FAQs: ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance

 

🌱 What makes Finca El Tambor an eco-friendly place to stay?

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We are a private nature reserve committed to protecting the environment, regenerating ecosystems, and supporting the local community.

Everything we do — from how we build to how we use water — is designed to have the lowest impact and the highest positive benefit to all. We have embraced circular economy principles and ensure that guests can enjoy the best of sustainable stays and experiences with us during their time in Antigua Guatemala.

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🌳 What is your “1 Activity = 1 Plant” program?

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For every activity a guest does — including nights stayed, tours, meals, spa services, transport, and shop purchases — we plant or donate one native tree, shrub, or pollinator plant.

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This helps reforest and reestablish biodiversity within:

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• our reserve

• the El Hato community

• partner nature reserves, biodiversity efforts, and restoration projects across Guatemala

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💧 How do you manage water sustainably?

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Water in El Hato is scarce. To avoid taking water from the community:

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✔ We invested in building our own deep well
✔ We use 0% municipal water unless their supply is running at 100% capacity
✔ We do not operate pools or jacuzzis that drain community resources
✔ We use spring-fed natural dipping pools only
✔ Our well provides backup water for staff and their families during community outages

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This ensures your stay never affects local families’ access to drinking water.

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🔥 Is your firewood environmentally responsible?

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Yes. All firewood comes from:

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• naturally fallen wood

• essential land-management pruning

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We never cut live trees and do not purchase wood from unregulated or exploitative sources.

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🏡 How are the cabins and paths built sustainably?

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• No land was cleared to build any accommodation

• Our structures are built on stilts or hanging foundations to protect the forest floor

• We mostly use recycled, repurposed, or reclaimed materials

• Our stone paths come from a small natural riverbed inside the reserve, avoiding mining impact

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Over 95% of the reserve's land remains completely wild and untouched with the built environment confined to one small area.

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👩‍🌾 How do you support the local community?

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• We prioritise hiring women from El Hato 

• We make sure that our employees each have a bank account and thus agency over their own income; this gives women choices and agency and reduces leaving them financially stuck in cases of domestic abuse.

• We never hire volunteers where a local person or Guatemalan can be hired or upskilled to fill an open role; this ensures job creation, income for local people and that taxes are being paid.

• Employment is based on values, not formal education

• We invest in ongoing training, leadership development, and long-term stability

• We help local families become micro-producers (e.g., ethical eggs, herbs, vegetables)

• We are creating a free daycare to help women gain economic independence

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👩‍🌾 How do you support and care for your employees?

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• We make sure that our employees has their own bank account into which they then receive their salary directly. Thus they have agency over their own income; this is especially important because it gives women choices and agency and offers a degree of financial safe-guarding in cases of domestic abuse.

• We are a learning environment and value innovation. We invest in ongoing staff training and support any educational path they wish to take where there is a connection to their role or ambition with us.

• We value and nurture innovation and leadership; everyone is heard and contributes. Some of our teams' best ideas and solutions have come from our groundsmen and quiet (formerly overlooked and subservient) women who found a voice with us and are supported to lead in bringing their own ideas to fruition in areas that they enjoy.

• We often support personal projects that help improve employees' lives, such as help to build their own homes, getting water titles, or asisitng with legal or financial aid during difficulties - less struggles at home mean our people are happier at work.

• Our staff are first in line for donations of furniture and articles that may be a bit too tired for our guests but that are perfectly fine in our homes.

• We prioritise job security and never let good staff go, even during COVID we kept everyone in fulltime payment.

• We support private dental and healthcare where we can.

• Happiness and wellness at work is supported through mentoring, buddy systems and hiring with kindness in mind.

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🌿 What is the School for Nature, Sustainability & Circularity?

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It is a free program for children and young adults in El Hato where we teach:

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• ecology & biodiversity

• sustainability

• circular economy

• eco-tourism skills

• environmental leadership

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We aim to prepare the next generation for green jobs.

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🧩 Do you host workshops or events?

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Yes — we provide free spaces for organisations to host workshops on:

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• sustainability

• biodiversity

• circular economy

• community empowerment

• agrotourism

• activities that support the growth of organisaitons (NGOs or private businesses) operating in the area of sustainability.

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These activities help spread environmental knowledge locally and throughout the region.

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♻️ How do you handle waste and recycling?

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• We separate all waste

• 100% of organic waste is composted

• We reuse jars, packaging, and materials whenever possible

• We follow Guatemalan recycling laws and exceed many of them

• We are big on repurposing among the local community versus sending anything to landfill 

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🧭 How do you choose the businesses you recommend?

 

We only recommend:

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• responsible tour operators

• businesses that treat their staff well

• places that respect nature and the community

• enterprises that support and respect Guatemalan culture and Guatemalan people

• businesses that do not practice 'greenwashing'

• businesses that give back to the local community and / or Guatemala.

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We do not send guests to businesses involved in unethical or environmentally damaging practices.

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