School children created life-sized versions of the words ‘Earth Day’ at the Saint Lucia mural in Point Seraphine Photo Credit SLTA

EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS IN SAINT LUCIA SHINE A LIGHT ON SUSTAINABILITY

Saint Lucia Honors Earth Day Today on April 22

CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA (April 22, 2022) – Saint Lucia, the only country in the world named after a woman, is honoring Mother Earth with energy conservation, environmental responsibility, and sustainable tourism this Earth Day, April 22. Revered as an ecological wonder, the island encompasses lush rainforests, dramatic volcanic cliffs that lead to the ocean, and miles of untouched beaches. The island is renowned for the majestic Pitons and colorful coral reefs teeming with flora and fauna. Enhancing its natural landscape, Saint Lucia is a volcanic island with geothermal energy, with underground reservoirs that produce steam and hot water springs at the iconic Sulphur Springs volcano. “Every day in Saint Lucia, our tourism practices aim to preserve the waters surrounding our island, conserve our land and work towards the most sustainable tourism practices possible,” said Saint Lucia Tourism Authority CEO Lorine Charles-St. Jules. She continued, “And on Earth Day 2022, our lights will dim to candlelight at the dinner hour, energy consumption will reduce from our traditional Chiffonner Day practices and our accommodation properties will further their individual conservation efforts. We celebrate these initiatives with locals and visitors alike.”To preserve Saint Lucia’s spectacular environment and contribute to tourism sustainability, Earth Day 2022 will be celebrated in dozens of ways.

School Children Spell It Out

To commemorate the day, school children from across Saint Lucia participated in an educational moment by spelling out life-sized versions of the words ‘Earth Day’ at the Saint Lucia mural in Point Seraphine.

A Wrinkly Tradition: Chiffonner Day Saves Energy, Shows Rumples and Crumples

Clothing dryers and electric irons use a tremendous amount of electricity. On Earth Day, many Saint Lucians participate in the local tradition of Chiffonner Day (pronounced sheef-oh-nay), in which clothing goes straight from the wash to the wardrobe, without using electric dryers or irons before wearing. Also known as “Rumple Crumple”, the tradition is an impactful way that all Saint Lucians are mindful of conservation practices. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority staff will be observing Chiffonner Day and candlelight dinners on Earth Day, saving the kilowatt-hour energy equivalent of running a refrigerator for one year.

On Earth Day, the lights will dim to candlelight at the dinner hour Photo Credit SLTA

Earth Day Dining and Candlelight Conservation

This year on April 22, many hotels will celebrate Earth Day by saving thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity during the dinner hour, offer special meals to offset carbon footprint, and more. Several hotel properties will turn off their dining area lighting to offer natural light and candlelight during dinner. Activities include:

Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet: The multi-course “Low Carbon” menu at Jade Mountain’s Jade Club focuses on conservation and the five-course “Conservation Cuisine: Eat Them to Beat Them” lionfish dinner at Anse Chastanet; helps to eliminate invasive lionfish that threaten native species. Special activities at both resorts on April 22 include many opportunities to support local conservation, including planting cinnamon, cocoa, or coffee tree; assisting in the “underwater clean-up drive” with the Scuba Saint Lucia team; and scuba diving to hunt invasive lionfish.
East Winds: This resort celebrates Earth Day every day with careful management of the natural environment around the property and a focus on minimizing its carbon footprint by buying from local farmers and fishermen, keeping imports down to an absolute minimum, and supporting local wildlife in the East Winds Garden. A candlelight dinner will be served to guests on April 22.
Additionally, The Landings, Rendezvous resort, Stonefield Villa Resort, and Ti Kaye Resort & Spa will turn down the lights for candlelight dinners.

Getting Creative with Sustainability Year-Round

Saint Lucia is making significant strides in reducing energy consumption year-round. Ongoing initiatives include managing waste, improving conservation and several innovative initiatives that support sustainable tourism in a creative way. Four highlights include:

Significant Conservation Practices: Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa, Bay Gardens Hotel and Bay Gardens Inn have earned Green Globe Certified designation for their outstanding efforts supporting environmental protection and ensuring a greener planet. Numerous efforts include phasing out plastic and styrofoam in favor of biodegradable vessels and utensils made from wood, paper, compostable plastic and sugarcane bagasse; and utilizing GEM Link occupancy sensors in guestrooms, leading to a 20 percent energy use reduction per occupied room and more.
Chocolate Compost: On the working cocoa farm at Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat, you’ll spot organic compost heaps of cocoa pod husks which break down into world-class compost. The hotel uses every part of this super-crop – the inner cacao beans, the shells encasing them, the nibs, the lychee-like pulp inside and the outer husks for compost.
A Museum That’s Bananas: East Winds resort is home to the island’s first ‘living banana museum’. Producing fruit from up to 10 different yellow, red and green varieties. The museum was planted as part of East Winds’ efforts to help preserve varieties of bananas that are becoming rare either because they are difficult to grow or are difficult to transport and so only have a small local market.
Cooking with Mama: Bringing farm-to-table cuisine as close to home as it can get, Cap Maison resort guests can learn how to cook authentic Saint Lucian Creole dishes alongside Mama Madeline, mother of one of the hotel’s chefs. At Mama Madeline’s home, guests enjoy a traditional Creole menu filled with history and produce from her back garden (and the occasional land crab!), as she shares the stories of what makes Saint Lucia the ‘Helen of the West’.

For more information about visiting Saint Lucia, visit www.stlucia.org.

Jade Mountain Resort celebrates Earth Day with a ‘low carbon’ menu at the Jade Club Photo Credit Jade Mountain

ABOUT SAINT LUCIA: One of the Windward Islands of the West Indies’ Lesser Antilles, Saint Lucia, is nestled halfway down the Eastern Caribbean archipelago. Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty and diverse attractions, including the signature Piton Mountains (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a tropical rainforest, the highly-Instagrammed mud baths at Sulphur Springs Park, and one of the world’s few drive-in volcanoes. Saint Lucia’s wide range of accommodations includes five-star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, intimate inns, and value-oriented properties. Culturally rich offerings include the bustling marketplace in the capital of Castries, quaint coastline fishing villages, and a robust calendar of annual events that attract visitors from around the globe. The destination also offers world-class cruise and yachting facilities. The island is continually recognized as one of the leading wedding and honeymoon destinations worldwide. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is the official destination marketing and promotion organization for Saint Lucia. Learn more at www.stlucia.org and follow Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.