South Mountain Pass

Archive for the ‘the mountain’ Category

and age when ‘environmentally responsible’ has become the latest buzzword in marketing for many corporations, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont is refreshingly different and sincere. For Green Mountain, social and environmental responsibility is not a trendy marketing move. It is a key concept that has been part of the company’s core commitment and values from the time when it was housed in a tiny storefront café. The company considers itself a steward, responsible for helping to preserve the Earth’s natural resources for future generations and their history of socially responsible business and corporate decisions reflect their commitment to making the world a better place for us all.

For 25 years, we have been on a deliberate journey to create and sustain a values-driven company that views profit as a means to achieve a higher purpose.

Thus begins Green Mountain Coffee Roaster’s statement of corporate responsibility. That higher purpose is, simply stated, to leave the world a better place for having been here. Green Mountain has taken that commitment seriously, starting small and growing their responsibility to the planet as the company has grown. In an open letter written in 2006, Green Mountain president Bob Stiller talked about the evolution of that commitment, starting as early as 1983, when the little café in Rutland, Vermont decided that composting was a socially conscious decision – and the right thing to do. In 1984, the employees – less than ten at the time – began informally taking on environmental projects, including a recycling program. In 1986, Green Mountain introduced its first Organic coffee, and in 1989, the company’s Environmental Committee developed Earth-Friendly coffee filters that are dioxin free.

Fair Trade and Sustainable Coffee

Over the years, Green Mountain and their corporate officers have made decisions in keeping with the company’s overall mission. Each step on the path may have seemed small at the time, but each step has built on the ones that came before to make Green Mountain Coffee Roasters one of the most socially responsible companies in the world. In fact, Green Mountain has been named one of the Top 100 Most Socially Conscious Corporations by Business, Inc. for two years running. The company’s production plant has been certified organic since 1997, and they remain committed to offering high quality, completely organically grown coffee as a major part of their offerings.

In addition to their commitment to organically grown coffee, Green Mountain supports sustainable coffee production methods as a member of Fair Trade associations. Currently, Green Mountain offers 45 different Fair Trade certified coffees, accounting for over 20% of their sales. By contrast, Green Mountain’s largest competitor in the specialty coffee business, Starbucks, called itself Fair Trade friendly in 2001, when only 1% of the coffees that the company bought were Fair Trade certified. Five years later, Starbucks had only managed to increase the Fair Trade percentage of their coffee sales to 6%.

Fair Trade is important in the discussion of environmental responsibility because coffee growers who are certified with the Fair Trade label have made a commitment to using environmentally friendly and sustainable growing methods, despite the fact that those methods yield less coffee per acre. In return, they are guaranteed a price for their coffee beans that provides a fair wage for their labor. By committing their resources to buying Fair Trade certified coffees, Green Mountain essentially has put their money where their mouth is to support the most viable method of encouraging global change in the coffee market.

Responsible Energy Use, and More

Green Mountain does not confine its stewardship policies to coffee sourcing and production, though. The company’s earliest efforts at being environmentally responsible were decisions to compost waste and recycle materials, and over the years, the corporation has continued to make responsible energy and conservation decisions. Green Mountain tries to use renewable energy sources when possible, and offsets their use of carbon fossil fuels by buying renewable energy credits from a variety of sources. Their efforts and purchases help support the development of alternative energy sources like the wind power technology being developed by Vermont’s Native Energy company.

In a similar manner, Green Mountain’s recognition that disposable coffee cups lead to increased solid waste led to the company’s development of an eco-friendly disposable paper coffee cup. Unlike most coffee cups, which use petroleum products for water-proofing, the Green Mountain cups are made entirely of natural and renewable materials. Green Mountain estimates that their new cups have kept over half a million pounds of petrochemicals out of landfills so far. The accomplishment has been recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, who awarded the 2007 Sustainability Award to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

While visiting Pigeon Forge, you must make a trip to the Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smoky Mountains receive over 9 million visitors a year making it the most visited park in the United States. There is so much to see and do in the park including overlooks that give you a view of the spectacular mountain ranges, hiking trails, camping, fishing, historic sites and wildlife. There are five different forest types throughout the Smoky Mountains and over 4,000 plant species. Because of the rainfall accumulations in the higher elevations, some sections of the park are actually classified as rain forest. The park totals over 500,000 acres in size.

