While President Bush and members of Hawai‘i’s state and national delegation rejoiced over last week’s declaration of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a national monument, a local resort continues to quietly promote environmental awareness, both internally as well as to
While President Bush and members of Hawai‘i’s state and national delegation rejoiced over last week’s declaration of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a national monument, a local resort continues to quietly promote environmental awareness, both internally as well as to hotel guests and members of the public.
One month after winning Mayor Bryan Baptiste’s Ho‘ola Hou Award for commercial recycling in December, the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Po‘ipu launched a weekly educational program given by volunteers from the Kauai Monk Seal Watch every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at The Point Lounge in the resort.
“Sheraton Kauai Resort and its surrounding area are known for Hawaiian monk seal appearances,” communications manager Tammy Maeda said. “Juvenile seals occasionally frolic off the waters of (the resort), and adult seals often sun themselves right on the sands of Po‘ipu Beach.”
Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered species in the world. A release from the Sheraton Kauai said about 25 of the approximately 1,300 remaining monk seals live in the waters off of Kaua‘i beaches.
The KMSW Web site says small populations of animals inhabit the main Hawaiian Islands, mainly Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau and Moloka‘i, though seals are increasingly sighted on the other islands. A seal recently gave birth to a pup on an undisclosed beach along O‘ahu’s North Shore.
KMSW estimates that 90 percent of all monk seals remain at their birth island throughout their lives.
The Sheraton began the educational series — a 45-minute slide show followed by a question-and-answer session — in response to interest from guests and residents.
Maeda said adult seals are spotted along Po‘ipu Beach a few times a month, and there have been two births in the last two years near the property.
“A monk seal was last seen just two days ago at the end of the beach,” she said. “People are just in awe to witness these beautiful and rare animals in their natural environment.”
Between six and 20 people show up each week, with hotel guests making up the majority.
“(It) has been very well received by both hotel guests and people from the local community,” Maeda said.
The month before starting the prominent and public monk seal program, Sheraton Kauai received recognition for another environmentally friendly project that exists mainly behind the scenes.
In part for numbers like one ton of cardboard recycling in 2005, the Sheraton was one of three businesses on Kaua‘i to receive the Hoola Hou Award.
“In the past, cardboard would be thrown out in the trash,” controller Kian Niu said in a separate press release. “We have a better understanding now that even the small steps a business takes in preserving the island’s landfill can make a difference.”
The hotel has also instituted some energy conservation measures, recently adopting an environmental management program to improve efficiency in housekeeping, laundry, food service and other aspects of business.
“Energy consumption can certainly get out of hand in a 412-room hotel,” Niu said in the release.
The hotel recently replaced a 10-year-old air conditioning system for $150,000, and also approved window-tinting, digital thermostats, kitchen cooler upgrades and light fixture replacements.
As part of its “no cost’ and “low cost” solutions, the hotel has begun replacing incandescent lights in guest rooms with compact fluorescent bulbs and lowering the thermostats in unoccupied guest rooms by one or two degrees, the release states.
“We are always looking for ways to preserve resources and enhance the quality of life for our associates and visitors,” Niu said. “We have a genuine concern about the impact we make on the environment.”
