Latitude 10 Staff and Guests Take Action

On Earth Hour Day, the staff and guests of Latitude 10 committed to actions that went beyond the hour and planted 20 trees from the hotel´s nursery in order to reduce the hotel´s carbon footprint.  They also participated in a beach cleanup, gathering and removing 5 large bags of plastic trash.

One of the trees, planted by Ivette, our chef, was the Guayacán Real (Guaiacum sanctum). All species of the genus Guaiacum are now listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Guaiacum sanctum is considered endangered. It is similarly listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Population estimates suggest less than 2,500 mature specimens exist in the wild, and those remaining still face a rapid decline. Decline is principally due to deforestation and exploitation for human uses. In Central America, remaining populations are threatened with habitat loss or exploitation, e.g., in Guancaste in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the Florida Keys.

Conservation groups in both Costa Rica and the Bahamas have been successful in lobbying local authorities to ban the sale and export of lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum) by establishing protected areas in its natural range. Despite its slow growth rate, propagation of Guaiacum sanctumis is fairly easy. Current research suggests its use in rehabilitating degraded sites within its natural range.

We'll post more photos from the day on our Facebook page later this week so please do check them out!

If you want to learn more about Earth Hour and know about the efforts held worldwide, please visit http://www.earthhour.org/.

Make Earth Hour Day, every day!