“Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land.” That old primary poem describes the philosophy of the Oklahoma Department of Recreation and Tourism’s growing Eco program. Partnering with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, ECO (Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma) strives to promote, educate and encourage sustainable travel in the state. That basic mission offers an ocean of opportunities and a world of challenges.

To get the program rolling, ECO organizers chose pilot projects to represent six of the seven tourism categories they have identified, which includes lodging, restaurants, events, state parks and other outdoor recreation, visitor centers, attractions and marinas. Thos pilot projects are the Colcord Hotel in Oklahoma City, Keystone State Park in Sand Springs, Maple Place Bed and Breakfast in Enid, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, the Oklahoma Tourism Information Center in Blackwell, Polo Grill in Tulsa and the Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. 

And what are these headline projects doing? We checked in with all six to find out.

Keystone State Park’s biggest effort launches September 4th and is called You CAN Do It, designed to cut down on the littering of aluminum cans and increase recycling. The money gained recycling the cans will be used for further improvements. 

In addition, the 22 cabins in the park have been made more energy efficient by replacement of roofs and windows. New electrical appliances cut down on the use of electricity and the park is monitoring electrical usage relating to heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. 

The Oklahoma State Parks system is also cleaning up their act and passing on the good will. They are the first park system in the nation to work with Clean the World, a Florida organization that takes used soaps and shampoos from the hospitality industry, sanitizes them and distributes the clean soap to populations in need. Keystone was the first of the state’s parks to participate.

Thc Colcord hotel is also getting in on the act. In the first six months of 2010, the Colcord donated 385 pounds of soap equaling 4,102 bars – enough for 410 children for one month. According to health organizations, millions of deaths can be prevented with simple hand-washing but in many areas of the world there are no supplies available.

According to Jeff Erwin, the Colcord’s general manager, the hotel also uses low-flow toilets and special showerheads for water conservation. Load-controlled air handlers and high efficiency lighting cut down on their electricity use. “We have triple-paned windows which reduce energy consumption and air purifiers in our rooms for a cleaner environment,” he adds.

Maple Place Bed and Breakfast is comprised of the Main House (built in 1902), a cottage and the Yellow House for a total of eight rooms. Owner Jennifer Kisling says she uses many of the same resource-saving methods that are recommended for single-family homes.

“Each room has a private bathroom, so we have lots of hot water heaters, each wrapped with a thermal blanket to save energy,” she says. “We’ve changed out almost all our light bulbs with CFL [compact florescent lamp] bulbs. We’re also encouraging our guests to recycle the plastic water bottles we leave in their rooms. We’re planning a year-end review of our energy use and next year will be making month-to-month comparisons. We’re a small property and every penny counts.”

Jessica Blackstock, sustainable initiatives coordinator for the Department of Recreation and Tourism recognizes that participants are in a variety of circumstances. She says, “We have to consider where a property is and what they can and can’t do. (The program) has to start where they are. Change doesn’t happen overnight even when people want it to. It’s hard where the infrastructure doesn’t exist.”

Ask Janelle Skaggs of the Oklahoma Tourism Information Center, a Kay Electric member. Curb-side recycling isn’t available, so they have to go the extra mile. 

“It’s not easy,” she says. “There’s a recycling center in Ponca City where I take cardboard, magazines and aluminum cans, while glass and plastic goes to Tonkawa. I load up as much as I can get in my car and make the trip every couple of weeks.”

Small amounts of extra effort can add up, though. Last year the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon crew recycled more than a ton of cardboard, plastics and paper products as part of their pilot project. The Polo Grill, one of Tulsa’s premier restaurants, recycles glass and fuels their catering vehicle with a biodiesel product made from used cooking oils. Vegetable scraps go into a compost pile. Future plans include involvement in a farm to school program and community gardening.        

One feature of the ECO program is a certification process. The pilot projects will provide feedback for further refinement of the program. Any organization falling into one of the seven categories is welcome to participate. Each category offers three levels of certification – silver, gold and platinum. 

The Canebrake, an eco-resort and member of Lake Region Electric, was the first organization to be certified as a sustainable tourism destination. Certified gold in lodging and restaurant categories, the property is also double certified by the Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Star program. The list of innovations at Canebrake is long, including using insulation made of recycled cotton and denim. 

Other certified properties include the National Center for Employee Development in Norman—the first platinum certified property in the state—and A Perfect Place to Stay, a short-stay rental home in Durant that is silver certified.

Some eco-adaptations are obvious. A good place to look is Roman Nose State Park, where the lodge has been undergoing major renovation. The beautiful wood in the lobby is recycled; the matching exterior stone on an extension is from a nearby quarry; large windows and skylights improve illumination; and all the new kitchen appliances are energy efficient. The lodge, which is scheduled to re-open this fall, will also feature mattresses with replaceable toppers, making it less expensive to maintain quality.

Travis Lindley, park manager, touts eco-friendly measures throughout the park. His favorite project points out the win-win aspects of working with the environment. 

“We’re replacing metal gates, fences and kiosks with structures made from cedar from the property,” he says. “We limb it, debark it and stain it, and the debris is used for mulch, tent pads and erosion control.” 

The result is fewer invasive cedars and park necessities that require little expense and manpower to produce. And the result is an attractive fence or gate that blends with the natural features of the park.

Whether the steps are small—like changing a light bulb—or as large as a ton of recycled trash, these efforts add up. With the impetus and encouragement of the ECO program, Oklahomans involved in all aspects of the state’s third-largest industry are making Oklahoma a healthier, happier and more beautiful place.

For more information about ECO, go to www.ecotravelok.com