About Project

MISSION STATEMENT
"Our vision is to bring positive employment options to the young, unemployed graduates in Santa Rosa de Copan and prosperity to the community, by co-creating the first sustainable tourist attraction, a cultural center and ecological park (CCEP).”

  This is the beginning, the start-up phase of the Cultural Center

and Ecological Park Project of Santa Rosa de Copan (“CCEP”). There are always more costs involved in “start-up” than in the years following, when the CCEP will become self-sufficient, sustainable, and, of course, transparent (honest and open to accountability at all times).

The first thing we have done is to create a website and a Facebook site. Once potential donors, volunteers and philanthropists have viewed our website and Facebook, it will be easy for them to join in our effort to bring the first tourist destination to Santa Rosa de Copan. When we are “on the map” with CCEP, our hotels, restaurants and other local businesses will prosper and provide much-needed jobs for our currently unemployed young high school and university graduates. We have international volunteers creating and maintaining these online Internet contacts. More volunteers will be coming on a regular basis.

Civil engineers from the Santa Rosa Municipality have made an assessment of funds and equipment and manpower needed to perfect the entrance road leading off the International Highway. It may be possible to “borrow” the bulldozers, graders, cement mixers, etc. needed for this part of the project. As it is a one-lane road, we plan to install a solar electronic gate opener and stop/go lights at either end of the road for traffic control. Electronic engineers, paid or volunteer, will do this work. It will be necessary to ask for financial assistance. A parking area next to the office may be a concession, with a percentage of the profit coming to CCEP.

It will be necessary to purchase the property, 17 acres (10 manzanas) of pristine wooded mountains, canyon, brook, plus a cottage office and the large villa that will house antiques, art, artisan and science exhibits. There are rooms for nature exhibits, history and antiques, artisan creations, Maya exhibits, art gallery, class and event space. For these, we will need office furnishings, computers, cell phones, a strong copy machine, a good quality digital camera, glass-enclosed exhibition cabinets with locks, folding chairs and tables for meetings and classes. The men`s and women`s bathrooms will need more stalls installed.

The café kitchen has 8 burners (propane) and a large oven, though only locally created

pastries, coffees, soft drinks, juices and liqueurs will be served. The veranda seats 40 café customers, on comfortable plastic chairs at ten tables (four persons per table). The view from the veranda is spectacular – mountains, coffee plantation, multi-colored birds and butterflies. Four 250 feet long organic garden terraces cascade down the hill in the direction of the office cottage. Tables and chairs, plus biodegradable cups, plates, forks, spoons and napkins will have to be bought (These have the least environmental impact). We are also considering the possibility of the café being a concession, created by a local café owner, with a percentage going to CCEP. 

Zipline at Copan Ruins

There are now three nature trails through the woods. Another will lead to the zipline canopy site. Local laborers will do the work of building wooden platform over the trails, with secure handrails on both sides. Local lumber will be paid for by donations. The zipline canopy itself may be a municipal project, similar to one in La Campa, Lempira. It has been surveyed by professional canopy builders. This project is still under discussion at the municipality.

Other miscellaneous expenses will include ongoing Internet connections, electric power, water (possibly the building of a well), office, kitchen, cleaning, landscape, garden and maintenance equipment and supplies. A mini-van and 4-wheel drive double-cabin heavy-duty pickup truck are essential. 

Staffing will include paid, intern and volunteer positions. An executive director, a museum curator, the chief of maintenance, a two-person kitchen staff, a two-person office staff and four bi-lingual multi-talented park guides will be hired locally.  Our goal is for CCEP to be self-supporting within two years.                                                                                   # For your info, here is a link to a very concise, fair article about Honduras:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18954311