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POST RANCH INN
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP & COMMUNITY SUPPORT
CURRENT EFFORTS -- SPRING 2008
This provides a recap of current environmental stewardship and community support efforts at the award-winning Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California.
NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION
1. Land, Sea & Wildlife
A unique natural environment where flora, fauna and people all seem to thrive, Post Ranch maintains a 100-acre site which includes 90 protected acres of open space. The land is fortunate to be home to a number of indigenous species, including several that are rare, endangered or threatened. These include the Smith’s blue butterfly (SBB), California red-legged frog (CRLF) California condor, wood stork and western pond turtle, which have all been reported in Post Ranch’s diverse habitats. Open space is maximized to encourage inhabitation by other wildlife as well, including coyotes, bobcats, deer, hawks and wild turkeys. To ensure these species continue to flourish at Post Ranch, an extensive program of activities is in effect, including conservation, site management, habitat protection and enhancement, employee and contractor training, and guest education.
Post Ranch and its neighboring lands feature 13 diverse plant communities, including forest, shrub, grassland and aquatic habitats. In particular, these environments are home to two species protected by the Endangered Species Act through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: the threatened California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii), which breeds in the aquatic habitat of Post Ranch’s pond in the center of the property; and Smith’s blue butterfly (Euphilotes enoptes smithi), which feeds and breeds in the seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium) found in the California sagebrush scrub habitat on a west-facing slope below the Sierra Mar restaurant.
Post Ranch is undertaking various measures to protect these species and enhance their habitat, including to:
- Revegetate pond and adjacent areas to restore emergent wetland and native scrub habitat for CRLF
- Implement water quantity and quality enhancement measures for the pond
- Eradicate bullfrogs and non-native fishes in the pond
- Implement a shuttle system to reduce traffic near the pond
- Seed, propagate and outplant buckwheat plants to restore SBB habitat
- Eradicate various invasive plants, including French broom and others
- Develop educational programs for guests and staff, including a detailed brochure in the guest compendium
To ensure these goals are met, various conservation and monitoring efforts are in place. For the Smith’s blue butterfly, Post Ranch maintains existing areas that support seacliff buckwheat and restore California sagebrush scrub habitat on 0.7 acres. For the California red-legged frog, the pond and its upland habitats within 300 feet are protected. In addition, a conservation easement has been recorded to ensure that 36 acres of butterfly and frog habitat are protected.
To monitor these activities, Post Ranch works with a biological monitor familiar with Monterey County’s habitats and special-status species, who reports regularly to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In addition, the conservation easement habitat is monitored, maintained and replanted by the American Land Conservancy. ALC is a private, non-profit land trust dedicated to conserving for the benefit of people and wildlife the landscapes that represent America’s best ecological, scenic, recreational, cultural and agricultural resources.
- An ongoing habitat conservation plan discourages invasive non-native flora and fauna. Eradication of invasive, non-native plants, like Genesta and Pampas grass, is done manually, aided by organic products. Other native species are replanted to encourage wildlife. These activities are conducted by Post Ranch in conjunction with industry experts, the ALC and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
- The inn has been active in the identification of Sudden Oak Death in Big Sur, participates fully in efforts to remove diseased trees, has planted a new oak tree for each that succumbs, and promotes the health of the forest with assistance from an ecologist and independent scientist. As part of these efforts, a study was conducted with three objectives. First, soil acidification in and around oak trees showing symptoms of Sudden Oak Death and poor health were mapped and measured, as compared with soil conditions in and around healthy oaks. Second, suitable non-toxic nutritional strategies were applied to reduce soil acidity and nutritionally bolster the trees’ natural immune systems and health, without the use of toxic pesticides. Finally, the results were objectified and recorded.
- Forest management is an ongoing project, designed to maintain healthy woodlands and protect the flora and fauna that live there. Activities include regular clean-up of debris, pruning and recovery of fallen trees, which are chipped for use of the inn’s pathways.
- The inn maintains onsite gardens with fruit trees and herbs that are used by the restaurant and in spa products. A new garden is soon to be planted to provide fresh vegetables and flowers for guests’ enjoyment.
- Over 50 redwood trees and other landscaping have been added, providing privacy, wind protection, shade and beauty.
2. Water
- Post Ranch Inn created the first commercial gray water system approved in Monterey County. In 2006 the main wastewater treatment system was expanded and upgraded to improve the performance of the treatment and to accommodate its current needs.
- Post Ranch Inn ensures water use is measured daily as required by the State of California, and performs an annual energy audit, including wattage and propane. Water quality is monitored and tested weekly, both on-property and at a private laboratory.
