Yearly Initiatives: Making a Positive Mark with Community Impact
In 2023, Las Catalinas experienced remarkable growth, beyond physical structures. We are delighted to present some of the standout community and sustainability achievements from the past year, as shared by Lucas Currie, the Head of the Collective Impact Department.
Transforming Waste: Town’s Compost Project
In a significant initiative this year, La Estancia has started composting. Rather than letting the town's waste accumulate in landfills or release harmful methane into the atmosphere, we decided to harness its potential to produce a high-quality compost product that works wonders for soil regeneration.
Our composting process takes cues from how nature does its thing, incorporating wood scraps, pallets from construction, garden debris, dried sediment from town's greywater at the wastewater treatment plant, a surprising volume of daily food waste from restaurants, homes, and stores, as well as animal waste from our cows and chickens. By diverting these five waste streams, we turn them into valuable inputs, processing approximately 150 kilograms (about 330.69 lb.) of Las Catalinas' food waste daily. This initiative significantly reduces our environmental impact, making a substantial contribution to a more sustainable and eco-friendlier Las Catalinas.
The result becomes a valuable resource in our plant nursery, farm, and town gardens. It plays a role in fostering the growth of both edible and ornamental plants, creating a cyclical process where these plants eventually contribute to the waste streams mentioned earlier (human, animal, food, garden), thus perpetuating the sustainability cycle.
Dig deeper into Las Catalina’s composting system here.
Finca La Estancia’s First Honey Harvest
This year, twenty bee boxes produced their first yield of aromatic honey, and honey is now regularly available for purchase by both the local community and visitors. The farm hosts three additional hives of Mariola bees, a species known as Tetragonisca angustula and one of around sixty stingless bee species in Costa Rica. Renowned for their exceptional pollination capabilities, these bees produce a limited quantity of some of the world's most prized honey. Mariola bees, once abundant in Guanacaste, faced near extinction due to deforestation and cattle farming. Farming these bees marks a small yet significant step in the ongoing repopulation efforts.
Fostering the well-being of native pollinators is a fundamental element of regenerative agriculture, and the alliance between the bees and the surrounding flora ensures mutual prosperity, allowing them to both thrive.
Empowering the Community of Tempate
Through a series of volunteer activities and supplies, Collective Impact helped bring the Tempate community together for their inaugural "Festival de la Luz," or Christmas tree lighting ceremony—a traditionally significant event associated with the year-end festivities in Costa Rica. We actively contributed to the preparations, including the construction of a bull ring, painting tables, and various other enhancements in Tempate´s Central Plaza to ensure a memorable celebration.
The entire community, including residents of Las Catalinas, received a warm invitation to join in the festivities in Tempate, the capital of our district. The celebration in this picturesque and traditional Guanacaste town cultivated a profound sense of unity and shared joy through the cultural celebrations.
Looking to get more involved in the community in 2024? Stay up to date with the Las Catalinas’ events calendar.
Adventures at Finca La Estancia
In the past year, Las Catalinas expanded its offerings for both recreation and education. In Finca La Estancia, new pickleball and basketball courts were introduced, along with the construction of a horse-riding ring. Open court days are available for those seeking pickup games, and court reservations can also be made.
Of all the visits we received in 2023, some noteworthy participants included four student groups from local schools, eager to learn about our sustainable initiatives and five horse program interns from California.
Every interaction at Finca La Estancia, whether for riding, learning, or playing, contributes to the enhancement of the Collective Impact Program. Your support is sincerely appreciated, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024.
