Use less paper! We recognize that we are a conservation organization with the intention of being conscientious stewards of this revered land. In the spirit of making Every Day an Earth Day, we would like to encourage everyone to bring their own dish cloths, dish towels, and clean-up supplies. Using less paper products will take some fresh thinking and willingness to put in a little effort..

Here are some suggestions:

1) Bring your own bath towels and dish towels, along with a dishcloth or two. In the kitchens, instead of using a towel or wash cloth that somebody else used, have your own clean one ready to go. Wash them at home and put them in the bin for hot springs trips. Avoid bringing paper products; be sensitive to your impact.

2) Use a regular mug or bring your own travel mug for your coffee or tea.

3) Bring a water bottle (metal or plastic) to fill at our water fountain. Get good drinking water piped fresh and pure from the springs.

Our guidelines have always been simple and focused. We ask our visitors to recognize that we are a conservation based land trust and to help us be good stewards by taking personal responsibility for yourself, your family and your pets. Be respectful of the land, the water, the animals, our staff and guests. We are all in this together!

You can help by:

Being responsible for your trash and recycling. We do provide a recycling area, but if you can take your trash/recycling home, that saves us the labor and expense of processing it.

Pack it in – Pack it out!

Always clean up after yourself! Never leave dirty dishes or food for others to clean up, even on the "free" shelf at Oak Lodge.

Be aware and responsible for your belongings! Please don't leave them in the forest or around the pools. Let the next visitor experience that moment of awe when they come upon a beautiful pristine pond!

Leave it better than you found it! If you see trash, pick it up. If you see a new guest who is being disrespectful, use it as a moment to educate and share our Valley View culture.

We want to maintain our unique culture while promoting our mission of conservation and land stewardship. Being a small nonprofit land trust we need all of our members and visitors to participate in this process! It not only helps us to keep our costs affordable, but creates a sense of ownership and stewardship that works well here and in the world at large.