We call ourselves Team Green! Green is our camp color and is also the way in which we choose to operate! We currently boast solar arrays, have installed geothermal heating and air conditioning in our health center, and reuse our camp trees for building projects on the camp. In addition, we are always striving to implement more environmental initiatives.
Respecting Mother Earth will always remain a priority at ISTC because preserving our grounds keeps our facilities’ natural beauty. The rustic elements of ISTC create a feeling of awe and we hope our campers and guests value it as much as we do.
Our most prominent environmental initiative launched in 2011 when we installed solar panels. By placing solar panels on the roof of our Fieldhouse, we learned that we could take advantage of the constant sunlight exposure to create incredible energy savings. Solar power is truly amazing; in the first 14 months, the 40-kilowatt solar PV system saved 117,725 tons of carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere and generated 69,249 kw of electricity. To put this figure in perspective, 117,725 tons of carbon is equivalent to:
Consuming 248,368 barrels of oil
Traveling 134,000 miles in commercial air travel
Driving a car for 10 years
On top of our solar panels, we make a conscious effort to recycle as much as we can. Each cabin is equipped with a recycling bin to give our campers a chance to help us in our goal. Our Dining Hall switched from paper plates and plastic utensils to reduce our amount of waste as well. We truly believe that the smaller things like changing to LED lights and reusable silverware can make a massive difference in the long run.
Several additional items throughout our facility were created with the environment in mind. Many of our special event tables and bars found in the Lake View Center were constructed from fallen trees on the property. We also have shelves and decorations in our office that was constructed from old property. While most of these items are made from materials that others might view as trash, we limit waste by transforming them into unique, usable pieces.
Our staff is invested in the environmental initiatives as well. This past summer, we participated in the Great American Clean Up as a way to contribute to the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful campaign. Our directors, Mark and Kara, even dedicate time to local conversation work at the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center.
Nature’s beauty will always be an integral part of the experience at ISTC. The results we’ve seen incorporating green initiatives into our facility have only strengthened our motivation behind them. We have been lucky enough to be recognized for our efforts by the Pocono Mountain Visiting Bureau, who presented us with the 2014 Green Award.
Being a part of Team Green is not just a title, but it is a way of life that strives to have fun in most environmentally friendly way possible.