Most visitors to the Smokies are there for a one day visit. However, if you enjoy the outdoors and enjoy camping, there is no better spot in the country to camp than the Smoky Mountains. The campgrounds in the park are primitive on purpose. There are ten campgrounds and all of them have running water, flush toilets and charcoal grills. There is a charge for staying at these campgrounds but they are low cost. There are no camper hookups available at these campgrounds.

Hiking is another enjoyable thing to do in the park. Not only does it give you a chance to see the beauty of nature but also is a great way to exercise. There are over 850 miles of hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains. The trails range from easy half hour walks to strenuous trips. Many provide beautiful scenery, historic sites and waterfalls. The Appalachian Trail stretches 70 miles along the top ridge of the Smoky Mountains.

Wildlife viewing is excellent in the Smokies. Early morning and late evening are the best times to see wildlife. There are over 65 mammals living in the park with the Bear and Red Wolf being the favorite of tourists. Coyote and Bobcats are skittish and their sightings are rare while the Deer are the most commonly seen in the park. Other critters that you will see are red and gray squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, raccoons, opossums, red and gray foxes, skunks, and bats. Elk, river otters, beavers, wild hogs and of course snakes also reside in the Smoky Mountains.

There are over 230 species of birds in the Smoky Mountains and 110 that reproduce in the park. As far as snakes, the Copperhead and the Timbler Rattler are the only poisonous snakes in the Smokies but neither have lethal poison. The most common non-poisonous snakes are black rat, garter, and the common water snake. Other reptiles include frogs, toads and salamanders. The Smokies 27 types of salamanders make this area the salamander capital of the world.

Fishing is another thing to do in the park. Anglers 13 and over need a valid fishing license to fish in the Smokies which needs to be purchased before visiting the Smokies. The national park does not sell licenses. Fishing is allowed year round and there are more than 40 species of fish including darters, dace, suckers, bass, shiners, and trout. Brook trout are the only trout native to the Smoky Mountains. Stop by a visitors center for fishing regulations.

The weather in the Smoky Mountains can change quickly. The climate is moderate but because of the higher elevations, you can experience changes in the weather rapidly. Elevations in the Park range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet and the temperature can drop from 10 20 degrees from the lower elevations to the higher ones. Also just because it is sunny and nice when you leave for the park, doesnt mean it will remain nice weather through your entire trip. There is an average of 55 inches of precipitation a year in the lowlands compared to 85 inches of precipitation in the higher elevations of the Smokies. If you have questioned why the Smoky Mountains are Smoky it is a result of the precipitation and evaporation from the trees. The upper elevations of the Smokies are classified as rain forest.

The beautiful plants in the Smokies is one of the main reasons why it has been classified as a national park. The vegetation is what makes the Smokies so unique. Because of the many elevation levels, rainfall and temperature, these mountains provide a great habitat for over 1,600 different types of flowering plants, 100 types of trees and over 100 kinds of shrubs. The Smokies are sometimes referred to as the Wildflower National Park. There are more types of flowering plants in the Smokies than any other park in the United States. And of course the changing colors of the autumn leaves in the park is absolutely beautiful!

There is no cost to enter the Smokies. Due to deed restrictions imposed when the Smokies were established it was decided that entrance charges would never be allowed. There is limited food and supplies available in the national park so it is recommended to pack a picnic and drinks and rest at one of the several picnic spots in the Smoky Mountains. Pets must be on leashes at all times and are not allowed on the trails. Horseback riding and bicycle riding are also available in the park.

There are many visitors centers in the Smokies to assist you about the park and offer ideas on experiencing the most out of your visit to the park. Many offer exhibits about the history and culture of the Smoky Mountains. Many tours with guides are offered and most have facilities and shops. The Sugarlands Visitor Center offers a free 20 minute Dolby Digital Surround Sound film about the Smokies which is very interesting. There are many places to go in the Smokies to show you the extraordinary nature and cultural history of the Smokies. If you want to learn more about the culture of the early mountain settlers, then make a visit to the Mountain Farm Museum, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, or the Roaring Fork area. At these stops you can tour homes, farms, churches and other structures built by the early settlers. The best places to view wildlife because of the wide open areas are Cades Cove and Cataloochee. For the most beautiful views of the Smoky Mountain range, head for the tops of the mountains at Clingmans Dome or Newfound Gap. For a stop in a cool shady forest location, you may want to visit Deep Creek or Roaring Fork.

No matter what you want to do or see while visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you will experience a fun filled day. Plan your visit and be ready to experience the beauty of the mountains!

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