Living In Costa Rica Sustainably
Living in Costa Rica Sustainably at Osa Mountain Village
Are you interested in a more sustainable life living in Costa Rica? Become a member of our growing community. Discover why so many people are calling Osa Mountain Village home. You can find out more information at our community website OMVCostaRica.info. While staying with us take our eco tour of resilient living!
The resort is being created using sustainable principles. Community members are able to live abundant lives with modern conveniences without leaving a negative impact on their surroundings. Pasture land has been used for the construction footprint and the majority of our 750 acres of primary forest will remain undeveloped so that our residents will always have the jungle experience in their backyard.
Our goal is to use alternative renewable energy sources to reduce our dependency on the public power system. The primary focus will be in the resort community common areas. Many individual homes also may employ solar electrical or solar thermal solutions. Living in Costa Rica sustainably has never been easier.
Osa Mountain Village Resort is using the latest in sustainable building concepts for a tropical zone. Large overhangs to reduce direct sunlight, natural shade and modern insulation and materials will reduce interior temperature swings and save energy.
With abundant water sources located on the property we will always have water security. In an everchanging world where water is expected to be the next “oil” residents will never have to worry about having enough water.
Thousands of different trees such as avocados, almonds, mangos, papayas, and oranges have been planted to name but a few. To promote tree growth, swales have been created to conserve the plentiful rainfall during the wet season for use during the dry season. The swales were built along the contour of hillsides by digging up compacted soil, aerating it and then using the soil to create down slope berms that act as sponges. Instead of the water flowing along the contour of the hill it now percolates into the soil forming underground reservoirs of water. Many of the fruit trees were planted on top of the swales and no irrigation is necessary.
Green houses that use vertical growing systems allow us to grow medicinal plants and herbs that are more fragile and can be damaged by heavy rainfall. With more than 1,000 growing sites in a 2,000 square foot green house one can grow the equivalent amount that 2.5 acres of fertile farm land would grow using conventional methods. The hydroponic, vertical-growing system will provide healthy, organic produce; everything from leafy greens to herbs and medicinal plants. A beneficial fungus is used as a natural insecticide, further eliminating harmful chemicals that are commonly used in commercial food production.
Our other sustainable food sources include fish farming and animal husbandry. These enhance the overall ecosystem with their by-products and secondary benefits such as insect and weed control.
