TRAVELING WITH SOLEQ.TRAVEL IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Diego Arias at the Galapagos Islands

SOLEQMASTER

Sustainability has a high value for the SOLEQ family. We participate in certain projects or institutions. The following article talks about some parts of this mission.

Read why traveling with SOLEQ.travel is good for the environment!

During each voyage with a motorized means of transport, CO2 is emitted. This is a fact that is still unavoidable these days.
The goal is to keep the negative impact of traveling on the environment as low as possible. For reaching this goal, there are a number of carbon offsetting methods. One method is an economic compensation. Usually, this is realized by donations from the ones that cause the impact to environmental organizations and projects.

That’s the way SOLEQ.travel works as well. SOLEQ.travel has a clear commitment to sustainability.
For each cruise, through the Galapagos Islands an amount of 0,94 $ is automatically charged from the client.
For the flight to the Galapagos they pay 7.50 $ and for a flight to the amazon 1 $. During a tour by bus, the fix donation is 0.5 $ for each way. Alternatively, it is 0.34 $ for each travel day by car.

The money that is raised this way is donated to the environmental foundation Jocotoco. That’s how we are supporting their environmental projects. The clients receive brief information about these charges and what is done with the money. If they want, they can also offset their long-distance flight by a donation to Jocotoco. This can be organized by SOLEQ.travel.

What exactly is Jocotoco?

Jocotoco is an environmental NGO founded in 1998.

Everything began with the discovery of an almost not studied bird species by the ornithologist Dr. Robert Ridgely in 1998. The bird was named Grallaria ridgleyi – ‘Jocotoco Antpitta’ in Spanish. In order to protect this endangered species, the environmental NGO Jocotoco was founded. Its aim is to protect areas of critical importance for the conservation of bird species. Mostly for the species which are not specifically protected by Ecuadorian law.

Therefore, Jocotoco acquires land and converts it into biological reserves.

Monitoring jocotoco
The NGO could obtain land for actual 12 reserves that protect in total an area of 24,629 ha. Certainly, there are not only birds protected. Also it serves the flora and fauna such as amphibians and reptiles.
The reserves are home to more than 900 species of birds. Amongst them are more than 50 species that are threatened or neary threatened. There can be also found 100 endemic species or species of restricted geographical distribution. The reserves have been recognized as official Important Areas for Bird Conservation. Although, not only birds are protected. There are also reforestation and forest restore projects in Ecuador. Those projects having a notably positive effect on the environment the country.

Jocotoco works closely with local communities.

What is done with the traveler´s donation?

preparing plants Jocotoco

What happens with the money collected from travelers? The wage of the workers at the Jocotoco reserves will be covered. The work includes a couple things. Firstly, the recollection of seeds and little plants. Secondly, the maintaining of the greenhouses as well as the preparation of the land. Thirdly, one of the most important actions – seeding. Another important part of the work is the monitoring of mortality and growing of the plants. Seedlings are maintained and cleaned with 8 to 10 cleanings per year for each plant. All this work is done during three years in order to guarantee the growing of the plants. Hopefully you got the idea why traveling with SOLEQ.travel is good for the environment.

If you are interested we can organize for you a visit to one or more reserves of Jocotoco and if you want to know more about the foundation, do not hesitate to contact us.