Reserva Conchal, FIFCO’s hospitality division in Guanacaste, and McGill University, based in Montreal, Canada, presented the first results of an alliance that positively boosted sustainability projects, thanks to the help of Artificial Intelligence.
The event held at W Costa Rica Hotel, located in Guanacaste, was attended by more than 100 representatives of different stakeholders, including members of local NGOs, public and private universities, chambers of tourism, entrepreneurs, representatives of various institutions and media.
This alliance allowed the application of innovative data analysis and artificial intelligence tools for the benefit of projects related to sustainability, with emphasis, in this first stage, on the conservation of howler monkey (Allouata palliata) populations.
Part of the actions carried out consisted of the creation of an application and web platform for reporting incidents or accidents with monkeys, which provides real-time systematized information for non-profit organizations working to protect these species.
“Sustainability and its execution through strategic alliances is for us a fundamental pillar of our business vision. We strongly believe that it is possible to magnify the positive impacts of our actions if we leverage them with ideas, knowledge and technologies from partner organizations. We are very pleased to present today these first results of the joint work with McGill University and are excited about all the new things to come”, said Fabián Fernández, FIFCO’s hospitality manager.
The web tool, in addition, generates “heat maps” that identify, according to report coordinates, the most frequent sites and types of accidents. This, in turn, allows the implementation of strategies to prevent future unfortunate events and reduce the loss of monkeys by electrocution or being run over, to name a few examples.
Based on this information, Reserva Conchal, as part of its ESG strategy, will invest a budget of approximately $25,000 for the design and installation of monkey flyways in Guanacaste, a project that will be implemented in phases.
“Thanks to the application created by McGill University students, we can have a much more detailed mapping of what happens to our wildlife on the roads. The fact that the application is easy and immediate to use by nationals and foreigners, tourists or residents, will greatly facilitate our rescue work, but above all, our prevention work! The application allows us to evaluate the incidence of cases at the same point not only of howler monkeys, but of all species involved in our roads” stated Simonetta Danielle, President and Founder of Salve Monos Costa Rica.
Next 2024, McGill University in support of Reserva Conchal will develop a new course for sustainability and artificial intelligence majors called “Costa Rica Study Trip“, which will combine experiential learning with field work in search of new alternatives for data management and problem solving in areas such as: waste management, micro plastics, biodiversity monitoring, among others.
In conjunction with McGill, other additional applications were also developed that will soon be made known to the population, some of them related to improving crop control through applications and others related to monitoring in real time potential environmental impacts of business units in the area.
Over the years, Reserva Conchal and its hotels The Westin Reserva Conchal and W Costa Rica have demonstrated high levels of commitment in their sustainability management, both in environmental and social matters, as well as a clear interest in continuously improving their management through strategic alliances, which they consider essential for their success.
