The Nature Inn has made its eco-friendly debut at Bald Eagle State Park in Pennsylvania. The site is well-known for its bird-watching opportunities; as such, each of the inn’s 16 rooms is named for a different bird and features coordinating prints by artists John James Audubon and Ned Smith. Meanwhile, butternut wood fireplace mantels and oak frames offer a connection to the outdoors.
The property also showcases a series of eco-friendly features, including:
- A geothermal heating and cooling system
- Solar collectors to heat water for showers and laundry
- Five rain barrels and four large cisterns to collect and harvest rainwater for toilets
- High-efficiency lighting
- Low-water plumbing fixtures
“Along with offering a good night’s rest, we also are demonstrating stewardship and conservation by connecting guests to outdoor activities in the park and showing them green, energy-efficient building features and how to collect and use rainwater,” says John Quigley, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “We will have accomplished our goals if visitors develop a love of bird-watching and therefore work to protect habitat, or try out one of the green features in their own homes.”
