Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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We are deeply committed to:
- Minimal impact on the environment
- Conservation of natural resources
- Active and passive environmental education of their guests
- Contributing to the local community
Since the mid 1970’s the camps and its sister resort has sought to balance the comfort and enjoyment of our guests with the preservation of St. John’s beautiful and fragile eco-system. We are committed to the belief that environmental sensitivity and human comfort are not only compatible, but actually enhance the vacation experience by combining pleasure with environmental Stewardship. In the last 30 years, we have been at the forefront of experiments with many new practices have succeeded, some have failed, but all have been important learning experiences. We continue to be the pioneer of environmentally responsible resort management.
Environment
Waste management is a major concern in our world today. An effective waste management program can make a difference in our relationship to the natural world. This not only includes management of garbage, but also reduction of wasted energy and water resources. There are four alternatives, which can help to cut back on waste. Reduce garbage and use of resources; reuse items, energy and water resources; recycle garbage and resources and buy recycled products (to close the life-cycle loop).
Beyond waste control, there are many other practices here, which have lessened the human impact on the environment, and continue to promote long-term conservation. When the camp was built, no construction roads were created, few trees were removed, footings were hand-dug, and there was minimal use of heavy machinery - this assured that the area remained as pristine as possible. Harmony Studios was built following National Park Service environmental standards and guidelines. A natural balance of wildlife on the hillside is intact: birds, mongooses, crabs, lizards, frogs, etc. roam freely, and there are continuous efforts to keep the feral cat population under control. Iguanas (natural insect population controllers) were brought from St. Thomas and are reproducing. Elevated walkways and stairs preserve ground cover and avoid soil erosion, which products the bay’s fragile coral reefs.
Biocompatible cleaning products are used in place of harsh, non-biodegradable detergents. We use locally manufactured product for cleaning and as a bleach replacement whenever possible. Products known to originate from endangered plants or animals are not sold or used. We follow National Park Rules for quiet hours 10pm to 8 am. Radios and televisions are not allowed without headphones, which help avoid noise pollution and interference with natural sounds.
Maho Bay Camps tries to serve the environmental movement in another important way - utilizing the many unique opportunities to educate our guests, while providing them a great vacation experience. Evening programs with speakers and slide shows (often in conjunction with the National Park Service) held weekly in the dining pavilion, covering such topics as the local flora and fauna, the “Living Reef”, the Archeological dig at Cinnamon Bay, hikes and available boat trips, and local Musicians and groups.
Effective recycling has been slow to come to the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are many problems inherent in being isolated by distance and water, and it is questionable whether the energy usage and cost of shipping the collected materials to recycling centers is cost-effective. The St. John Recycle Committee is researching getting a glass crusher for the Island that will enable them to make saleable end products from recycled glass. Currently Maho has the only active recycling program on the island. We recycle a portion of the glass and aluminum. We use the glass in our glassblowing studio for all the hand blown glass art created in Maho Bay Art Gallery. In the Office, used paper is recycled into scratch pads, and used in papermaking. Copying is duplexed and envelopes are reused whenever possible. Shredding office paper is used for packing material shipping our glass art to guests buying at our gallery. Waste bed linens are dyed and sewn into home décor products such as tablecloths and wall hangings in our Textiles Studio using batik and low immersion dyes.
Paper towels, toilet paper and paper napkins provided in the restaurant are made from recycled paper. The kitchen has drastically reduced the number of disposable bottles and cans by installing a draft beer and soda system at the restaurant. The restaurant and store consider packaging when ordering specific items - some products have been dropped due to excessive packaging.
Unlike most resorts, there is minimal use of motorized vehicles by housekeeping to cover distances between the tent-cottages, laundry and storage areas, or by maintenance between the garbage cans and the garbage truck. Low water use toilets are utilized. We have installed water-less urinals in our bathhouses. Running water is not supplied to most tent-cottages. There are limited shower hours in the bathhouses. Showers are cold water and pull chain for guests to only use water needed. All of these efforts have resulted in extremely low water usage: 25-30 gallons per person, about a third of the average per person water usage in the U.S.
Tent Cottage design and fabric capitalize on cooling trade winds and natural light. Construction amidst trees provides natural shade: electric fans are used for cooling instead of air-conditioning. As new tent-cottages are built, design improvements continue to be made for better ventilation, leading to lower energy consumption from electric fans. Water in bathhouses and the laundry is not heated. We have replaced light bulbs with compact fluorescents and put timers on electric switches in the bathhouses. Cisterns collect rainwater that is filtered and used.
Community
Maho Bay participates in and furnishes supplies and transportation for island clean-up projects. Guests are given the option of donating their $30 security deposit to Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. Maho Bay encourages hiring of local people. The restaurant and store patronize local distributors, bakeries, etc., whenever possible.
Items produced by local cottage industries are sold in the store. We participate in Earth Day and St. John’s Carnival. We give school and group tours of Harmony Studios, Estate Concordia our EcoTour, Glassblowing and papermaking. Approximately 400 children have toured our properties each year. We have an Artisans program that has included glass blowers, and other artists that give free workshops and demonstrations to our guests and the community. We participate in the “Coral Reef Transplant Project” with The Friends of the Virgin Islands national Park. Our staff does monitoring of Hawksbill Turtle nesting on Francis, Little Maho and Big Maho Bays. Active in the St. John Recycle Committee. We give talks on Eco-tourism to local schools and groups when invited to do so.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
