Sustainable and responsible tourism: 

One of San Jorge’s main goals is to help the Ecuadorian community, especially those around the conservation preserves owned by San Jorge. Three years ago we dedicated ourselves to providing free medical care to the poorest communities of the country. 

A fortunate alliance between Southern Novas Medicine School, managed by Dr. Elaine Wallace and coordinated by Dr. George Cruz in Ecuador has provided relief to thousands of poor patients in Ecuador during the past several years. 

Family medicine, parasitology, infectious disease, pediatric care, gerontology and other treatments were developed in the medical practice of Baeza Cruzade. In September, 2005 a group of 25 doctors and students From Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida made a medical visit to Baeza, treating 300 people for free, including all medicines. A small village with almost no social help located in the Ecuadorian amazon basin, Baeza is considered one of poorest places in the country. 

Baeza Cruzade and El Chaco Cruzade- In April, 2006: A group of 70 doctors and students came to Ecuador to develop free medical treatments. In two days approximately 2,000 poor people from the area were treated for free, including medicines. Like Baeza Cruzade, El Chaco is a small and poor village in the amazon basin. Many from surrounding communities like San Isidro area, Las Caucheras, Cosanga, Cuyuja , Papallacta , Borja, Reventador, Lumbaqui and others came to receive medicinal treatments. 

Tena Cruzade- April 2006: For 2 Days in Chonta Punta, the poorest area in Ecuador was visited by a group of 70 Nova University students and doctors. They received free medical treatments and medicines. 600 patients were treated during this time.

Tena Cruzade- April 2006: In 1 Day, around 500 patients were treated in La Esperanza. 

Chonta Punta and la Esperanza are poor Indian communities, located in the heart of Napo Province, far away from any civilized commodities. 

San José Obrero Cruzade: 70 doctors and students came to treat and the poor people who live in the lower area of San Jorge Hosteria. 500 hundred people was treated and free medicine was provided. All the surrounding neighborhoods accepted this marvelous opportunity to be treated for free and with the top medicines on the market. 

Future medicinal activities:

Soon we will be providing sick residents with support for surgical procedures and making a visit to the struggling areas of Baeza, el Chaco, Tena, San José Obrero, San Miguel de los Bancos, among others. We also plan to establish a small clinic near San Jorge so the local people can receive initial medical treatments. 

Responsible eco-tourism projects:

Currently, a group from Tahoe Community College from California is assisting in the development of a project to transform the public school to a bilingual school to provide a second language to poor children and to help provide them with better tools for learning. Planning for these communities also includes providing a nutritious snack and ecology and environmental education. This project will be helped by practicing teachers from the US. 

Another future project will be to teach the San Jose Obrero community about ceramics to provide a direct benefit to them. We are planning to transform the village into a ceramics center to provide souvenirs to all the tourists of the capital. 

With students from Tahoe Community College, we are transforming some pastures in San Jorge de Cosanga into native forest, with specialized bird trees.

This project will be the first in the area to introduce the local population to the value of returning the pastures to native forests, so we can take the first step toward protecting and conserving the natural habitat. 

These areas that yesterday were destroyed by timbering are beginning the transformation to native forest again. San Jorge de Cosanga will soon be a bird sanctuary. SJC is located in the amazon basin near San Joge de Yanayacu, abutting the 200,000 thousand hectare Antizana national park. 

We are developing a project in organic farming with Tahoe University students to provide quality food for our guests. The teaching of perma culture and organic gardening will be available to other farmers or lodges and to tourists.

We strive to offer decent work for local people. While we develop our projects, we are providing a well paid, decent job, with social security protection and benefits to all our workers.

During the last 10 years, the area of Hosteria San Jorge has been planted in native trees. Little by little we see native forest reemerging in areas where once there were only pastures. Eucalyptus trees are being eliminated and the new eucalyptus growth is cut from the base.

The Cosanga- Yanayacu , Milpe , Tandayapa and Hosteria San Jorge Botanical Reserves are bird sanctuaries, protected and dedicated to conservation. By eliminating as much eucalyptus as we can and introducing at least 1000 native trees each year we maintain our commitment to developing projects to maintain and protect the natural resources in our areas. 

Volunteering opportunities abound for those who want to learn hotel management, eco-tour guidance, botany, shamanism and ornithology in a variety of environments.

Volunteers can enjoy the opportunity to practice their knowledge in directly with the clients.

Hosteria owner and accomplished artist Dr. Jorge Cruz and his son, Jorge Cruz, Jr. have created The Magic Birding Circuit hummingbird poster which will be distributed world wide. Dr. Jorge Cruz also writes for a monthly bird watching newsletter offering information about birding in Ecuador.

He and his son Jorge, Jr. are teaching bird watching courses at Hosteria San Jorge, which was developed at our private natural birding reserves.  They provide instruction in the San Jorge conference rooms, on a no-charge basis.