I am excited to announce that a project I've been working on for almost a year now is close to becoming a reality. My employer--Xanterra--has been extremely supportive of this new venture of dedicating a retail store to educating park guests about the threats climate change pose to our National Parks.The initial sustainable remodel is complete and the interpretive exhibits should be installed by mid-July.

By converting this store to an education center, we have the chance to reach hundreds of visitors on a daily basis and teach them about climate change in our parks. We hope to foster stewardship in guests through our messaging and encourage them to help protect the parks at home by adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.

Read the full story below:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, May 7, 2009 – Xanterra Parks & Resorts, operator of lodges, gift shops, restaurants and activities in Yellowstone National Park, will convert its gift shop in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel into an interpretive facility dedicated to informing park visitors about climate change and offering environmentally friendly products.

“Although other stores may offer some of these products, we believe this is the first retail operation – in a national park or elsewhere – devoted to interpreting climate change,” said Beth Pratt, director of environmental affairs for Xanterra’s Yellowstone operations. “Our goal for this store is to connect the park visitor to the threats climate change and pollution pose to our national parks—and our world—with the need to make sustainable consumer choices.”

To be called “For Future Generations,” the store will open May 8 for the season and will be fully converted into an interpretive facility by mid-summer. The store will feature displays that will educate the public about environmental degradation while raising awareness of the implications of consumer choices such as product purchases and recycling.

Grizzly Bears are just one of Yellowstone's inhabitants that are threatened by climate change.“We want the visitors to know that by recycling an aluminum can, purchasing sustainable products or turning down the heat, they’re not only helping the environment, but they’re also supporting the mission of the National Park Service of ensuring that Yellowstone – and all its inhabitants – remain for future generations to enjoy, “said Pratt.

In keeping with the environmental theme, materials used in the remodeling of the store will be reclaimed, recycled or sourced from sustainable operations. For example, shelving will be constructed out of reclaimed wood, some of it from buildings in the park, including flooring from the Old Faithful Inn and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The new floor is constructed of Tamarac harvested from a “healthy forest” in Montana. Lighting will come from energy-efficient, minimum-impact LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) bulbs.

Each product sold will also have an “environmental scorecard” describing the sustainable attributes. Conventional items will be offered alongside sustainable options.

“Because sustainability means different things to different people, we will offer a variety of products that meet varying definitions of ‘sustainable,’” said Pratt. “For some people, products made locally are the most important factor while others place the most significance on organic materials. Still others see recycled content as the key.”

3 of the 4 amphibian species in Yellowstone are in declineDisplays will include information on the threats climate change poses to our national parks, what the various entities in the park are doing to minimize their environmental impacts and what techniques visitors can use at home. “At Xanterra, we are striving on a daily basis to innovate new ways to protect the environment,” said Pratt. “Our hope is that what we learn can be utilized by others on a much broader scale to improve global environmental health.” The displays will also change over time based upon new information from the environmental community as well as feedback from park visitors and company employees.