What does sustainability mean to you?
for generations to come
From seashells to shipwrecks, reduce, reuse, and recycle have been part of life around here for thousands of years. The Park's commitment to building on this local tradition of sustainable living comes to life in our innovative facilities and through our commitment to preserving and protecting our incredibly diverse natural and cultural heritage.
It's this love of place that makes Eagle Cottages a perfect National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World partner.
Sustainable Tourism needs a sustainable plan.
Pre-eminent naturalist and Alabama native, E. O. Wilson, called this special region "America’s Amazon."
That same local Alabama pride inspires our deep dedication to the principles and practices of sustainable tourism. At the heart of all we do at Eagle Cottages are three key principles—environmentally-friendly practices, support for the protection of cultural and natural heritage, and being a benefit to local people.
Empowering the mission of Eagle Cottages
These three pillars bring our values to life and inspire us to focus on constantly improving our relationship with the precious natural wonders that surround us.
Pillar One
Environmentally friendly
operations and facilities
Pillar One
Environmentally friendly
operations and facilities
- We use biodegradable materials and recycle all paper, aluminum, and glass.
- We've eliminated all single-use plastic water bottles and plastic straws on property and guest excursions.
- Much of our furniture is made from recycled and repurposed materials.
- We utilize energy-efficient LED lighting.
- We use environmentally-friendly cleaning products.
- We're caring for our pollinators, by providing guests with BeeKind natural bathroom amenities, which donates a portion of its proceeds to native bee pollination research.
- We're reducing carbon emissions through complimentary guest bicycles and a local bike share program.
Pillar Two
Support for the protection of
cultural and natural heritage
Pillar Two
Support for the protection of
cultural and natural heritage
- We support ongoing natural dune restoration and removal of invasive species.
- We're helping to maintain 28 miles of hiking and bicycle trails with educational signage that connect you to our local history, ecology and ecosystem restoration.
- We operate a natural history Learning Campus as well as an Interpretive Center that’s built upon the world’s most ambitious sustainable construction guidelines—the Living Building Challenge.
- We're supporting conservation initiatives, such as the Annual Coastal Cleanup.
- We partner with conservation and educational organizations, including Alabama Coastal Foundation, Cousteau Ocean Futures Society, and the University of Southern Alabama.
- We support the Share the Beach endangered sea turtle monitoring program.
Pillar Three
Direct and tangible social
and economic benefits to
local people
Pillar Three
Direct and tangible social
and economic benefits to
local people
- 98% of our staff comes from the local area.
- We prioritize our food supplies from local farmers and fishermen, based upon sustainable sourcing.
- We celebrate and commission local artists' work in all the Cottages and our reception area.
- We're supporting local businesses in our gift shop by including local products like pecans, honey, as well as artisan-made soaps, candles, and other handicrafts that are made using only natural ingredients.
- We collaborate with Alabama colleges to provide internship opportunities for students interested in careers in hospitality and sustainable tourism.
Restoring the Wonder
Deepwater Horizon & The Gulf State Park Enhancement Project
On April 20th, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil well exploded, killing 11 people and seriously injuring 17 others. Over the next 87 days, nearly five million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf causing major economic and environmental damage and forever altering communities across the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf State Park Enhancement Project (GSPP) came to life when federal and state trustees charged with overseeing the restoration funds provided by BP elected to invest $85.5 million into the region in an effort to mitigate the damages caused to the local tourism industry and environment.
Built from the heart.
The GSPP was designed to not only help the local tourist economy recover, but to also offer visitors to the Park a new and unique level of sustainable tourism.
Each piece of the five-part project tackled uniquely ambitious challenges while working towards the restoration of the environment and increased access. The five components were:
The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel
("The Lodge" for short) is pursuing LEED Gold and SITES Platinum certifications and it was the second facility awarded FORTIFIED Commercial™ certification. It will be the only hotel in the world with all three of these certifications!
While the buildings are designed to be respectful of the environmental conditions of the site, they are also respectful in how they operate. With a long list of green commitments such as recycling, conserving energy and water, using turtle-friendly amber external lighting, reducing and eliminating single-use plastics and harmful chemicals, the Lodge is pioneering sustainability practices largely unheard of in Alabama and, indeed, in the world.
The Interpretive Center
(The “IC”), Alabama's most environmentally friendly building is located near the Beach Pavilion, about 1.5 miles east of the Lodge on Beach Boulevard.
The IC serves as the “Gateway to Gulf State Park.” Its fun and engaging exhibits help visitors learn about the many things to discover in the Park’s nine ecosystems, and the environmentally friendly initiatives taking place at the IC and throughout the Park.
Upon its completion, the IC was the first building ever certified under the FORTIFIED Commercial™ program and is striving to achieve full Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum Certifications. This process requires 12 consecutive months of operation to show how the building is living up to its ambitious goals–including generating more solar energy and collecting and treating more rainwater than it uses.
The Learning Campus
(The “LC”) is located within the Park, near Woodside Restaurant. The LC is an educational hub that provides a variety of opportunities for learning through diverse programming and experiences. It offers additional meeting space, classrooms, labs, bunkhouse style accommodations, and educational activities.
Through a partnership with the city of Gulf Shores, the LC is able to bring Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society to the area to host weeklong camp programs that introduce participants to, and engage them with, this unique coastal area.
Dune Restoration
When hurricane Ivan roared ashore in 2004, it leveled a lot of the Park’s dune system. In 2006, a large man-made primary dune was built along the beach. While that large dune helped restore natural protection from storm surge, it also prevented sand from getting behind it to build up the vital secondary and tertiary dune systems.
With the help of engineers, five openings were cut into the primary dune to create a more natural topography and enable secondary dune growth. Invasive species were removed, native species were planted, and recycled Christmas trees (which act as natural sand fencing) were placed in the interior dunes to accelerate the dunes’ growth and stabilization.
Trail Improvements
Improving and encouraging pedestrian access and providing opportunities for education and car-free mobility, guided many enhancements made to the Park’s trail system. The trail network was expanded to nearly 28 miles. This larger system connects all the Park’s amenities and creates multiple car-free loops.
Along the trails, explorers will find engaging interpretive signs and places to pause that help connect visitors to Gulf State Park’s diverse ecology and cultural history. New wayfinding signs and trailhead maps were also created to encourage exploration and enhance your experience.
We believe deeply in the importance of public-private partnerships, affiliations, and collaboration to advance conservation. Together we can do so much more to protect the places we love to ensure our children get to enjoy them in the same unspoiled condition as when they were entrusted to us.
