About - OPWR

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Ostional Where did the name originate?

Ostional a pueblo in the municipality of San Juan del Sur in the Rivas Department of the Southwest region of Nicaragua was, by accounts of multiple testimonials in the local region, to be founded by their indigenous ancestors due to an abundant conch population at the sea shore to which they migrated. Subsequently, the tribe used the shells of the conch in many held rituals and customs. In 2008, it was reported by witnesses of local archaeological dig that conch shells were found within the graves of some indigenous people within their recently rediscovered cemetery grounds. Some still maintained jade stones, implying the significance of conch shells within their tribal society.

About O

Ostional View

Ostional Private Wildlife Reserve is a 4 year development project with the intent to establish a unique, ecologically sound and community focused presence in one of the second poorest nations in the Western hemisphere.

2012

Don't buy your tickets yet!

Ostional Private WildLife Reserve is officially opening up on December 12, 2012.

To raise funds for the our restoration and regenerative design implementation, we are allocating the opening of BioBalls on May 19, 2009. This date is tentative (it is the birthday of Kevin Shea. Yeah!!), but with good fortune, the first bio-based regenerative design paintball sport shall be open for business.

The Woods

Ostional Private Wildlife Reserve; 46 acres; Ostional, Rivas, Nicaragua.

The Ostional Private Wildlife Reserve is 40 minutes south of San Juan Del Sur, on the Carreterra Costenara (Coastal Higway), 2km south of the military post within Ostional.

View a google map of the area.

Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas Baseline Criteria

Rainforest Alliance Through analyzing existing regionally and nationally accepted standards, members of the Network agreed upon a set of baseline criteria for sustainable tourism certification (View the criteria in English (PDF - 56 KB) and Spanish (PDF - 57 KB)

Extreme Eco-tourism

permaculture

Consumer demand is growing, travel industry suppliers are developing new green programs, and governments are creating new policies to encourage "sustainable" practices in tourism. But what does that really mean? How can it be measured and credibly demonstrated, in order to build consumer confidence, promote efficiency, and fight false claims?

The Corporation

O Corporation International is an international S-corporation registered in Delaware, USA

The Steward

Kevin Shea is a self-employed social entrepreneur retired FDNY from Hazardous Materials Operations at Hazmat Technician II level after sustaining major injuries during 9/11.

Why this project?

With the continued mission to help others and make a difference, I have extended my services and funds to Nicaragua, a beautiful country with wonderful people, yet currently the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere.

Synopsis

The private wildlife reserve will accommodate 3 or more fundamental functions of use and passive use values while maintaining benefits for the ecosystem and species and the community: (1) low impact education and eco-tours and activities; (2) small scale biofuels/energy/food/water production and sales; (3) emergency response unit for disaster relief to be operated by NGOs (particularly leaning toward the Red Cross). Their are many functions underneath the canopy of the three sectors.

Goals:

O has 3 distinct goals:

(1) community development and disaster relief (people),

my primary mission is to develop workshops, mentoring projects, a digital library, project placement services, and other services.
Read more: Goals:

Timeframe

we started to process May 2008, and we expect to be functional and open to public officially December 12, 2012.

Social/political situation

Ostional and San Juan Del Sur are by far one of the friendliest and progressive places, amicable to good ideas. Recent reports of President Ortega's distaste in American politics seems to not seem to affect the current project, nor the attitudes and commitment of the local stakeholders I work with.

Even with current political strife over the current 2008 elections in Leon, Southwest Nicaragua seems unabated in its quest to move forward.

Prosper

Planet