GREENHOW
YELLOW STONE
Sustain S
26 DEPARTMENT
A CREATIVE ADDITION TO THE PARK'S SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE
BY WILL MUHLENFELD
etting the bar for conservation in 21 state parks, Xanterra operates ahead of the curve in providing fresh food that is "fair-trade," innovating renew- able energy technology, and managing resources to lower the human footprint on the environment. Beth Pratt runs the branch at Yellowstone where nearly 3,000,000 visitors tour annually and where 3,500 park employees spend the summer. She has an uncommon enthusiasm for sustainable practices and was especially excited to give me a behind-the- scenes tour of the facilities at Mammoth.
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Serious conservation measures can be found at the gift shops, with T-shirts and teddy bears made from recycled plastic bottles, in the hotel rooms with the use of biodegrad- able soap, and at the laundry unit that cleans and re-uses it own dirty water, saving 3,000 gallons a day. The service garage is heated with burnt motor oil, worn-out linens are donated to charity, and the interior of the shop is made from 100-percent recycled wood and lit by low-energy LED bulbs. All products are made in the United States. "We try our best to make the park sustainable in the tour-
DISTINCTLY MONTANA • AUTUMN 2011
