QERC & Sustainability

The Quetzal Education Research Center prioritizes the principles of sustainability. We’ve found several ways to help promote and sustain the health of the valley in a number of ways. Check out a few below…

Composting:

Working in relationship with the Savegre Hotel, El Manatial Lodge, and E.A.R.T.H. University, QERC is in development of a small-scale composting operation for local community members. The waste from participating lodges in the valley is combined with QERC’s own waste to create nutrient-rich compost, which will be made accessible for farmers in the surrounding valley.

Recycling:

QERC recycles Paper/Cardboard, Plastic, Aseptic Packaging, Aluminum, Tin, and Glass. In addition, QERC will soon be working with La Esquela Lydia to begin building crafts, gifts, and even chairs out of recycled materials from the local valley. We’ll keep you updated as this project unfolds.

Energy:

In an effort to better conserve energy, all hot water at the field station is generated by solar power. However, since QERC does still depend on traditional forms of electricity we rely predominantly on skylights and large windows for light during the day and a reasonable use of lights during the evenings.

All water at QERC comes directly from mountain-valley streams. The water is treated through two filtration systems before moving into direct QERC plumbing. While this is indeed a sustainable way to access water, we still discourage excessive use due to the long-term environmental consequences of soil over-saturation, bio-waste, and erosion.

It Begins at Home

Keep in mind that the best practices here at QERC are dependent on the efforts of those visiting and staying at the field station. For this reason, sustainability starts at home. If you intend on traveling to QERC, keep some of the following procedures in mind in preparing:

Go Paperless

Use online resources to plan and book your trip, and if it’s necessary to print out maps and other materials make an effort to use recycled paper.
Prioritize e-ticketing when booking flight. This shouldn’t be taken too lightly. If everyone switched to e-ticketing, we would preserve the equivalent of 50,000 mature trees each year. That’s equivalent to roughly three square miles (five square km) of mature forests.

Pack Smart

Pack lightly. Stick with durable, neutral-colored clothing that can be easily mixed and matched over the course of your travel.
Pack reusable containers and bottles to bring on your trip. Clean and reuse while traveling to limit your waste production.
Stick with using rechargeable batteries and pack a light-weight battery charger.
Pack eco-friendly clothing and travel gear made from recycled, reused, organic, and sustainable natural materials.
Pack a reusable shopping bag in an effort to reduce the needless use of disposable bags.

Stay Informed

Different regions will have different situations based on their ecosystems. Learn about the effects of mass tourism on where you are visiting and find ways to counter those effects