This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22), and while celebrations may look different, properties around the globe are providing travelers with virtual options and tips to commemorate the day in a sustainable fashion – from online lessons in water quality from Gurney’s Resorts waterfront properties, to DIY face masks using natural products from Miraval and Hotel de Crillon in Paris, there’s something for everyone.
Embrace the Nature with The Fife Arms in Scotland
The Fife Arms, a Victorian coaching inn situated within the magnificent Cairngorms National Park, in the Scottish Highlands is providing activities and tips for people via the hotel’s Instagram stories on @thefifearms. Throughout the year, The Fife Arms offers visitors foraging classes to encourage people to learn more about nature and the great outdoors. Natasha Lloyd, The Fife Arms’ In-House Forager leads guided-walk courses that show people the best vegetation to forage, the best time to forage and most importantly, how to forage. Now, The Fife Arms wants to encourage people to make the most of their daily walks while in isolation and embrace the nature that surrounds them. Each week on Instagram, Natasha shares a plant, tree or bird for people to look out for on their daily walk or even in their garden. Natasha shares information and an image of the plant/ bird for people to learn more before they head on their search. This is a perfect activity for both adults and children as they go outside for fresh air.
Take a Class in Sustainability with Gurney’s Resorts
Gurney’s Resorts recently launched the #GoneHomeWithGurneys virtual experiences campaign. As part of the campaign, Gurney’s Resorts features weekly digital lessons for kids in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program includes educational exhibits focused on impactful topics including water quality, habitat, aquaculture, STEAM, and fisheries. This Earth Day, take a hands on digital lesson by the Cornell Marine Program. This lesson, for example features the Alewife, a small silver fish that makes its way to Long Island’s freshwater every spring to spawn. Through the lesson, you can learn more about the Alewife via the interactive activities, informational videos, fact sheets, color pages and crossword puzzle.
French Girl Beauty with a Sustainable Twist
Spa Director, Marlène Belvalette of Sense, A Rosewood Spa at Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel shares the best sustainable and plant based mask to give yourself some glow for Earth Day, French girl style. To prepare the “Sustainable Glow Face Mask” you’ll need 2 teaspoons of honey, 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, 2 drops of Lemon essential oil and 2 drops of carrot essential oil. Mix for three minutes and apply on the face (avoid the eye contour). Apply cucumber slices on your eyes, relax and keep the mask on your face for 15 minutes and then rinse twice. Here are benefits for each ingredient:
Create a Farm to Face Mask by Miraval Arizona
Miraval’s Life in Balance Spa at Miraval Arizona was designed to honor nature by utilizing sustainable, farm-fresh natural ingredients for their spa treatments. Kim Kelder, lead aesthetician and skincare specialist at the spa, shares her simple DIY “farm to face” mask which can be made at home with just a few natural ingredients. By utilizing home plants, locally sourced ingredients and naturally occurring essential oil, Kim creates a mask that is not only good for the skin, but the Earth as well. “One of my favorite face masks to do at home is a ‘farm to face’ mask, made using ingredients commonly found at home,” said Kim Kelder, lead aesthetician and skincare specialist at Miraval’s Life in Balance Spa at Miraval Arizona in Tucson. “Mix 1 tbsp. aloe (direct from the plant or real aloe if you have it), 1 tbsp. honey (local if possible), 3 tbsp. plain yogurt with 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil. It’s hydrating, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal so it helps with acne and breakouts, and it has exfoliating properties. Honey is so hydrating and you can also use it directly on your face or lips. I like to refrigerate all the ingredients to make it extra refreshing on the skin. You can leave this in your fridge for about a week and get a couple of masks out of it. If you’re at home with a family member, you can do the masks together and make a fun night in out of it.”
Make a Delicious Tequila Cocktail with Scraps
The cocktail program at Showfish Bar at Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina is designed to mirror the restaurant’s values on sustainability and localism. This Earth Day, take a tip from Showfish and utilize unused strawberry stems from the 1 Tequila 2 Tequila strawberry margarita to make a strawberry vinegar that can be featured in dishes or used to make a shrub for mocktails. Use any leftover fruit for house-infused spirits and syrups such as cucumber vodka.
