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Brodhead hotel discovers that it is easy being green

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Photo by Matthew Wisniewski

The Earth Rider Hotel in Brodhead is listed on the Travel Green Wisconsin list. In many areas in the hotel, bicycle parts are used for decoration or practical use.

Photo

Photo by Matthew Wisniewski

The Earth Rider Hotel in Brodhead is listed on the Travel Green Wisconsin list. In many areas in the hotel, bicycle parts are used for decoration or practical use.

Photo

Photo by Matthew Wisniewski

The Earth Rider Hotel in Brodhead is listed on the Travel Green Wisconsin list. One of the ways the hotel is green is a flood barrel, which collects rain that is used to water plants.

Photo

Photo by Matthew Wisniewski

The Earth Rider Hotel in Brodhead is on the Travel Green Wisconsin list. The rooms are adorned with pictures of famous bike riders and things made from recycled bike materials, like the chair in this photo.

BRODHEAD — From an old road bicycle—sans its wheels, pedals and chain—affixed to the historic downtown building hangs the sign for the Earth Rider Cycling Boutique and Hotel: the first indication of the business’ green attitude.

Sharon Kaminecki, owner of the bike shop and hotel at 929 W. Exchange St., said bicycling is “the ultimate sustainable activity,” and she has taken her passion for the outdoors and expanded it to make her business practices sustainable, too.

Earth Rider is among almost 200 businesses in the state to be certified by Travel Green Wisconsin, a program developed by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism that recognizes tourism-related businesses committed to reducing their impact on the environment.

The program highlights that which makes the state a unique tourist destination—its natural resources, said Will Christianson, outreach coordinator for the tourism department. He said Earth Rider is “a perfect example” of a business that understands what’s special about its small corner of the state.

“That’s someone who gets it,” Christianson said of Kaminecki. “She’s showing what’s unique about her part of Wisconsin and implementing that throughout her business.”

The hotel emphasizes Brodhead’s connection to the 40-mile Badger State Trail as the southern trailhead of the Sugar River Trail and the ecologically minded culture of bicycling.

“It makes a lot of sense,” Kaminecki said of making her business sustainable. Not only does having a small environmental footprint reduce her operating costs, but it also differentiates her hotel from others, she said.

So when Kaminecki opened the bike shop and hotel in 2005, she sat down with the Travel Green Wisconsin checklist and evaluated her business practices and tweaked them to earn the certification, denoted by a green logo on her promotional materials and a spot on the Travel Green and department of tourism Web sites.

Kaminecki said creating a bicycle-themed hotel lent itself well to the green tourism concept.

Earth Rider is decorated top to bottom with old bicycle parts. Chairs made from metal bike rims and black, rubber-tire tubes provide interesting seating in the shop, hotel lounge and five hotel rooms. Handlebars and kickstands are mounted on the dressing room and bathroom walls to serve as clothing hooks. Hub gears have been stacked and fitted with a lampshade to create one-of-a-kind lighting.

Kaminecki uses only non-toxic cleaning supplies, which she makes from scratch using liquid soap, baking soda, vinegar, distilled water and natural oils for fragrance. She buys liquid and bar soap from a local farm (and picks up the items on her bike) and fills wall-mounted dispensers in the bathrooms.

Kaminecki provides only real plates, cups and utensils and washes them after each use. She also provides water bottles and encourages guests to fill them with tap water.

The historic building has been outfitted with energy efficient windows, appliances and light bulbs; linens are changed every three days for guests staying multiple nights, and paper products made from at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled content are used.

“There are a lot more things we could do,” Kaminecki said.

She said going through the application process to become certified by Travel Green Wisconsin took a few months. But Christianson said it’s not something businesses can just breeze through.

“You’ve really got to believe in it and want it,” he said. “It’s not something you can just quickly do.”

Businesses are required to report the amount of garbage that goes to the landfill, their electricity and gas usage and their water consumption.

“It really takes a commitment from the businesses that are doing it,” Christianson said. “(Kaminecki) really took it and looked at her business operation to see what she could do, and she changed things around to meet the requirements.”

Although her market in mostly-rural Green County is small and seasonal, Kaminecki said hotel guests have noticed her green practices.