- There are seven wells on the property; these are monitored regularly to ensure they are not over-pumped or overused.
- Potentially damaging plant material is regularly removed from the pond, to enhance the health of the pond and aerate it for the critters that live there.
- Water efficient landscaping is used, focusing on native and drought-tolerant plants that are tended with organic fertilizers.
- Drip irrigation waters foundation plantings.
ECO-EFFICIENCY
1. Activities or Products to Reduce Usage of Energy, Chemicals or Other Resources
- Water is conserved in guest rooms by low-flow shower heads and toilets.
- Laundry detergent is biodegradable and hypoallergenic, with botanicals and herbal active ingredients. Steps are taken also to minimize the overuse of laundry detergent and related chemicals.
- In the laundry specialized equipment extracts water after washing linens, which decreases drying time and saves energy.
- The resort uses industrial-size equipment to wash linens.
- Guests are able to assist in these conservation efforts, by displaying on their door an in-room magnetic sign indicating a change of linen is not necessary that day.
- Natural light and ventilation are maximized.
- South-facing windows in guest rooms are being tinted to lower energy use.
- Ozone is added to the water system to reduce the need for chemicals.
- Guest rooms are stocked at turndown each evening with refillable glass bottles used in lieu of plastic.
- Low and zero-VOC paints are used.
- No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used on property. Pests are controlled by cedar-based, pump-spray products and natural predators such as bats that live in the area.
- Low-voltage lighting and compact fluorescent lights (CFLs, CVUs and LEDs) are used wherever possible, especially in guest rooms. In addition, down lighting is used where appropriate outdoors to minimize light pollution.
- To manage heating and air conditioning and save energy, some rooms have been equipped with a magnetic switch that turns these systems off when sliding glass doors are opened. This system will be expanded at the inn over time. Building orientation and operable windows enhance natural ventilation and provide fresh ocean breezes.
- Ink cartridges are recycled, as well as unneeded computers and office equipment.
- Styrofoam is not used anywhere on the property. Guests are provided fresh water in glasses and ceramic mugs to minimize use of paper cups and plastic bottles. Biodegradable soaps, shampoos and lotions are provided.
- Collateral material is printed on recycled paper and an effort is made to use soy-based inks.
- The inn provides housing on property to 90 employees in 40 studio apartments to help reduce traffic and energy emissions.
2. Use or Better Use of Organic/Earth-Friendly/Sustainable/Recyclable Products or Resources
- Sheets and towels are made from 100% certified organic cotton, with no artificial dyes.
- All guest-room items are reusable, such a wooden hangers and metal guest-room keys.
- Flower-based guest soaps are hand-made in nearby Santa Cruz; other in-room guest amenities are earth-friendly. Purchase and promotion of these specialty products also supports small, regional businesses and cottage industries.
- Post Ranch Inn implements and follows an extensive, property-wide recycling program for paper, newspaper, cardboard, cans, glass, aluminum, plastic, phone books and compost from the restaurant. Also, to minimize waste and packaging, we use and produce recycled and recyclable materials.
- Each guest room and employee housing unit has a recycling bin to make collection easy and accessible. Wastebaskets are lined with recycled newspapers instead of plastic bags. Recycling bins are also kept at maintenance, housekeeping and in the employee break rooms.
- Packing materials are reused for shipping.
- The staff follows the Post Ranch Inn Environmental Principles in all aspects of business. Environmental factors and audits in performance evaluation systems are utilized for individuals and business units.
- The Jade Pool, recently redone, beckons guests to enjoy warm healing waters. The Jade Pool is distinguished by smooth local stones, each carefully placed by hand, which showcase the area’s natural resources and add beauty. Famed for its awe-inspiring ocean views, the pool is bejeweled with dark green pieces of Big Sur Jade, the only vein of jade that is washed by the sea.
- An on-site nursery grows native plant seedlings, which are transplanted onto the property when appropriate.
- The Post Ranch Mercantile Shop features organic or natural-fiber clothing and attractive, unique products, usually crafted by hand by talented artists or artisans.
- Collateral material is printed on recycled paper and most inks are soy-based.
- The office minimizes the use of paper, which is recycled. Used paper is reversed and reused for incoming faxes or cut into squares for scratch paper. Memos are circulated and initialed to cut down on paper use. The monthly employee news includes a column on practical applications for conservation.
- The resort uses fair-trade organic coffees and teas. Fresh fruits are juiced at the inn each day.
- Plant waste is chipped, mulched and returned to the earth. Plans are underway to compost all organic food items.
