Greenopia evaluated all 50 states based on a comprehensive set of criteria including air quality, water quality, recycling rate, number of LEED buildings, number of green businesses, per capita water consumption, per capita energy consumption, per capita emissions, renewable energy generation, and how progressive its state legislature has been in adopting green measures.  The data used to rank each state came from several government sources and NGOs such as the EPA, EIA, USGS, American Lung Association, LEED, and from individual state government pages.

New Hampshire received a rating of 3 out of 4 in the group’s Leaf Award system.  Four-Leaf Rated listings meet their most stringent criteria while One-Leaf Rated listings meet the minimum qualifying standards.

Greenopia is an online directory of eco-friendly retailers, services, and organizations, providing consumers with information to help them reduce their impact on the environment through their daily purchasing decisions.  The website also offers news articles, blogs, and tips for living green.

Considering this NH Hotel has also implemented several environmental measures, when you plan a trip to this favorite New Hampshire vacation spot, you know you are going green!

http://www.greenopia.com/PM/news/15987/5-11-2010/How-Green-is-Your-Home-State—Greenopia-Releases-State-Rankings-for-Sustainability.

About three years ago, personnel swapped out all or most of the standard incandescent bulbs that used to fill the hotel at this New England vacation spot.  Facility manager Scott Leigh says the old bulbs ate up 60 watts each, while the new ones provide similar light at just 13 watts.  With an average savings of 47 watts per bulb and 200 watts per room, Leigh says the resort is saving thousands of kilowatt hours on the rooms, thousands more when you factor in the public areas.

“That’s a substantial savings,” he says.  “We are really trying to conserve.”

There is also a protocol in place to let guests opt in or out of laundry as they see fit, without much thought or effort.  Cards in the rooms let guests designate which linens and towels they want washed, avoiding the wastage of automatically washing everything.

Over the years, the NH resort has made environmentally-minded changes to its on-site power generation as well, with its own hydro plant and a biomass facility.   Click here for a behind-the-scenes look at their independent power infrastructure.

David Ridley
The Balsams Blogging Team

Photo: Lisadileo, license ccasa3.0u

The good news is that getting kids into a wilderness environment helps them clear their heads and gain a whole new perspective on what’s important.  So what can parents do to get their kids outside and away from the video games?  For a few ideas, check out our latest twelve-step “How to” guide for getting your kids outdoors and active…

Step 1:  Limit access to computers and hand-held game devices and discuss with your children the importance of a well-balanced life.  If they are involved in making the rules of use, they will be more likely to follow them.

Step 2:  Model “unplugged” behavior.  Let your kids catch you reading books, having tea with friends, and spending time outdoors.

Step 3:  Provide them with good books and magazines, especially those focusing on nature or travel.  Take them to the public library for ideas, and leave interesting literature around the house.

Step 4:  Take the kids to an old-fashioned country fair or a Native American pow-wow so they can see some different approaches to living and working in harmony with the natural world.

Step 5:  Encourage artistic or creative expression.  Get youngsters involved in family projects like redecorating, planting a garden, or building snow sculptures.

Step 6:  Keep kids active by signing them up with sports leagues, or clubs such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Step 7:  Walking, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing are fun ways to get some fresh air and enjoy time with each other.  There are some wonderful state parks and resorts that provide miles of trails for communing with nature.

Snowshoeing at The Balsams

Step 8:  Give your children their own cameras to record those outdoor adventures.

Step 9:  Entice them with the reward of some warm cider or cocoa after a day outside in the snow.  Break out the board games and let the fun continue!

Step 10:  Make sure to have regular family meals together, where lively conversation can provide them with social skills for the real world.

Step 11:  Track the phases of the moon, and take your children outside to watch the full moon rise just after sunset on a clear night.

Step 12: Plan an unplugged vacation to a wilderness-rich destination, such as The Balsams, where the whole family can decompress from our high-tech, modern life and reconnect with each other and the great outdoors.

Image credit:  www.freewebs.com

Dave Ridley
The Balsams Blogging Team

With smaller vacation budgets, many travelers are downsizing their vacations by staying closer to home and going on shorter trips, such as long weekends.  “Staycations” and day trips have become increasingly more popular.  A recent aol.com survey found that 49% of Americans are considering a vacation planned around local tourist attractions, such as museums, aquariums or amusement parks, to save on travel costs.  According to TripAdvisor.com, 52% of travelers said it takes them less than one day to unwind, making weekend getaways a nice option for a quick rejuvenation.

View of The Balsams from Table Rock

In keeping with a national trend toward more hiking and outdoor activity, those traveling to Northern New Hampshire, for example, might combine a stay at The Balsams Resort with an afternoon of mountain biking or a short hike to spectacular Table Rock.  “An emerging trend is travelers getting greener.  They plan to be more environmentally-conscious, and will be more active outdoors this year, taking advantage of some of the outstanding resources in the U.S., such as our beautiful national parks,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.   Many in the industry are also noticing more reservations are last minute this year.

Weekend travelers, in fact, tend to plan their vacations at the last minute.  Many hotels and resorts are responding to this trend by offering last-minute deals online.  Although aol.com found that 67% of Americans prefer to plan their longer trips weeks to months in advance rather than cash in on last-minute deal savings, according to a study by the Travel Industry Association (TIA), most weekend travelers make last-minute plans and select their destination within two weeks of their trip.  Many travel experts recommend checking for last-minute deals through the destinations’ websites.

Internet comparison-shopping is on the rise as travelers seek more value for their vacation dollars.  Consumers are also favoring all-inclusive vacation packages as a way to budget trips.  According to TIA, 76% “expect to book a packaged vacation to save money”, 58% “plan to comparison shop for prices and rates specifically on the Internet.” and 67% expect to “spend less on food, beverages and entertainment” when traveling.  Jayne O’Connor, president of the White Mountains Attractions Association says some destinations in New Hampshire are starting to include picnic lunches in their packages as a way to add value for the consumer.  Also, according to aol.com, most Americans are willing to be flexible with their vacation travel dates to get the best possible price available.

But a good deal is not the main social trend in travel today.  Travelers want unique experiences that they can describe to their friends back home, says Daniel Levine, executive director of the New York-based Avant-Guide Institute, a guidebook publisher and consultant on cultural trends.  “It’s about brag-ability.  It’s about telling people something you’ve done that they haven’t done.”  Levine’s advice to the travel industry?  “Think about what experience you can give people that they can’t get anyplace else.  The bottom line is about surprising and delighting your customer.”

Carrie Reed
The Balsams Blogging Team

Image credit:  aikaplanmd on flickr

Vickie Bunnell Preserve

The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization with a mission of protecting Earth’s most important natural places in part through worthwhile partnerships.

Daryl Burtnett

When the Nature Conservancy was looking to team up with a green vacation resort to help conserve New Hampshire forests, The Balsams was a natural fit.  In this podcast interview, Daryl Burtnett, the Nature Conservancy’s New Hampshire director, explains more about the green partnership and the new programs being offered by the Nature Conservancy to guests at the Balsams.  As Burtnett points out, the partnership has already raised critical funds for the Nature Conservancy, but the best way to conserve wild places is actually free – just bring your kids out for a hike!

Podcast-of-Nature-Conservancy-Group-Alliance.mp3

Gretchen Siegchrist
The Balsams Blogging Team

Photo provided by The Nature Conservancy