“Guests mention the green stuff, so I know they’re paying attention,” she said.

And some people are staying at Earth Rider because of its green distinction, Kaminecki said.

“People are looking to minimize their (environmental) impact,” she said. “If they had to choose between a business that was having little impact and one that (had lots of impact), they’d pick the one that had little.”

State program highlights green businesses

Wisconsin has taken eco-tourism to a level most states haven’t reached.

The state is leading the way with its Travel Green Wisconsin program, which certifies tourism-related businesses committed to sustainable business practices that lessen their impact on the environment.

The program was created by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism in partnership with the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and launched last year. To date, 182 businesses have been certified.

Will Christianson, outreach coordinator for the tourism department, said it’s about making the state’s unique attributes sustainable.

“A big part of it is identifying who we are as a state,” he said of the program.

And with the green movement taking hold, the tourism department saw it as an opportunity to capitalize on the state’s natural resources and its heritage of environmental stewardship, Christianson said.

Travel Green Wisconsin is considered one of the most comprehensive programs in the nation. While a handful of other states have eco-tourism certification programs, they’re smaller and often only include lodging, he said.

As Kermit the Frog said, it’s not easy being green. But hotels, restaurants, attractions and shops are being recognized for their efforts.

“The idea has been there for quite some time,” Christianson said. “(Businesses) were doing this stuff before there was a Travel Green Wisconsin. It’s just a way people conduct business.”

The application has two parts:

n Baseline information—Businesses must measure their current environmental impact from the amount of garbage that goes to the landfill to energy usage to water usage.

n Self-evaluation checklist—Businesses must indicate what they’re doing or what they plan to do within six months in nine categories from communication and education to waste reduction to energy efficiency. To become certified, businesses must score a minimum of 30 points on the checklist.

Certified businesses then are able to use the Travel Green Wisconsin logo on promotional materials to distinguish themselves from other businesses. They also are recognized on the Travel Green Wisconsin and department of tourism Web sites.

To date, 182 tourism-related businesses have been certified. And the program’s popularity is gaining, Christianson said. In just the first half of 2008, the program has seen almost 75 percent growth.

He said Travel Green businesses understand the importance of creating a sustainable product.

“What they are consciously or unconsciously creating is a stewardship culture in the state—a better understanding of why it’s important to take care of our land, water and air,” Christianson said.

He said hotels, restaurants and shops do that by educating the people who stop in.

“They’re saying, ‘This is what makes this town so special … that you can’t get it anywhere else,’” he said. “They reflect what’s unique and special throughout their business.”

And consumers are hungry for that, Christianson said.

“They’re looking for sustainable products, green products,” he said. “When you provide a consumer with two products that are essentially the same—if one of those is going through steps that make it sustainable, the consumer is more likely to pick that product.”

Christianson said businesses certified by Travel Green Wisconsin see a “triple bottom line” that includes a lesser environmental impact, cost savings and more revenue.

“More and more businesses are seeing the marketing benefits,” he said. “It’s the name recognition alone … Travel Green Wisconsin is seen as a leader and consequently the businesses are, too.”

Locally Green

The Earth Rider Cycling Boutique and Hotel in Brodhead isn’t the only local business certified by Travel Green Wisconsin. Here are there rest:

- Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 20 S. Main St., Suite 3, Janesville: The bureau provides presentations and financial assistance to its members to assist them in becoming certified by Travel Green Wisconsin. The bureau also promotes local businesses, products and services.

- Geneva National Golf Club, 1212 Geneva National Ave. South, Lake Geneva: The club, one of two in the state to be certified by Travel Green Wisconsin, has 15 acres of retaining ponds to collect stormwater runoff; the water then is used for irrigation of the golf courses. The club also uses organic products to care for the greens and only fertilizes the greens when necessary.

- Scotch Hill Farm, 910 Scotch Hill Road, Brodhead: Tony and Dela Ends and their family practice community supported agriculture, organically raising more than 100 varieties of vegetables and herbs and providing the produce to subscribers in a recycled grocery bag each week. The family also makes goat’s milk soap scented with organically grown flowers and herbs or natural oils.