- The property’s public rest rooms provide cotton hand towels, not paper towels.
Sierra Mar Restaurant
- Post Ranch Inn’s award-winning restaurant supports small producers and the regional economy by serving all-natural free-range beef and poultry and fresh, locally-grown seasonal organic vegetables and fruit.
- We support sustainable fishing practices and do not serve endangered or threatened fish in the restaurant. If possible, seafood if purchased from local fishermen and other foodstuffs from local producers or farmer’s markets.
- Sierra Mar uses biodegradable containers made of corn starch, plates formed from bagasse, a by-product of sugarcane, and utensils created from potato starch. An alternative to non-degradable plastic packaging, these products are also renewable, sustainable and compostable.
- Chef Craig von Foerster is designing new dinnerware for the restaurant, made from recycled plate glass in custom molds. The plates’ natural look complements Post Ranch and Sierra Mar -- and if one breaks, it goes not to a landfill but back to the plate maker to be ground to a powder and then reborn.
Post Ranch Inn Spa
- Immersed in the natural world, the Post Ranch Spa is a leader in environmental consciousness, social responsibility and guest appeal. Condé Nast Traveler selected the Post Ranch Spa as the #1 Spa in North America for 2007, garnering perfect scores for location, staff and service.
- The full menu of spa treatments unites guests with elements of nature, utilizing all organic products, supporting local businesses and recycling for renewable energy. Certified organic linens and skin care products, eco-friendly detergent and filtered laundry water for irrigation are examples of green standards.
- Inspired by local history and community, the Post Ranch Spa offers signature spa products to help nature nurture guests. These aromatherapy blends are combined with our flower essence remedies for massage oils, body butters and bath salts. Essences of selected Big Sur flowers are solar-infused in spring water, offering the flowers’ vibrational imprints.
- Elements of ancient rituals and Mother Nature play a large role in the Post Ranch Spa’s program themes. Reflecting the abundance, healing energy and history of the Post Ranch land, organic gardens have been planted to further promote relaxation and reconnection to nature. Medicinal plants and flowers from these gardens are used in our signature spa products. The active ingredients of the facial and skin care products contain natural fruit acids, medicinal herbs and flowers, vitamins and minerals.
- Reflecting the inn’s approach to accent the best of Big Sur, the healing jade stones used in Post Ranch Spa’s Hot Stone Therapy were collected with care from a local beach by a staff member, who has been on the inn’s bell staff since its opening. Big Sur is the only place in the world with a vein of jade washed by the sea.
- The honey used in our honey facials is collected by one of the first spa crew members; she is also a beekeeper with 18 hives whose honey is pollinated from Post Ranch flowers. This local honey is also used in the restaurant.
3. Design & Construction of Green or Greener Buildings
- It is hard not to be aware of the environment at Post Ranch Inn. The coastal getaway was designed with bio-structure architecture using the natural materials of glass, wood and stone and when possible, passive solar heat. Efforts were made to avoid cutting trees when the property was developed.
- The innovative environmental design was intended for people to feel a part of nature, not just to be observers of it. The earth-sheltered guesthouses with sod roofs blend into the landscape and reduce loss of heat; the stilted tree houses were designed to protect the fragile root balls of nearby redwood and oak trees. Native gardens growing in courtyards give a private landscape experience, bringing enjoyment of the outside in.
- A master wood craftsman designs and builds guest room furniture in an on-property carpentry shop. Since the inn’s inception, Mark Sullivan has created beautiful, hand-crafted pieces, including beds, tables and chairs in bubinga, redwood, mahogany and other woods. In addition, trees that fall on property are retrieved from the forest and made into benches along the pathways.
- Reclaimed wood, including old-growth redwood from wine casks, adds a rich, deep red color to guest room walls
- Efforts are made to minimize and manage construction waste management.
4. Energy Efficiency
- Employees are encouraged to walk to work from employee housing or carpool from Monterey Peninsula. In process is a trip reduction plan to consolidate employee travel on the property by use of electric carts traversing a circuit from employee housing to work locations.
- Guests are transported in fuel-efficient Lexus RX 400H hybrid vehicles. Guests’ vehicles are parked away from the hotel rooms, avoiding traffic and emissions and ensuring a serene environment.
5. Purchasing
- Post Ranch Inn seeks out suppliers, distributors, local cottage suppliers and business partners that meet environmental and social standards equivalent to those we set for our own products and services.
- Purchasing operates with a number of environmental criteria, such as:
- Products are eco-friendly and reusable when possible.
- Preference is given to purchasing environmentally-superior products and office materials.
