Center for Sustainability
The Center for Sustainability was created in 1999 to develop solutions for the environmental and social challenges facing the tourism industry in the Caribbean. The Center was originally created through a pioneering alliance between Grupo Puntacana and Cornell University in the United States. Since then, it has expanded into a diverse and growing network of national and international institutions including Harvard University, Roger Williams University, University of Miami, Florida International University, Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Virginia Tech University, University of Florida, Columbia University, Counterpart International, The Nature Conservancy, among others.
The Sustainability Center is equipped with dormitories, laboratories, offices, conference rooms and receives hundreds of students annually.
Center for Sustainability Tour
Days and time: Wednesday and Friday 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Come and learn about the Grupo Puntacana Foundation’s renowned ecological projects on a guided tour featuring our efforts to protect and restore the Dominican Republic’s unique species and develop innovative sustainability projects. The tour includes detailed explanations about our main programs and visits to the different initiatives. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
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Birdwatching Tour
Days and time: Thursdays and Fridays 8:30 AM -10:00 AM
Disfrute de un tour guiado donde podrá apreciar aves endémicas y nativas de la región de Punta Cana y otras especies migratorias. En el recorrido atravesará el Sendero del Gavilán, hasta nuestra torre de observación de aves.
A guided tour where you will be able to appreciate endemic and native birds of the Punta Cana region and other migratory species. Enjoy a walk along the Ridgway Hawk Trail up to our Birdwatching Tower. Observe birds in their natural habitat, including the endemic Ridgway Hawk.
All Tours included for guests at The Westin, Four Points and Tortuga Bay Hotels and for Puntacana Resort & Club owners: puntacana.com/accommodations
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Environmental Education
Environmental education is a fundamental component of the Foundation’s programs. Sustainability is an area in constant evolution that requires adaptation to new challenges, realities, and situations. The Foundation prioritizes communicating the lessons learned from its projects, both their successes and their failures, through various environmental education programs. By sharing our experiences with others and generating dialogue, the Foundation seeks to engage new the ideas and experiences from others.
Our programs are aimed at grade schools, universities, foundations, and the general public, sharing our projects with real world experiences and awakening an interest in conservation. Annually we receive hundreds of students from public and private schools, universities, and visitors in general. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Organic Store
The Foundation’s Organic Store specializes in products produced by the Foundation's projects. In the store you can find organic honey, vegetables and fruits, worm compost, purses made with recycled materials and other products made by local artisans and producers. For more information about available products, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Ridgway’s Hawk Conservation
The Grupo Puntacana Foundation has collaborated with partners from The Peregrine Fund and other partners, including the Propagas Foundation, to conserve the Ridgway’s hawk, one of the most endangered species on the island. Through a program of assisted reintroductions in the Punta Cana area, the project has transformed the Puntacana Resort & Club into a hawk refuge with a population of more than 120 Ridgway’s hawks and dozens of breeding hawk pairs on the property. Additionally, the partners have conducted environmental education programs for hundreds of students and community members annually to limit human persecution of the hawks. Finally, a specialized laboratory has been established at the Center for Sustainability to investigate the Philornis parasitic fly, one of the main causes of mortality of hawk chicks.