A Case for Being Green in the Caribbean

Written by El Conquistador Resort

Inspired by the Zika situation that so heavily affected Puerto Rico and the Caribbean tourism industry two years ago, El Conquistador Resort continues to work on the prevention and elimination of mosquitoes throughout the property through various environmentally friendly techniques.

Using biodegradable resources composed of the Natural products such as Lemon Grass Oil, Garlic Oil, Citronella Oil, Cedar Wood Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Geraniol has been very effective. These products are approved by the FRIFA Federal Agency (Federal Environmental Protection Agency) and do not affect local wildlife such as butterflies, birds, fish, pets and, of course, humans.

Keeping a diary or log of all the areas where we spread this natural product is very helpful since our corridors are open air and we have indoor gardens. We are in the process of installing an automated system that allows us to distribute this natural product via our sprinkler system which will cover more square feet in the shortest possible time, for the benefit and protection of our guests.  

This determination to mitigate mosquitos got us interested in another type of bug: bees. Doing inspections around the property, we discovered bee hives around the hotel. We were determined to remove them in a human way, thus was born our first small-scale beekeeping project. The property now focuses on safeguarding the beehives which will produce part of the honey that will be used at the hotel. We relocated the hives to more favorable locations, more conducive to their breeding. Well managed bee colonies will ensure not only a healthy hive that will produce honey; it will also encourage the process of pollination which has been endangered due to pollution and chemicals.

In other environmental efforts, El Conquistador also collects approximately 2 tons of corrugated cardboard monthly which are resold in bundles. This not only generates revenue, it avoids pollution generated by the cremation of cardboard at the garbage disposal lot. The hotel also collects around 25 pounds of food (that would otherwise be thrown away) monthly for local pig farmers.