A Family Tradition in Sustainable Tourism

The Aspinall Family has a long history of commitment to conservation and preservation of Costa Rica's precious natural resources. They have fostered sustainable tourism in their native Costa Rica - a model of reciprocity that supports and enhances the local community and environment as it enlightens visitors. The lodges and the tour operation comply with standards set by the Ecotourism Society and every effort is made to impact the environment as little as possible, to recycle and to utilize renewable energy sources. Expert guides bring profound vision to the untrained eye and mind. It is their knowledge and insight that truly allows the mystery of nature to unfold. All guides follow strict "green ethics." Any waste materials are packed out of the forest and collection of any kind is forbidden. Guests are asked not to remove even the tiniest seashell.

Peter Aspinall and his wife Lisbeth are the creator and proprietor of Tiskita Jungle Lodge, and the property is truly his passion. After finishing high school in Costa Rica, Peter followed his dream to the wild south of the country and homesteaded the land that would become Tiskita. He attended The University of Florida at Gainesville, studying Tropical Horticulture, where he developed his knowledge of exotic fruits and rainforest trees. After his graduation, he spent two years traveling through South America and Asia collecting specimens of rare fruit trees. These formed the core of his farm at Tiskita.

Peter returned to Costa Rica and worked with his brothers to launch a reforestation project at Arenal Observatory Lodge, while also establishing his tropical fruit farm at Tiskita. By 1989, Tiskita Jungle Lodge was accepting guests as one of Costa Rica's first eco-lodges, offering an educational experience of the pristine jungle, and supporting the local community through tourist development.

Over the next decade, Peter Aspinall created many programs, which are models of conservation and sustainable development. He has consistently given back to the local community, by opening the first grocery store, helping with the installation of roads and electricity to the area, aiding in the construction and funding of a community school and health clinic and several programs, which have sustained the Guaymi Indian village in the remote jungle highlands.

The Tiskita Foundation, formed by Peter and his family in 1993, supports many important community and conservation programs, and initially donated a 150-acre tract of land for reforestation and preservation. A visitor center managed by sister, Mary Ann Aspinall, is also a cooperative for Guaymi Indian handicrafts. Mary Ann, who served on the celebrated Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, also heads a community-recycling program in Punta Banco.

Tiskita's five-year-old sea turtle program has been extremely successful on several levels - it encourages local participants to protect their natural resources since it attracts paying guests to see the gentle giants. And, in turn, it educates the visitors to the critical need for conservation and inspires them with one of the most awesome spectacles in nature - the nesting ritual of the majestic sea turtle.

The Tiskita Foundation's most recent conservation effort is to revive the area's dwindling population of Scarlet Macaws. Once endemic to nearly all of Costa Rica, destruction of habitat has seriously threatened these magnificent birds, now found only in Corcovado National Park and Carara National Park.

Tiskita Foundation has teamed with Amigos de las Aves, an organization that has raised breeding pairs of Scarlet Macaws in captivity, to progress the birds towards successful release and reintroduction in the wild. The symbol of the rainforest, the Scarlet Macaw engenders the spirit of nature unrestrained. With the help of the Aspinalls and Tiskita Foundation, the Scarlet Macaw will fly free again.

William Aspinall is the founder and general manager of Arenal Observatory Lodge and, like his brothers, has spent his career in environmental pursuits. William received a degree in Forestry from University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and worked in the forestry industry in northern Ontario and British Columbia. He had an eight-year career with the Tropical Science Center, based out of San José, Costa Rica that began with four years in the Amazonian jungle of Peru for a USAID reforestation project. He then returned to Costa Rica and spent four years as the director of the renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

William Aspinall was instrumental in introducing the concept of maximum carrying capacity at Monteverde, thus limiting the impact of visitors on the delicate ecosystem. This innovative initiative led to the national program to limit the carrying capacities of other heavily visited parks in the country.

In 1995, William joined his family's project at Arenal as general manager of Arenal Observatory Lodge. He developed the facility that had been originally established as a base camp for scientists from the Smithsonian, into one of the first lodges to receive the four-leaf rating for sustainable tourism from the ICT (Costa Rica Tourist Board). Aspinall has overseen numerous innovative upgrades to the property including both guest rooms and rainforest trails that are wheelchair accessible. As at Tiskita, William Aspinall has spearheaded the protection of nearly 700 acres in rainforest preserve.

The common denominator to all the Asinall projects has been brother, John Aspinall. John is the motivator of the family vision - integrally involved with all facets of the programs at the lodges as well as at both tour operators and at Hotel Milvia, recently acquired as a member of Costa Rica Travel Partners.

John Aspinall graduated from Queen's University in Ontario. He lived and worked in Canada for seven years; spending the last three operating a fishing lodge in northern Ontario. In 1988, Aspinall returned to Costa Rica and founded Costa Rica Sun Tours, a nature and adventure tour company and full-service receptive ground tour operator. He has been a vocal and respected member of the tourism community and his policies and initiatives have stood as shining examples to his colleagues. He was elected an honoree president of Costa Rica's Association of Ground Tour Operators and a board member of Canatur, the country's Chamber of Commerce.

In 1995, John purchased Costa Rica Connection, a wholesaler specializing in travel to Costa Rica and based in San Luis Obispo, California where he currently resides with his wife and three children. Still very actively involved in all the family businesses, John spends about half his time in Costa Rica. In 2001, he formed Costa Rica Travel Partners to integrate the five companies and create a complete Costa Rica experience. He heads the group and serves as its primary spokesman.

In recognition of his significant contribution to the industry and as a person "whose conservation victories are helping us to protect our planet's natural heritage," John Aspinall received the prestigious Ecotourism Excellence award from Conservation International in 2000.

There is an underlying philosophy among all the Aspinall Family of Costa Rica that true harmony is achieved by nurturing and protecting our earth and giving back some of what we take from her and her people. Through understanding comes action. By educating guests to the need to preserve our precious natural resources, the message of conservation and protection is spread. No greater disciples can be found than those who have experienced nature's pure expression in the wild. "Leave nothing but footprints; take nothing but photographs; waste nothing but time."