As summer has brought back scores of visitors and guests to Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts properties throughout the United States, so, too, has it brought a renewed attention to the division’s efforts with GreenPath, Delaware North’s environmental management and stewardship platform.
Associate bike share program rolling again at the Grand Canyon
The GreenPath Bike program was relaunched at Grand Canyon National Park last month to accommodate associates who enjoy this mode of travel to get to their work shift on-time. Thirty-five bicycles were refreshed and made available for Delaware North’s international and long term associates based at the Grand Canyon, where Delaware North operates food, beverage, retail and lodging services. Bikes are provided as long-term seasonal rentals at no charge and include helmets, locks, baskets and safety booklets.
Delaware North’s facilities personnel took the time to make sure the brakes, tires and other bike components were safe and in working order before Kaitlin Christiansen, environmental and risk manager for Delaware North at the park, issued the bikes to interested associates.
“This is a great way to start your work day and there are convenient pathways that lead right to Delaware North operations and housing,” Christiansen said.
The bike share program started in 2016 with the support of management as a sustainable program in support of GreenPath with just 13 bikes. Christiansen grew the program significantly in 2019, which has made the program more widely available to all Delaware North associates at the Grand Canyon. In 2019, 77 associates benefitted from the program.
West Yellowstone takes part in adopt-a-highway program
In late June, a dedicated group of Delaware North associates and West Yellowstone residents volunteered their time for the Adopt-A-Highway Program. With smiling faces and litter sticks in hand, the group cleaned up a two-mile stretch on Montana State Highway 191, known as the Duck Creek section, just north of the town of West Yellowstone where Delaware North operates lodging and tour services for visitors of Yellowstone National Park.
Led by Holly Loomans, environmental and safety coordinator for Delaware North at the Yellowstone General Stores, the team did a clean sweep of micro trash and litter to help conserve wildlife habit in the Yellowstone region.
“Volunteer opportunities like Adopt A Highway are an amazing chance to give back locally and be a good neighbor in the West Yellowstone community,” said Erin Benike, Delaware North’s general manager of the Yellowstone General Stores.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
At Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, Delaware North’s team has advanced its GreenPath goals by finding no-cost methods of removing excess building materials in a sustainable manner. The efforts have been led by Mark Smith, Delaware North’s environmental and safety manager at the parks.
“When the parks were being impacted from the pandemic and closures imminent, Mark did not slow down his efforts to address compliance and sustainability at Sequoia and Kings,” said Brett Archer, Delaware North’s general manager at the parks. “Efforts to reduce operational impacts on the environment are greatly appreciated by our National Park Service clients.”
Smith cleaned out long standing surplus equipment and construction materials from boneyards and storage areas, and found ways to divert scrap metal and other items at no cost. For example, Smith made contact with PaintCare.org, a national program that collects aged paint and recycles it at no cost. They collected 2,800 lbs. of excess paint taking up storage space.