May 8, 2009

Xanterra Converting Hotel Gift Shop To Green Educational StoreBy Michelle McCaffertyHotelsMag.com

Yellowstone National Park – Xanterra Parks & Resorts, operator of lodges, gift shops, restaurants and activities in Yellowstone National Park, will convert its gift shop in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel into an interpretive facility dedicated to informing park visitors about climate change and offering environmentally friendly products.

“Although other stores may offer some of these products, we believe this is the first retail operation – in a national park or elsewhere – devoted to interpreting climate change,” said Beth Pratt, director of environmental affairs for Xanterra’s Yellowstone operations. “Our goal for this store is to connect the park visitor to the threats climate change and pollution pose to our national parks—and our world—with the need to make sustainable consumer choices.”

To be called “For Future Generations,” the store will open May 8 for the season and will be fully converted into an interpretive facility by mid-summer. The store will feature displays that will educate the public about environmental degradation while raising awareness of the implications of consumer choices such as product purchases and recycling.

“We want the visitors to know that by recycling an aluminum can, purchasing sustainable products or turning down the heat, they’re not only helping the environment, but they’re also supporting the mission of the National Park Service of ensuring that Yellowstone – and all its inhabitants – remain for future generations to enjoy, “said Pratt.

In keeping with the environmental theme, materials used in the remodeling of the store will be reclaimed, recycled or sourced from sustainable operations. For example, shelving will be constructed out of reclaimed wood, some of it from buildings in the park, including flooring from the Old Faithful Inn and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The new floor is constructed of Tamarac harvested from a “healthy forest” in Montana. Lighting will come from energy-efficient, minimum-impact LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) bulbs.

Each product sold will also have an “environmental scorecard” describing the sustainable attributes. Conventional items will be offered alongside sustainable options.

“Because sustainability means different things to different people, we will offer a variety of products that meet varying definitions of ‘sustainable,'” said Pratt. “For some people, products made locally are the most important factor while others place the most significance on organic materials. Still others see recycled content as the key.”

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