The Lapa Ríos Ecolodge, located at the point where the Golfo Dulce, in the southern Pacific, meets the Pacific Ocean, was recently honored by the international nonprofit Rainforest Alliance as the 2007 Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setter.
The award, presented at the Rainforest Alliance’s 20th anniversary gala in New York City on Wednesday, celebrates the lodge’s “outstanding leadership efforts” in promoting environmental and social sustainability, according to a statement from Lapa Ríos.
“The Rainforest Alliance is proud to honor these business leaders that have been incorporating a responsible approach into everyday decisions and encouraging sustainable practices,” said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the organization.
The lodge, founded in 1993, features 16 thatch hut bungalows perched 350 feet above the sea amidst 1,000 acres of Central America’s last remaining tropical lowland forest. Founders Karen and John Lewis have focused on the belief that “acres of land are not needed nearly as much right now as acres of attitude.”
“We are encouraged by the expansion of a greener corporate culture that is helping tip global markets toward sustainability,” Whelan said.
