As this is being written, it is once again raining. And not just any rain – pouring. With thunder rumbling in the background. A reminder that Mother Nature runs the summer show.

Being an ocean front community, Ogunquit is a destination of choice for many summer vacations. The village, set on Maine’s beautiful southern coast, is idyllic – with miles of sandy beach, tidal pools, rocky cliffs, lobster boats, a real walking draw bridge and quaint museums and buildings dotted along the town. However, as an ocean front community, its businesses and residents have a real responsibility to care for Ogunquit. And luckily Maine has great programs – like the Environmental Leader certification – and resources to make a hotel green and vacations more environmentally friendly.

Many people ask us – so what happens after the hotel is certified? Is that it? Nope- there’s more. Part of the program is on going green efforts, continuing to increase a hotel’s score and random inspections. One of the best experiences of our Ogunquit hotel going green is that our staff and guests have embraced the efforts and become a huge source of information.

A great example of this just happened. One of our front desk team went on a trip and really liked the key cards at the hotel (we’re a little funny this way when we travel – we notice EVERYTHING). Not only was the hotel key card pretty, but it had a little note that it was made from recycled material. And that was actually the reason the card was brought it us – the fine print. She thought to herself, while on vacation, ‘hey- this is a great green idea for the Meadowmere!’

And she was right! The card is a great fit as one more way that our Ogunquit hotel is helping the environment. Once our new cards arrive, our room key cards at our Ogunquit hotel will feature eco messages and be made from 100% biodegradable, renewable crops and plant materials. Which means our key card will compost – even better than recyclable (which guests would have to remember to put in the blue bin). We get excited about these things at the Meadowmere – it’s adding something new and making our hotel better!

So when you check in and pick up your keys, consider this – over 12,000 key cards are programmed each year at the Meadowmere. Combined with all of our hotel’s environmental efforts, it’s one more little step to help make a big difference in Ogunquit.