Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Virginia Green
Hotels & Lodging Facilities

Virginia Green
Courter Moon Lodge
Woolwine, VA

Virginia Green is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s campaign to promote environmentally-friendly practices in all aspects of Virginia’s tourism industry. Virginia Green has established "core activities" specific to each sector of tourism, and these practices are considered the required minimum for participation in the program. However, Virginia Green encourages its participants to reduce their environmental impacts in all aspects of their operations, and this profile provides a full list of all their “green” activities. These are the activities that guests / customers can expect to find when they visit this facility.

Courter Moon Lodge

Luxurious Vacation Rental Home on the Smith River with mountain views. Very private, lots of indoor/outdoor spaces on 12 acres amidst 300+! Lots of wildlife and birds, walking trails, waterfall...Floyd, Blue Ridge Parkway and wineries closeby, as well as Philpott Lake and Fairystone State Park. Perfect for family/friend retreats, weddings, and weekend getaways.

Cindi and Steve have been conservationists and environmentalists for nearly forty years. The Lodge was built with 30 "Green features" -- passive solar, hypoallergenic (all wood and tile), south facing, etc. Cindi has worked in the sustainable energy field. Steve has worked in recycling. It was natural for us to join Virginia Green!

Cindi and Steve have created organic/biodynamic gardens and orchards around Courter Moon Lodge. Many varieties of fruit trees are in the orchard, as well as cherries, blueberries, and asparagus. Special dishes are created from the wild foods that grow on the property such as "Wild Nettle Quiche with Chanterrel Mushrooms!" We also buy from local farmers' markets, as well as sharing food with neighbors who grow organically and biodynamically.

Virginia Green Activities

This facility pledges that they:
Offer optional linen service
- Have signage in each guest room explaining the linen reuse procedures 
- Change linens only upon request 
- Train housekeeping staff on our process for optional linen service  
- Track optional linen participation rate 
- Purchase water- and energy-efficient washers and dryers 
- Use non-phosphate, non-toxic and biodegradable laundry detergents 
- Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated chemicals 
- Line dry linens whenever possible 

Recycle
- Have in place clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop-off locations for guests to recycle: 
- Glass Bottles 
- Plastic Bottles 
- Aluminum cans 
- Printer/ copy machine toner cartridges 
- Cardboard 
- Batteries 
- Electronics equipment such as computers, etc. 

Reduce solid waste
- Track overall solid waste costs 
- Have a numeric goal to reduce overall materials that go to the landfill 
- Use bulk soap dispensers instead of individual soaps/shampoos in guest rooms 
- Use refillable shampoo bottles rather than single-use bottles 
- Instruct housekeeping staff to save and reuse unopened items 
- Have an effective food inventory control system to minimize waste 
- Do not use any disposable containers, dishware, cutlery, or cups 
- Use cloth napkins 
- Use reusable coffee filters 
- Provide condiments, cream and sugar, etc. in bulk 
- Use water pitchers to minimize the use of single-use bottles 
- Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms 
- Purchase recycled-content paper-towels and toilet paper 
- Remove facility and staff names from junk mail lists when possible 
- Reuse scrap paper for notes 
- Purchase recycled paper with a high-percentage recycled content 
- Make double-sided photocopies and avoid making extra photocopies 
- Use electronic correspondence and forms when possible 
- Use green cleaning products that are dispensed in bulk 
- Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources 
- Use latex, low or no-VOC paints 
- Re-use paint thinners 
- Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents 
- Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing, and vehicles 
- Minimize use of pesticides and herbicides in landscaping 

Use water efficiently
- Track overall water usage and wastewater costs 
- Have established a numeric goal to reduce water consumption over time 
- Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks 
- Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use 
- Have installed high efficiency dishwashers 
- Have installed low flow faucets and showerheads (use less than 2.5 gallons per minute) 
- Have installed low flow toilets (use 1.6 gallons per flush or less) 
- Have installed composting toilets 
- Use microfiber technology mops 
- Have landscaping that utilizes native species 
- Use rain gauges and water meters and only irrigate when necessary 
- Have minimized our lawn area 
- Have installed rain gardens to manage storm water 
- Have installed pervious pavement to reduce storm water runoff 
- Have minimized impervious areas (paving, concrete, etc.) 
- Have installed a green roof 
- Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds 
- Use a nutrient management plan that minimizes the use of fertilizers 

Conserve energy
- Track overall energy bills 
- Have established a numeric goal to reduce energy usage over time 
- Have individual thermostats for each room; ensure they are correctly adjusted 
- Have installed ceiling fans 
- Have installed ENERGY STAR-rated windows and doors 
- Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system 
- Have installed a high efficiency HVAC system 
- Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on 
- Use natural lighting (i.e., open draperies and raise shades whenever adequate light from windows is available) 
- Use lighting sensors to turn on/off lights 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms 
- Have installed directional (downward-facing) lighting in parking areas and other outdoor areas 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified appliances (commercial kitchens, heating and cooling, consumer electronics) 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified office equipment (computers, monitors, copiers, printers, etc.) 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to turn off fans, computers, monitors and other devices in unoccupied rooms at the end of the workday or when otherwise not being used 

Offer a green events package
- We do not host conferences or events 

Courter Moon Lodge    Courter Moon Lodge

For more information on Courter Moon Lodge , see www.courtermoon.com or contact Cindi and Steve Courter at courtermoon@gmail.com or 276-930-4449.

For more information on the Virginia Green program, see www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/PollutionPrevention/VirginiaGreen.aspx.

Virginia GreenVirginia Green is a partnership supported by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Hospitality & Tourism Association, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

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