Mackinac Goes Green(er)

by Jaime Pfeffer

April 30th, 2008 in Green, Lodging, Tourism, Travel

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Although its “Somewhere in Time” ambiance looks effortless, aggressive programs lie behind the Grand Hotel’s plans to seek out and implement the latest green technology on Mackinac Island.

It’s all part of the hotel and island’s continuing effort to provide modern conveniences to visitors while protecting the environment and maintaining the 19th Century charm both are known for.

What kinds of things is the Grand Hotel doing to accomplish its goal of being designated a “green hotel” by Green Lodging Michigan? Plenty. For starters, the hotel recently installed water-based air conditioning systems in its classic rooms, and has switched over to energy-efficient lighting throughout the building. The property also has a specially designed composting system that produces all the compost Grand Hotel uses for its signature flowerbeds.

“Anything you see on the grounds is dirt that we made ourselves,” said Grand Hotel’s Superintendent of Grounds Mary Stancik. “None of it is from anywhere else. Every single grass clipping, every weed, every flower that is taken from the ground when the growing season is over goes into the compost pile.”

The only other ingredient added to the pile, she said, is coffee grounds collected from the hotel. “It adds a lot of acid to the soil that we otherwise would lack,” she said.

Stancik said it takes about a year and a half to use a compost pile and the hotel has three piles going at any one time. Work on the piles and on the hotel’s gardens starts in the middle of April each year and goes through the middle of November. Each fall the hotel plants a ton of bulbs, including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils.

Along with this and other programs, Mackinac Island has an island-wide program that composts all biodegradable waste on the island, as well as a state of the art water and wastewater treatment system. The positive environmental impact even extends to the electricity used on the island, which is generated by hydroelectric stations operated by Edison Sault Electric Co. Pretty forward-thinking, if you ask me.

One of Detroit's biggest cheerleaders, Jaime Pfeffer moved to the Motor City from suburban Detroit five years ago. She started a blog, Girl in the D, in September 2004 to promote the positive aspects of Detroit and hasn't stopped touting Motown's good side since. Jaime left corporate America in 2007 to pursue her first love, writing.