- Purchasing of products is done in bulk whenever possible to minimize packaging, preferably in recyclable or reusable containers.
- Gift shop items emphasize organic goods and local hand-crafted pieces.
6. Indoor Environmental Quality
- Post Ranch Inn is designated as a non-smoking facility.
- The property implements an indoor air quality management plan to ensure guests’ well-being, including maintenance and monitoring.
- To reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants, the inn uses low-emitting materials, including adhesives, paints, coatings and carpeting.
- Lighting and heat are designed to maximize the comfort of guests, including radiant heat on some guest-room floors.
- Guest rooms and public spaces are designed to make the most of the site’s daylight and exceptional views.
OUTREACH & EDUCATION
1. Guests
- Bill Post’s great-grandparents homesteaded the Ranch in the mid-1800s and Post family history is proudly displayed throughout the hotel. Honoring connections with the past, the guest rooms are each named after Big Sur pioneers, members of the family and community, including many hardy, industrious women. Over the years Bill has lead nature walks around the property. His courtly presence and gentle demeanor, coupled with his personal history and knowledge of the land and his forebears, make for an unforgettable guest experience. Now in his late 80s, Bill meets with guests at breakfast twice a week to share his unique perspective and long history with Post Ranch.
- In-room compendium materials include a brochure on Post Ranch’s endangered species and what is being done to protect them.
- Each evening, weather permitting, employees trained as amateur astronomers align a 12” tracking telescope for guests to view the stars.
- Guests are encouraged to enjoy various complimentary place-based activities, which highlight the ecological, community and individual resources at Post Ranch or in the Big Sur area. These vary by season and year, and have included:
- Walks & talks with Bill Post
- Guided morning hikes with a naturalist
- Bird watching - each guest room offers binoculars and a pamphlet that describes and identifies local birds
- Hikes on the extensive trail systems of nearby state and federal parks
- Cooking classes with Chef Craig von Foerster
- Post Ranch Inn encourages employee education programs, especially in the area of environmental protection.
- Training programs and demonstrations share important knowledge and the inn’s commitment to the environment and community with staff and others. These include:
- CPR and AED (use of a defibrillator)
- Safety sessions and fire extinguisher use
- Endangered species training with local ecologists
- Subsidized housing is provided for 90 employees.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INVOLVEMENT & COMMITMENTS
- Post Ranch collaborates with community members to promote improvements in local health, education, diversity, and economic development. Specific endeavors include:
- Supporting the arts program at Big Sur’s elementary school, Captain Cooper Elementary School
- Monetary support for summer camp for children of Post Ranch employees
- Providing in-kind donations and volunteers at the Big Sur Health Fair
- Supporting other non-profits
Post Ranch contributes numerous resources to the local community through charitable giving, employee volunteerism and in-kind contributions of goods and services. Local organizations we support include:
Post Ranch Inn has selected one critical issue, affordable health care in Big Sur, to create positive change for the Post Ranch Inn community. Beginning in 1997, the Post Ranch Inn recruited all local businesses to donate $2 per employee a month for the creation, management and maintenance of a non-profit health center. This commitment to the community has increased the success of being awarded grants from foundations to further the local health care cause.
Employees and managers are active in community and serve on the boards of directors of various local organizations and institutions. These include the:
To encourage employee involvement and assistance, staff members are given time off with pay for participating in community programs and services. Employees serve the community as volunteers for the Fire Brigade, EMT, Search and Rescue and other local organizations.
Post Ranch Inn provides reduced rates for accommodations to local residents of Monterey County in the winter months.
KEY AWARDS
Recent awards related to the environment, culture, the community and other key honors include:
- Listed # 3 in Environmentally-Friendly Accommodations
- “Top Ten 'Greenest' Accommodations in the World”
TripAdvisor, April 2007
- Winner of “Responsible Development/Resort”Award
Coastal Living, 1999
- #1 Spa in North America
Condé Nast Traveler -- Readers' Poll, April 2007
- # 1 in California
World's Best Hotels - T+L Top 500
Travel +Leisure, January 2007 (Featured on Front Cover)
- 2007 Gold List
World's Best 700 Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Overall score of 94.7
Condé Nast Traveler, January, 2007
- Most Excellent Inn - USA
Condé Nast Johansens, 2006
- #1 U.S. Resort Hotel (also named #1 in 2002)
#1 U.S. Resort Hideaway (also received in 2003 and 2002)
Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report, September 2005
- # 1 Hotel in North America
# 1 ‘Best of the Best’ in the world (tie)
Readers’ Choice Awards
Condé Nast Traveler, 2003
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