ORLANDO, FLA.—It is hard to miss the lush, green tropical lemongrass and other plant life that adorn the green roofs that are sprouting on buildings throughout Central Florida and beyond. What you might not see at first glance, however, is the innovative soil media that keeps the grasses and plants firmly rooted and thriving. Developed by the University of Central Florida’s Stormwater Management Academy, the patented Bold & Gold soil media also provides significant filtration and reduction of stormwater runoff and is now deployed on more than 50,000 square feet of green roofs throughout Florida.For its part, the Bold...

KA‘ANAPALI, MAUI, HAWAII—Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is celebrating its LEED Silver EBOM (Existing Building Operations and Maintenance) certification, awarded as a result of a long term commitment to environmental sustainability. This certification is the first of any building in the state of Hawaii. The property recently completed renovations throughout the resort, including the pool area, Drums of the Pacific Luau, and dining outlets. Throughout the renovation process members of the Hyatt Regency Maui operations team worked closely with property owner Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and with third-party consultants Green Building Hawaii to make the necessary environmentally...

ALPHARETTA, GA.— Emerald Expositions announces the launch of Design Americas, a new show catering to the hospitality, contract, kitchen and bath and retail design markets. Developed as a response to the evolving world of design, the show will serve as the definitive destination for designers looking to explore the latest products and services either from a respective sector or across the entire design industry. Taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla. from September 16 to September 17, 2015, the event will take the form of four shows in one, with a floor plan that...

NATIONAL REPORT—You need not take more than a quick glance at the U.S. Drought Monitor to see that something is awry in California. Much of the state is in dark red—exceptional drought. Other parts of the state are in either extreme or severe drought. Sources of water for the Golden State are shrinking—both above ground and below ground. According to University of Colorado geoscientist Brad Udall, drought, combined with overuse have produced some of the Colorado River’s lowest flows in more than 1,000 years. As many as 40 million people in the Southwest rely on the Colorado for drinking...

VISTA, CALIF.—What is interesting about the California drought currently impacting the area is not necessarily the severity of it. Instead, it is how the state seems to be handling it in stride, with relatively minor impact on communities. While some industry sectors are definitely being impacted—and we may not have seen the worst—compared to the last “major” drought in California (1976-1977), there have been considerable changes for the better. One of the big differences is that, compared to the current drought, the 1977 drought involved two very dry years—1976 and 1977—with 1977 being the then-driest year on record. The current...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott Hotels, the flagship brand of Marriott International, Inc., launched its first traveler-inspired innovation—a healthy vending machine, featuring handcrafted salads, sandwiches and snacks made fresh everyday using local ingredients. The working prototype debuted in the lobby of the Chicago Marriott O’Hare, offering travelers healthy food options available all day and night during their journey. The innovation was inspired by Anjana Kallarackal, a 21-year-old college student, who answered the call to join Marriott Hotels in co-creating the future of travel as part of its Travel Brilliantly campaign.In looking to bring Anjana’s idea to life, Marriott Hotels reached out to...

SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M.—Bees can bring to mind sci-fi like headlines, and thoughts of painful stings. In reality honeybees are important contributors to the many fruits and vegetables that we eat. Earlier this summer, Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa added two colonies containing 20,000 bees each to its grounds, furthering Tamaya’s mission of being an environmentally friendly resort.Honeybees are the major pollinators of the resort’s many flower beds and its on-site orchard, vegetable and herb gardens. It’s estimated that in the first year, these bees will produce 70 to 80 pounds of honey as well as beeswax. While...

SINGAPORE—Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced that the company has joined the fight in reversing the rapid decline in the shark population, signaling its commitment towards sustainable seafood sourcing. Reaffirming its commitment to operate as a responsible business, the company will stop serving shark fin at its leased and managed hotels and food and beverage establishments across Asia Pacific beginning September 1, 2014. This initiative marks the 11th anniversary of Carlson Rezidor’s Responsible Business Month, where its hotels are encouraged to take action by championing activities that benefit the local community and the environment.An estimated 100 million sharks are killed...

LAS VEGAS—Mirtha Eusebio, a card dealer at Bally’s in Las Vegas, is getting excited about the trip she will be taking to the Dominican Republic from September 23 to 26 with two other Caesars Entertainment employees. The three will be joining Clean the World Foundation staff and representatives of Children International on a trip to distribute soap to those in need in three locations. The soap to be distributed was donated by lodging establishments and sanitized and reprocessed by Clean the World. Eusebio and her two colleagues were selected as a result of a contest held by the Caesars...

HARTFORD, CONN.—The 393-room Hilton Hartford recently announced its recognition by TripAdvisor as a GreenLeader, Bronze level into the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program, which helps travelers plan greener trips by identifying environmentally-friendly accommodations. The Hilton Hartford is operated by the Waterford Hotel Group, a national hotel and convention center management firm.TripAdvisor GreenLeaders have met a set of environmental standards developed for TripAdvisor by a leading environmental consulting firm, with input from expert partners. The more green practices a hotel has in place, the higher its GreenLeader level, which is shown on the property’s listing on the TripAdvisor site. Travelers can now...