PADDLING FOR PRESERVATION

1% FOR THE PLANET

Our Esprit Whitewater Worldwide operations have joined an international collection of environmentally concerned businesses called 1% For The Planet. Membership mandates that we pledge 1% of our international sales to financially assisting registered “grassroots” environmental projects. A great opportunity for us to “put our money where our mouth is”!

1% For The Planet is about businesses recognizing that industry and ecology are inherently connected. It’s about realizing the positive effects of connecting businesses, consumers and non profits through philanthropy. And it’s about understanding that the true cost of doing business can be mitigated by a simple pledge to the planet.

Keep Earth in Business
1% For The Planet is a growing global movement of companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of over 1600 environmental organizations worldwide.
Learn more here: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

3RD PARTY ECO-AUDITING

Esprit’s riverside lodge is inspected annually by Hostelling International who examines our environmental practices and makes suggestions for improvement. Some examples of our eco-choices include the installation and use of low volume toilets and dishwashers, pull-chain showers, energy saving light bulbs, the separation of recyclables and composting of organic waste. In 2008 we installed a grey-water recycling system that redirects the used shower water at our basecamp from the showers into flushing the toilets!

GREEN HOUSE GAS NEUTRAL

To compensate for the carbon emissions our guest create by flying to our international destinations we started a program called “Green my Travel.” This carbon offset program is a progressive, industry-leading, environmentally sound business practice.

Flying to one of our international destinations?

We will gladly share the cost of carbon offsetting your flight! A downside of international travel is the high level of greenhouse gases emitted by flying. For those concerned with reducing their carbon footprint, we offer to share the cost by contributing to the production of green energy to match the amount of carbon emitted from your flight. It is easy to do. Just click on our carbon calculator and you will be transferred to our carbon offset provider MyClimate.org. Let us know that you purchased your offsets and Esprit will split the cost with you 50/50 up to a maximum of $20 USD per person.

It is fun and easy to do as well as good for the planet. Check it out! Please contact us directly if you have further questions about “greening” your flight.

LEAVE NO TRACE

Leave No Trace is an international organization dedicated to outdoor and wilderness ethics. The program strives to educate all those who enjoy and use the outdoors about the nature of their recreational “footprint” as well as teaching techniques to prevent and minimize human impact.
Esprit adheres to these principles as much as possible in all of our programming and also provides “Leave No Trace” awareness and training courses.

For more information about the Leave No Trace organization, please visit their website here: LNT.org .

Keep Earth in Business

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors

PADDLING FOR PRESERVATION

Stewardship and protection of our wild and scenic rivers is obviously close to the heart and soul of Esprit.

We are involved in a variety of grassroots river advocacy campaigns such as “Les Amis de la Rivière Kipawa,” as well as CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) to strive to permanently protect the Dumoine River watershed.

Esprit offers paddling trips on several rivers under threat of hydro-development such as the Kipawa, Gatineau and Petawawa in an effort to raise awareness of these rivers and the amazing recreational opportunities they offer!

LES AMIS DE LA RIVIÈRE KIPAWA

Les Amis de la Rivière Kipawa was formed June 22, 1998 in Laniel, Quebec in response to a proposal from Hydro-Québec to divert the 16 km section of the Kipawa River from Lake Kipawa at Laniel, Quebec to Lake Temiskaming, through its proposed new Tabaret generating station. Their mission is to protect the ecological and recreational values on the Kipawa River from Laniel to Lac Témiscamingue while educating and informing people about the important historical, ecological, recreational, tourism, and heritage values on the Kipawa River.

graphical user interface

Visit the Les Amis’ Website for more details.

CPAWS – CANADIAN PARKS AND WILDERNESS SOCIETY

CPAWS is Canada’s pre-eminent, non-profit wilderness protection organization. With a network of 13 chapters, 20,000 members, over 50 staff and hundreds of committed volunteers, since 1963 CPAWS has helped to conserve over 400,000 square kilometers of Canada’s most treasured wild places in parks and other protected areas an — area nearly seven times the size of Nova Scotia!

Visit the for more details.