 |
|
| Home || Research Paper || Guest Book Excerpts || Rancho Mastatal |
"This is a special place, and an example of community for the world."
J. Nelson
Welcome to my webpage about the community of Rancho Mastatal, an ecotourism destination located in Central Costa Rica. I hope you enjoy what you read. Below is an outline of my research project; a formal paper found under Research Paper describes the project in its entirety and the outcomes. Guest Book Excerpts is a collection of selected guest book entries that I read through in evaluating the community of Rancho Mastatal. The link Ranch Mastatal will take you directly to Rancho Mastatal's website, take the time to check it out for yourself its a great way to get a feel for the community and gain better understanding of what the Ranch is about. Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoy! ~ heidi
Assessment of the
Rancho Mastatal Community
Introduction
– Costa Rica
- “With less than five-hundredths of a percent of the world’s landmass, Costa Rica contains about 4 percent of known biodiversity: 205 species of mammals, 850 of birds, 160 of amphibians, 218 of reptiles, and 130 of fresh water fish” (Gombos et al, 1999)
– Ecotourism
- “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people” (Honey, 1998).
– Rancho Mastatal
- Sustainable living center offering lodging, environmental learning and volunteer opportunities
- More than a vacation destination or hotel, RM is a welcoming community
– Community
- Community encompasses all who are living as a part of one another which includes humans, plants and animals. Community cannot possibly flourish alone; therefore I define the Rancho Mastatal community as locale interactions of diverse populations and various species.
Methods & Materials
– Guest Books
– Kibel and Stein-Seroussi’s Effective community mobilization: Lessons from experience
Results
– Graph I :Qualities Contributing to the Strength of Community at Rancho Mastatal
– Table I (Kibel et al, 1997): Community Strength
– Table II :Table I Adapted to Appropriate Community Qualities of Rancho Mastatal
Discussion
– Conclusion
- I conclude, as hypothesized, that Rancho Mastatal is a strong community
– Concluding Reflection
- Rancho Mastatal community members create the qualities that define it as a strong community. It is the visitors of the past and the guest of tomorrow that participate in the practices that define the community as a way of life. Rancho Mastatal’s commitment to sustainable community living is beyond ecotourism and differentiates Rancho Mastatal as a unique and special dwelling.
– Considerations for Further Research
- Bias of Guest Books
- Polls or Surveys would be beneficial
- Added detail of activities of the Ranch or aspects of community members that help to create the key qualities and strength of the community
Acknowledgments
– John E. Banks ‘Buck’
– Tom McDonald ‘Tiburon’
– Amber Robison
– The community of Rancho Mastatal
Literature Cited
– Gombos, M., & Nelson, E. (1999). !Prua vida¡ [Electronic version]. Earth Island Journal, 14(2), 15.
– Honey, M. (2003). Giving a grade to Costa Rica’s green tourism [Electronic version]. NACLA Report on the Americas, 36(6), 39.
– Honey, M. (1998). Ecotourism and sustainable development: Who owns paradise? Oakland, CA: Island Press.
– Kibel, B., Stein-Seroussi, A. (1997). Effective community mobilization: Lessons from the past. Rockville, MD: Health and Human Service Department.
– Rancho Mastatal. (2005). About Rancho Mastatal. Retrieved August 20, 2005. From http://www.ranchomastatal.com
– Silva, E. (2003). Selling sustainable development and shortchanging social ecology in Costa Rican forest policy [Electronic version]. Latin American Politics and Society, 45(3), 93.
– Webster’s Dictionary. (2005). Community. Retrieved August 20, 2005. From http://www.webster.com