New Biosphere Commitment Program Member: Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting active outdoor lifestyles through cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Silver Star Provincial Park just outside of Vernon, BC.
The sports that Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and its members enjoy are very weather-dependent, and recent warming weather patterns across Canada have created challenges for other Nordic clubs. Due to this, Sovereign Lake has increased its environmentally sustainable operations to the natural setting and ensure that they are doing their part to limit their impact on climate change. Sovereign Lake is also inspired by the desire for future generations to experience the same wonder and beauty. This has led to a continued lead on environmental sustainability to ensure that the landscape is preserved.
Sustainability Initiatives
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is working towards its sustainability goals and providing transparency by assessing and sharing its organizational resource consumption and emissions. The team at Sovereign Lake has been unable to find similar information about other Nordic clubs, suggesting that they are pioneers in running a Nordic club sustainability. By understanding where the emissions in their organization are highest, they have been able to implement changes, such as switching to battery-operated electric chainsaws to reduce gasoline consumption. Director David Dennier has also found that this sustainability swap came with additional benefits: electric chainsaws are much easier to start in cold, high-altitude conditions prevalent in ski season and are more practical than carrying heavy gasoline supplies when clearing snowshoe trails in the early winter.
When asked about working with TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program, David had this to say: “The Biosphere Committed database is quite straightforward to follow and complete. The most compelling aspect is that there are many simple actions that lead towards achieving the overriding goals, and in many cases we found that we had already been doing many of these actions as part of our business anyway. Compound the ease of use with the great support from TOTA, and you have a system that works well to allow organizations to contribute to social and environmental wellbeing. [Other] businesses will probably be surprised by how many things they are already doing that make them Biosphere Committed.”
Biosphere Commitment Program
The Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Commitment Program is a sustainability program offered by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The focus is to equip tourism businesses in the region with tools and resources to continuously measure, manage, and report sustainability management efforts. The program prepares businesses for a globally recognized certification, to show alignment of business operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Destination Certification.
Organizations can create customized sustainability plans through the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle platform and access dedicated support from industry experts.
Learn more about TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program
