The Eco lodge in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is a green building made out of recycled containers operating on solar panels and treating the building’s sewage with its own water system.
Urtsadzor, the village adjacent to the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge, has a huge problem with the emigration of young people seeking jobs abroad. With the aim to provide job opportunities for local villagers through responsible ecotourism and to improve nature conservation in Armenia FPWC implemented the B&B project in Urtsadzor in in 2014.
Socially disadvanteged single mothers and women in vulnerable living conditions were especially encouraged and supported to become B&B hosts as by running a B&B they can be empowered to improve their social status as well as their living conditions.
The hosts receive training in English language lessons and hospitality courses to prepare for foreign tourists. Their houses (bathroom, bedroom and partly halls) were renovated and equipped with solar panels to provide access to hot water.
The amount which is flowing back from the B&Bs and the Eco Lodge is invested by FPWC for nature conservation and wildlife preservation.
Currently there are three functional B&Bs in Urtsadzor which enable the host families are enabled to gain additional income.