of the English teaching career, who dedicate their practice of University Community Work to the training of preschoolers. In 2 years, more than 250 boys and girls have been assisted, as well as 24 CEN CINAI teachers.
Reinforcements in education
At the Monsignor VittorinoGirardiStellin Catholic Educational Center they prepare students for the TOEIC English validation test. The program covers the costs of the test for students from ninth to eleventh grade, in an 80% scholarship population.
Dual Vocational Technical Training
The program has been applied since 2014 in alliance with the National Learning Institute (INA) and has more than 300 graduates in the courses: Kitchen Assistance Operations and Food and Beverage Assistance Operations. On average, 8 out of every 10 people who complete the process are hired by ReservaConchal.
“We want to continue promoting the Dual Education model in Costa Rica and strengthen employability to provide a better quality of life to the families of Guanacaste. We will continue working hand in hand with the INA to develop more programs under the modality of learning by doing in different areas and continue with our focus on impacting lives in a positive way,” says FabiánFernández, FIFCO Hospitality Manager.
Volunteering I Chose to Help
FIFCO’s corporate volunteering brings together the collaborators of ReservaConchal and The Westin ReservaConchal and W Costa Rica hotels during their work hours and allows them to choose which area they want to work in.Whether for social purposes, smart consumption, waste collection or intervention in protected areas. In 2022 they exceeded 12,000 hours of volunteer work.
Conchal Reserve Apiary
It was born in conjunction with the national brand Blue Zones Nicoya in order to protect the bees in the area, obtain a high quality product and generate employment in neighboring communities. It contains around 2.5 million bees (ApisMelliferas) distributed in 30 hives, these are responsible for pollinating around 3,000 hectares of forests (equivalent to the area of 41 La Sabana parks).
NajuiAgroecological Garden
Led 100% by local women, the production of the Najui garden (which means woman in Chorotega) is used entirely in hotel operations, provides employment and promotes female empowerment for project participants. Simultaneously, it impacts families by combating gender stereotypes and demonstrating the benefit of having two incomes.
Valuation Center
100% of ReservaConchal’s organic waste is captured and undergoes a composting process to produce organic fertilizer that is subsequently used in the green areas of the hotel, golf course, orchard and common areas in the resort, reducing use. of fertilizers and agrochemicals.
Conchal Mixed National Wildlife Refuge
It is a protected area of 39.75 hectares where the ecosystems associated with the mangrove and the Dry Tropical Forest transition to Humid are conserved, promoting local interest in environmental issues. It has a hotel for solitary bees and a teaching center with its mariola bee program. Seeds are also collected, seedbeds are developed and finally the plants are donated for reforestation with species from the area.
Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence
In conjunction with McGill University, based in Montreal, Canada, ReservaConchal launched a project in 2023 in which, through an app, the reporting and tracking of accidents in wildlife is facilitated, especially focused on cases of electrocution of howler monkeys, in collaboration with the organization Salve Monos.The application provides real-time systematized information to facilitate decision-making by non-profit organizations that work to protect these species.
The web tool instantly generates heat maps that identify the coordinates of the reports, the most frequent sites and types of accidents presented. This, in turn, allows the implementation of prevention strategies.
These initiatives are part of the company’s vision of “Expansive Sustainability”, where it is invited to generate alliances, to innovate, to be flexible, to look at other people with deep solidarity and to offer “a hand” to those who need it.
