Anna Maria
New Smyrna Beach Pilot Program
Bradenton Area CVB & Vist New Smyrna Sponsor Pilot Program
The Badenton Area CVB & Visit New Smrrna Beach are co-sponsoring a pilot program to increase sustainability in the tourism industry, build capacity for its members, and build new partnerships for increased success.
Partiicpants in the program include:
Sandbar Restaruan, Anna Maria Island, FL
Pine Avenue Restoration Project,, Anna Maria Island, FL
The Studio at Gulf & Pine, Anna Maria Island, FL
Robinson Preserve, Anna Maria Island, FL
Spring Hills Suties by Marriott, New Smryna Beach, FL
Third Wave Restaurant, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, FL
The program is integrating the One Planet Living framework and Blue Community strategies, both of which were used with the Villages Nature resort in Paris that was desginated the most sustainable tourism resort in the world.
The One planet Living framework includes ten principles that seek to reduce the ecological footprint. If everyone lived like the average european, there would be a need for three planets worth of resources to sustain the lifestyle of the average european and five planets of resources for the average North American.
The Ten One Planet living principles provide a frame work for each organization to develop their own sustainability programs.
Each organization in the Pilot Program particpated in a two day training program, one in Anna Maria Island and one in New Smyrna Beach to learn to become One Planet Living Integrators
The One Planet Living framework is designed to support an the creation of a 'One Planet Action Plan' that acts as a route map towards a more sustainable future for your organisation. It comprises:
ten simple principles that cover all aspects of social, environmental and economic sustainability
Detailed goals and guidance documents – these provide advice and ideas on the goals, actions, targets and indicators you could set for your ‘One Planet Action Plan' - this is your plan to achieve One Planet Living.
One Planet Living is different from other sustainability frameworks because:
It puts people first – it’s grounded in the reality of how people live their lives rather than box ticking
It’s holistic – nothing will drop through the gaps with our 10 principles
It’s about true sustainability – there’s no greenwashing
It reaches hearts as well as minds - One Planet Living is used to inspire people across the world to get involved in sustainable change.
The Blue Communithy Strategie were co-developed in collaboration with the Walt Disney Animal, Science and Environment team. The 12 stragegies were desined for coastal communities to assist them in becoming more sustainble and to reduce the impacts from disasters.
The Blue Community strategies are all strategies employed by the Walt Disney Company that are scalable from a small bed and breakfast to a large Walt Disney World and that have proven to be cost effective.
The Walt Disney Animal Science & Environment team and Blue Community developed a video series to share examples of these strategies in action.
In the pilot progaram, the participating organizations utilized the blue community strategies for their action plans within the One Planet Living framework.
Following the training each of the participants developed their own sustainability managment plans using the One Planet Living frame work and the Blue Community Strategies. The plans have been published for both transparancey and to invite stakeholders to participate in achieving the goals. The plans in the pilot project are listed below:
The Sandbar is an award winning beachfront restaurant on the North end of Anna Maria Island. It is part of the Chiles Restaurant Group, a family of three waterfront restaurants and known as a global model for sustainable tourism It is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from their dining room or on their covered deck. The Sandbar model includes the ownership of the Gamble Creek farm where organic produce is grown for the restaurant, partnerships with local fisherman to purchase sustainable seafood, and programs to promote and preserve the local cultural heritage. The Sandbar is an active member in the Blue Community Consortium and has hosted sustainable tourism tours from UNWTO Affiliate program and educational institution of higher learning.
The Spring Hills Suities by Marriot, new Smyrna Beach is next to the beautiful Atlantic ocean with waves rolling onto the golden beaches. This is part of what makes Springhill Suites by Marriott in New Smyrna Beach, Fl. a wonderful place to stay, which is why we they have taken the initiative to ensure our oceans and our planet are beautiful for generations to come. As a premier management company, Strand Hospitality Services takes pride in being an industry leader. Service, Team, Responsive, Accountable, Noble, Dynamic are our company values. So naturally with the guidance from the Blue Community group, we’ve initiated an extensive plan for recycling, energy conservation and overall enhanced sustainability. Recycling and the use of paper straws to lower our waste to landfills and lower plastics in our oceans is a great initiative. Along with our ongoing efforts in beach restoration and cleanliness will increase sustainability and sea turtle habitation. We are also implementing a change to all lighting in our hotel to LED lighting and installing an electric car charging area; together these will lower CO2 emissions and our carbon footprint. These are just a few examples of our company’s commitment to the extensive twelve category program from the One Planet Project that will keep our planet green, our oceans blue, our community great and allow us to be a Blue Community leader.
The chefs at Third Wave Cafe & Wine Bar find inspiration in cuisines from around the world. By featuring seasonal ingredients with a focus on sustainability we create unique dishes reminiscent of old-world traditions infused with southern coastal comfort and anchored in the ethos of environmental awareness. Our sustainable practices have earned us a Leader designation by the James Beard Foundation’s Smart Catch program two years in a row. You can relax on our deck overlooking the action on Flagler Avenue while sipping a lovely glass of wine, a brewed-to-order tea, a finely crafted cocktail or cappuccino. For an unforgettable dining experience take a seat in our garden, nestled beneath large native trees wrapped in twinkling lights and illuminated by the flickering flames of torch lights and our one-of-a-kind fire feature.
The Marine Discovery Center (MDC), is a premier marine education center and a member of the Blue Community Consortium. It has a 20 year history of educating citizens and guests about the amazing biodiversity of the Indian River Lagoon. Tagged as the most biologically diverse estuary in North America, the Indian River Lagoon boasts more than 4,000 species and spans 156 miles down Florida’s east coast. Programs at MDC for all ages are designed to offer hands-on, feet-wet learning opportunities through classes, camps, lectures, boat and kayak eco-tours with certified naturalists and teachers. MDC’s daily eco-tours and monthly lectures help visitors understand the ecology of the Lagoon. Camps, field trips, and other education offerings allow children from pre-K through high school to experience our local ecosystems. Coastal ecosystem and other supplemental classes are offered through the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) at the center multiple times throughout the year.