Nature Air

Just like you and I, companies are known by the company they keep. Natureair is one example of how Costa Rica’s private sector can do its part in making a positive contribution to the environment and to the people. We want to share the story of another company, GreenSpot.travel, selected by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the Top Travel Specialist since 2006.

Costa Rica is near and dear to GreenSpot.travel’s founders and employees. Those in the organization that are not Costa Rican themselves, have lived in the country, and they want their travel company to give back. Bringing travelers to carefully selected lodging with ecofriendly practices that contribute to conservation and local communities is a priority for GreenSpot. Condé Nast Traveler has recognized GreenSpot.travel for not only their expertise in Costa Rica but for their efforts in green travel by designating them a top travel specialist. The founders realized though that they could make an even greater impact by contributing some of their own profits to community development projects in rural Costa Rica. 

The first project  began with the goal of helping a small school near La Fortuna, where the famous Arenal Volcano is located, to raise money to build a room at the school for indoor activities, talks on environmental sustainability and to make other necessary improvements.  A rural school in Costa Rica doesn’t have many resources. So how can a travel company help?  Richard and Irene Edwards collect gently used clothing from donors in the U.S. and deliver the goods during their regular trips to Costa Rica. Project leaders at the school then sell the clothes for school resources.

GreenSpot.travel’s trips to Costa Rica offer the chance to go to the Procopio Gamboa Villalobos school to interact with the kids, practice some Spanish or make a donation to the clothing project. Travelers can also interact with people of the Arenal area by stopping for lunch and a tortilla lesson with Doña Mara, a local lady (Irene’s mom) who loves to share her culture and home with visitors. In the Southern Pacific region, another community dear to GreenSpot employees’ hearts is working towards conservation and managing community tourism by having families host travelers in their homes, guiding tours in the nearby protected Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary, and giving traditional food cooking lessons as well as serving up tasty meals in their homes or small restaurants. 

These areas can be reached easily from San Jose or from any of Costa Rica’s local airports via Nature Air flights.  GreenSpot.travel uses Nature Air because of its commitment to sustainability in being carbon neutral and its superior service.

Irene Edwards is passionate about helping rural communities coming from one herself, and that passion enables her to encourage people to donate clothing to the project.  And after living half his life in Costa Rica, Richard Edwards is dedicated to bringing real benefits from travel to countries that need it and the people who work so hard to provide tourists with genuine experiences day after day.  GreenSpot.travel provides advice and business guidance to project leaders as the clothing store grows. They also provide grants from the travel agency revenues to help with start-up costs and operations as the store is getting off the ground. In the near future, GreenSpot.travel hopes that the used clothing store model will be expanded and franchised to other communities as a green, sustainable and empowering method of fundraising through recycling. 

For more information contact Kelly Galaski, kelly@greenspottravel.org or call 1-877-891-3539