It seems like everyone’s going green recently, and Yosemite National Park is no exception.  The popular park has unveiled two new eco-friendly establishments to those traveling to Yosemite.  The first being an environmentally sustainable store, and the second being a cutting-edge green themed lodging facility.  Habitat is the new green store located in Yosemite Village, which features displays constructed entirely out of recycled cardboard and make-shift tables assembled by recycled tires crowned with a sheet of reused glass.  The shelves of the store have been put to use after their previous stay at the Ahwahnee hotel kitchen, and the cashier counter was once the bar top from the Curry Village.  Habitat will also sell merchandise that is entirely sustainable, including glassware, jewelry made of recycled paper and metal, and handbags that had at one time been tires, soda cans, or even computer keyboards.

The debut of the Habitat store is conveniently held at the same time of the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls introduction, where the rooms feature energy conserving cooling and heating systems, insulation assembled of recycled newspaper, toilets which only use a little more than 1 gallon of water per flush, and of course, 100% organic bed sheets.  The designers from Kollath McCann Creative Services considered every last detail for the rooms and determined methods for making them as sustainable as possible.  Although an enormous effort and technology went into creating the lodge, the hotel promises that none of the comforts and ambiance of an upscale facility will be compromised. 

By incorporating more environmentally-friendly attractions to the park, the National Park Service hopes that those touring Yosemite National Park will become more aware of the need to conserve energy and recycle, and be inspired to continue practicing these good habits when they return home.  See for yourself how you can be inspired by living in an entirely eco-friendly environment on your next trip to Yosemite National Park!  We’ve added plenty of new tours to Yosemite so you can experience living green for yourself!