Climate Action United Kingdom Project #23113

Climate Crisis: Tackling Our Carbon Footprint

by Action Change (Formerly GVI Trust)

Project Report | Aug 30, 2016
Jalova gets Solar Power

By Cynthia Arochi | GVI Costa Rica, Country Director

Our new solar panels up on the roof

Dear Supporters,

About Jalova

As part of our objectives and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals we are aiming to become a more sustainable research base, and reduce our carbon footprint. This year we are focusing on reducing our carbon footprint by upgrading our base in Jalova, Costa Rica. This is a Wildlife conservation, research and education base, in the Southern part of

This is a Wildlife Conservation, Research and Education base, in the Southern part of Tortuguero National Park (TNP). With the help of volunteers (assistant researchers) and in partnership with local and international institutions, we gather data on jaguar, turtle, aquatic birds, rainforest amphibians, reptiles and mammals to help understand the species dynamics and help decision makers with the park management plan.

As we live in the park, we aim to reduce our carbon footprint with different initiatives. We are upgrading the base, which has a maximum capacity of 34 people.

So far we have installed a solar system, upgraded the area where we store fuel and created a better system for storing organic waste.

The donation had the following impacts:

Reduction of 70% of fuel used by the generator, a significant saving and reduction in gasoline consumption.
Switching base energy needs to solar power, and more awareness on energy consumption habits
Setting the path to becoming an example of research base moved by clean energy in the region
Improved and safer fuel storage area
More efficient organic disposal/compost systems which we can now use for growing fruit trees and a vegetable patch
Living in a more sustainable base raises awareness and motivates our volunteers to replicate the systems and habits when they go back home.

The path and results

We still have a long way ahead but we are on the right path to becoming a more environmentally friendly base and an example for the region. 70% reduction of our fossil fuels consumption is a remarkable achievement and a great start to get to a 100% reduction.

The fuel storage area has also been improved and has provided a better upkeep of the material, minimizing any impact or filtration in the soil.

Thank you for your support which has helped us get this project off to a great start!

With Gratitude,

The GVI Charitable Trust

The batteries that store our power!

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Jun 7, 2016
What we did on Curieuse Island

By Kate Robey | Operations Manager

The solar panels and water tanks

Dear Supporters,

While we are waiting for additional funding to come in so that we can begin the work at Jalova, I would like to share a success story with you. It is about how we turned one of our other GVI bases into a carbon neutral base.

Curieuse Island

The Curieuse Island Expedition base is home to the GVI Seychelles Terrestrial Expedition. Curieuse Island and its surrounding waters are a national park and have remained free from development over the years. Home to a population of Giant Tortoises as well as the most extensive area of mangrove system remaining within the inner granitic islands, Curieuse is of significant biological importance. Along with neighbouring Praslin Island it is the only place in the world where the Coco de Mer palm can be found. A slow growing palm which produces the largest nut in the world, the Coco de Mer can be found all over the island. Curieuse also has several important nesting beaches for Hawksbill and Green turtles. The endangered Hawksbill is a frequent visitor and during nesting season can be seen dragging itself up local beaches during daylight hours.

The first step that we took in this direction was to install a photovoltaic system at the GVI Curieuse Island base. Since then, the solar panels have been busy turning sunlight into valuable electricity, reducing our need to rely on a generator for power. We also developed a new water catchment system, allowing staff and volunteers to collect rainwater. This is of particular importance as fresh water is extremely limited on the island. The harvested water is used for numerous purposes including watering the organic garden that is starting to take shape.

The Curieuse Island base was our first foray into developing carbon neutral bases and it has been a huge success. We are now using this as a model of how we would like all of our research stations to operate.

With your help, we can get Jalova off the grid completely. Please consider making a donation to help us on our way!

With Gratitude,

The GVI Trust

The rare Coco del Mer tree

Links:

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Mar 12, 2016
The Complete Plan for the Jalova Base Upgrade

By Kate Robey | Charitable Trust Operations Manager

Welcome to Jalova!

Dear Supporters,

We would like to share with you the complete plans for the Jalova Base upgrades in Costa Rica.

Jalova is a very special place, completely isolated and nestled in the incredible Tortuguero National Park (TNP), a 76 000ha section of protected rain forest. It is in this park that GVI runs a scientific research station that is run a by a team of GVI staff and volunteers. It is our aim to make this base as carbon neutral as possible and do all that we can to lessen the human impact that we unavoidably have on the pristine environment.

Our dwellings are located 100 metres from the beach and we have the capacity for 30 people at any one time. In conjunction with SINAC, we have identified 3 areas to focus our improvements on.

Water Treatment
Solid Waste Disposal
Fossil Fuels and Alternative Energy

Water Treatment

Currently, the wastewater from the base is drained and seeps into the sand that is located only 100 metres away. In order to mitigate this, we have a plan to build bio-gardens. The bio-gardens will work as a filter for the grey- waters, treating it before it is filtered back into the ground.

Water for consumption is currently pumped to the base. By installing a rainwater harvesting system we will be able to collect water that we can then treat. We will also cut down on the need to use the generator which runs the pump.

Solid Waste Disposal

The solid waste is divided into organic (composting and non-composting) and inorganic (recyclable and non-recyclable) waste. We need to improve our compost area and create a better storage system in order to keep the animals away from the waste while we are waiting for it to be moved off the base.

Fossil Fuels and Alternative Energy

At the moment, we make use of a diesel generator. We will be replacing this with a system of 10 solar panels connected to 20 batteries. This will produce enough energy to be able to power the entire base.

We are really excited about this project! We have started by purchasing a solar panel and 2 batteries and are waiting for more funding to come in so that we can start on the other upgrades.

You can read the full project proposal on our main project page.

With Gratitude,

GVI Charitable Trust

Our base

Beach 100 m from base littered with turtle tracks

Links:

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