environmental awareness
We try our best to be responsible citizens of this beautiful island. No, we don't have any "green certification." Frankly, none of those programs have held to our standards. So we've worked our way through the myriad daily tasks and determined how to best be our own brand of 'Green.' To make sure that conservation doesn't take a vacation when you do, here are some steps we've taken:
We've switched nearly all of our 300+ light bulbs to efficient CFL bulbs. We ask guests to do their part by turning lights off when departing their room. We also request that air conditioners be turned off also when no one is there to enjoy them.
We recycle anything we possibly can! Soda cans, water bottles, wine bottles, newspapers, magazines…. We ask guests to either leave them in their room or the butler's pantry…we'll take it from there. Oh, and on the topic of water bottles. We do not supply bottled water. Instead we provide our guests with complimentary refillable water bottles that are Bispenol A (BPA) free. The sink in the butler's pantry has been fitted with a .5-micron filter for really tasty water.
Did you ever wonder about all the unused soap and product that are left behind in guest rooms? Historically they're thrown away as trash. But we participate in the Clean the World program. This foundation distributes recycled soap to impoverished communities around the world.
And we've found a great product line for guest amenities (soap, shampoo, etc.). The Beekind Collection from Gilchrist & Soames is a fresh smelling product line that comes in very eco-friendly packaging. There are no animal ingredients (except honey), no petrochemicals, no phthalates, no artifical colors, no....well you get the idea. And a portion of the proceeds go to honeybee research at UC Davis.
Laundry is a tremendous drain on energy and water resources. We now launder our linens in-house, cutting out the harsh chemicals, inefficient machinery and transportation of a commercial laundry. Also, during your stay,we will not change your towels if they are hung up. We'll assume you'd like to reuse them. Likewise, sheets will be changed every three days, unless you request otherwise. Be sure to walk the carriage road around Eagle Lake, our reservoir. It will thank you for your efforts.
Vegetarian breakfasts! You may not realize what a positive impact a vegetarian diet has on the environment. If you're interested in finding out more, Wikipedia is always a great place to start: Environmental Vegetarianism.
We support local businesses with strong environmental practices. Our morning organic coffee comes from Carrabassett Coffee in Kingfield Maine. They make an awesome cup of coffee. For breakfast food, Native Maine Produce is our chief source. And, we try to hit the local farmers markets to round out our menu. Blueberries always come from Allen's Blueberries located in Ellsworth Maine.
Our landscaping is 100% organic. We hope you'll enjoy being able to sniff the peonies, confident in the fact that there's nothing toxic or harmful there. The folks at AC Parson's Landscaping help us out here!
We support environmental and local charities such as Environment Maine and the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Bid on a stay with us during the Great TV Auction!
We use natural cleaning products whenever it's reasonable. Simple Green is our product line of choice. Vinegar is a wonderful disinfectant for most things and is the ultimate cleaner for our glass and crystal. In the interest of full disclosure, we use a great Lysol product for certain critical applications. But we're still looking for a more natural solution!
Our winter activities revolve around renovation. Each project we take on is geared toward a more energy efficient house. All of our appliances have been replaced with high-efficiency, Energy Star compliant models. We've added additional heat zones to serve most of our guest rooms. Our guests can now be cozy without the need to heat other empty guest rooms.
