I recently
reported on what some hotels have planned for Earth Day. I have since
learned about some additional Earth Day/Earth Month plans.
In celebration of the 49th annual Earth Day on April 22, San
Francisco-based Greystone Hotels will continue its support of environmental
conservancy through donations and volunteer work. Greystone’s 11 California and
Oregon-based properties will donate a portion of profits from gross rooms
revenue on April 22 to 1% For The Planet, an organization committed to environmental
conservancy and sustainability. Further, Greystone will host its annual “Day of
Service,” an opportunity for employees at each property to spend a day in April
volunteering with local community partners focused on environmental
conservancy. These partners include: Bend Parks and Recreation(Bend, Ore.), Los Angeles Mission (Los Angeles),
Baylands Nature Preserve (Palo Alto), Oroweat Park Cleanup (San Diego), Creek to
Bay Cleanup (San Diego), San Diego’s Storm Drain Stencil Program (San Diego),
Save Our Shores Beach Cleanup (Los Gatos), and Aquatic Park Cleanup (San
Francisco).
“Greystone is dedicated to supporting green initiatives and encouraging our
guests to participate in sustainable practices, on Earth Day and every day,”
said Eric Horodas, President of Greystone Hotels. “As an
eco-friendly hospitality management company, we’re always looking to
encourage and implement new and effective environmentally friendly practices at
our properties. We are proud of our annual commitment and will celebrate Earth
Day this year with a donation to 1% For The Planet, as well as our employee Day
of Service opportunities to actively support and better our local communities.”
Just after Earth Day,
on April 26, Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas will host the “Sawfish Soiree Atlantis” for
government representatives, NGOs and scientists to expand partnerships
for conservation on behalf of the species. Atlantis is the first and
only marine habitat in the world to have had a successful birth of the
critically-endangered Smalltooth Sawfish. The resort’s team of 165+ aquarists,
marine biologists and water quality specialists conducts research to
protect its natural habitat.
Atlantis is aggressively participating to reduce the use of plastic by
banning all plastic straws and balloons on-site. Although latex
balloons are considered to be biodegradable, they take six months to four
years to decompose, causing more risk for animal ingestion or entanglement.
A
portion of the proceeds accumulated from Atlantis’ marine interaction
programs funnel to the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, the resort’s nonprofit,
501(c)3 organization which funds the scientific research and
community outreach efforts to protect Caribbean marine wildlife.
