Two Virginia State Parks receive Virginia Green Travel Awards for 2022

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 09, 2022
Contact: Rebecca Jones, Senior PR and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, [email protected]

Two Virginia State Parks receive Virginia Green Travel Awards for 2022

RICHMOND, Va. - Twin Lakes State Park and Westmoreland State Park have received Virginia Green Travel Awards for 2022.

"We are proud to be a leader in practices that boost recycling, promote energy efficiency and improve the health of one of Virginia's most precious assets: its environment," said Matthew Wells, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which oversees the commonwealth's 41 state parks. "There's no question that our state's magnificent landscapes and natural resources are a major factor in attracting so many tourists every year. Our forward-thinking approach to green tourism helps ensure that Virginia's vistas will thrive for generations to come."

Twin Lakes State Park in Green Bay received a Green Travel Leader Award for multiple upgrades that include retrofitting 10 fluorescent lighting fixtures for LED bulbs to save 3,804 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, and replacing the park's gas-powered leaf blower with an electric one to eliminate 700 pounds of emitted carbon dioxide per year.

A new recycling dumpster and metal recycling program helped Twin Lakes recycle 10,350 pounds in 2021 - a 15% increase over the previous year. New signage and programming also share information about energy conservation and recycling with park guests.

"At Twin Lakes State Park, we believe in increasing opportunities for guests and staff to reduce their environmental impact and assist with conservation efforts. By partnering with supporting organizations like Virginia Green, Friends of Twin Lakes State Park, Virginia Outdoor Foundation, Keep Virginia Beautiful and many others to create educational experiences, offer service opportunities and provide convenient options for recycling, we continue to work toward that goal every day," said Twin Lakes State Park Manager Kevin Faubion.

Westmoreland State Park in Montross also received a Green Travel Leader Award for an oyster gardening program it launched last year with the Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association. Grant funding covered the purchase of floats and other supplies, as well as oyster spat, which are oyster larvae at the stage when they can permanently attach to a surface.

The park has retained healthy oysters that filtered about 1.7 million gallons of water in 10 months. A permanent exhibit also teaches thousands of guests about how oysters help Westmoreland improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The oyster garden project also won second place in the People's Choice awards.

"This is a great example of volunteer organizations such as Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association and the Friends of Westmoreland State Park being recognized for their efforts to enhance the visitor experience and improve the environment at the same time. We are fortunate to have these two groups working together in Westmoreland State Park," said Westmoreland State Park Assistant Manager Steven Davis.

These awards reflect the Virginia State Parks program's longstanding commitment to green tourism.

"Practicing good stewardship of our natural environment is central to the mission of Virginia State Parks. We extend our gratitude to Virginia Green Travel Alliance for their recognition of our efforts to provide environmentally friendly recreation and educational experiences to our visitors," said Virginia State Parks Director Dr. Melissa Baker.

The awards were presented at the ninth annual Virginia Green Travel Conference.

"The Virginia Green Travel Awards recognize the businesses and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding commitments to the environment in the past year. We are proud to recognize Twin Lakes and Westmoreland state parks as true partners in our efforts to promote sustainable tourism in Virginia," said Virginia Green Travel Alliance Executive Director Tom Griffin in a statement.

The Virginia Green Travel Conference was held April 25-26.

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