Alaskan Eco Lodge 

Here at Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge our environmental mission is to operate our lodging business (and our home) in a manner that is consistent with our wilderness setting. We provide visitors to the Kenai Peninsula region of Alaska with a lodging option that is right in the heart of the Alaska wilderness yet at the same time does not harm that wilderness. We are committed to promoting the wise stewardship of natural resources in all aspects of our business and continually strive to implement new technologies, procedures, and purchasing practices that reflect this commitment. Lastly, we educate our visitors about sound environmental practices by providing a real life example of sustainable living. More about our environmental mission below but, for now, take a look at what others have to say about this Alaskan Eco-Lodge.

This article is from "E" The Environmental Magazine. It was published a few months after a visit to the lodge by staff writer Roddy Scheer.
 

GREEN LIVING: GOING GREEN
Treading Lightly in Alaska
Living It Up in Sadie Cove
by Roddy Scheer

As the skipper of the water taxi down-shifted, I could see my destination like a welcoming beacon dead ahead. The Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge, only 10 miles as the crow flies from the fishing village of Homer, was worlds away from the rat race I was leaving behind for a week. As if to signal that I was in the right place, a bald eagle with a six-foot wingspan swooped down for a closer inspection of our boat as a trio of accommodating hip-booted staffers off-loaded my luggage.

Little did owner Keith Iverson know back in 1973 when he plunked down his life savings of $5,000 for the wild and undeveloped property alongside Sadie Cove that the state would soon declare the 24,000 acres of vibrant coastline surrounding his land as a wilderness area protected from development. After going it alone for the first few years, Iverson realized that his little piece of paradise could attract top dollar from visitors looking to get away from the frenetic pace of city life. So in 1981 he opened his emerging complex of buildings—each constructed from hand-milled local spruce lumber and driftwood—to visitors as the Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge.

Today, guests at the lodge ($300 per person per night in summer, $350 in winter, including three meals) can enjoy all the amenities of home—including electricity, hot showers and cold drinks—without dipping into any polluting fossil fuel reserves. Power at the lodge is provided by an ingenious hydroelectric system running off of the rushing creek bisecting the property. Iverson says it is more reliable than the electricity grid, plus he never gets an electricity bill. Meanwhile, the lodge’s clear drinking water is filtered from a mountain spring also on the property.

The Recycling Mantra

Beyond its environmentally sensitive power and water supplies, the lodge does not use any polluting fertilizers, preservatives or cleaning chemicals that could foul the pristine waters of Sadie Cove. Also, the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) is a mantra for Iverson and his staff. “For example, we use gallon-sized milk containers for our lettuce greenhouse planters, and when the containers become so damaged by UV rays that they are no longer practical, we bring them to town where they are recycled,” says Iverson.

Old ropes from fishing vessels are used for handrails, discarded PVC pipe from Homer is split and used for rain gutters and small open boats that have served out their days at sea are retired and used for raised garden beds.

Iverson has worked to ensure that his lodge meets the stringent environmental standards of Green Globe 21, a program that monitors and certifies sustainable operations in the tourism industry according to standards set at 1992’s Rio Earth Summit. Iverson’s property is the only wilderness lodge in Alaska to be recognized by the state for its recycling and reuse policies and practices.

But just because Iverson is an environmentalist doesn’t mean guests have to rough it. Iverson’s wife Randi is a gourmet cook who delights guests not only with her friendly charm but also with the tastiest halibut steaks this side of heaven. The lodge provides hot breakfasts and dinners, and packs box lunches for guests to take with them on various adventures including guided hikes, kayaking excursions, fishing charters and even bear-viewing outings. And on rainy days nothing beats browsing through the lodge’s impressive collection of books on Alaskan culture and natural history.

When Iverson is not busy catering to guests’ needs or doing maintenance on lodge facilities, he kayaks over to nearby Little Tutka Bay, where he is refurbishing Widgeon, an old World War II supply ship that ran cargo to the Aleutian Islands. With a little help from area friends, Iverson towed, landed and secured the vessel on a small parcel of land he had purchased. Within two years he hopes to open it as a lower-cost resort—complete with kitchen facilities, a music room and an indoor swimming pool—for up to eight guests at a time.

“The boat will have modern communications as well as Internet, but we hope to have an atmosphere of the 1940s where folks can come to relax,” says Iverson. “They can do some peaceful reading, listen to some old records on the 78 rpm record player, do some fishing, canoeing, hiking, wildlife viewing or fishing, all in a unique and historic vessel.”

Iverson plans the refurbished Widgeon as an alternative energy showpiece, which, judging by Sadie Cove, would be par for the course.

RODDY SCHEER likes to get away from it all.

CONTACTS

Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge
Phone: (888)283-7234

Green Globe 21
Phone: (011)61-2-6257-9102

And the press has something to say about Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge too -

Overlooking the Wosnesenski flats and Alaska's Harding Ice Field

(CSRwire) HOMER, AK - The Kenai Peninsula Borough has awarded Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge the coveted "Green Star Award". To earn this award, the staff had to demonstrate their commitment to environmental responsibility by recycling, reducing waste, and reducing energy use at their facility.

Even though recycling is somewhat of a challenge at the Lodge because of the remote location, several materials are separated from their small waste stream and either reused on site or taken across the bay to Homer for recycling. Additionally, the Lodge is run completely on a non-polluting alternative energy system of wind and hydro-power which supplies the entire grounds with energy to spare. The lodge is, and will remain, off the grid and is completely self-supporting without polluting.

Also, in 2005, Natural Home magazine declared Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge one of the top 10 eco-destinations in North America along with the lodge at Yosemite Park and others.

As promised at the top of this page, here is some more about this Eco-Lodge's environmental policies

Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge was custom built in the mid 1970's from driftwood that was salvaged from the beaches of Kachemak Bay and milled by hand, piece by piece, into lumber by owner/operator Keith Iverson. It was all put in place in its natural state without preservatives, oils, or chemicals of any kind. This organic architecture has created a one-of-a-kind lodge that blends naturally into the surrounding environment. To retain the peaceful atmosphere of the wilderness and diminish the impact of tourism on the sensitive ecosystem in which we live, we purposely keep our lodge small and serve a small number of overnight guests only. Electricity for the entire lodge is provided by an in-house hydroelectric system operating from a swift mountain stream and all of our light fixtures use compact fluorescent bulbs. As the ecological guardians of Sadie Cove, we are pleased to be able to eliminate this need for fossil fuels in our lives and our business and operate completely off the "grid". We also rely entirely on our mountain stream for the lodge’s drinking water and grey water supplies.
At Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge, we specialize in serving wild, North Pacific, ocean-run seafood along with fresh produce, much of which is grown in our own garden. We never serve farm-raised seafood with the exception of oysters which are raised right here in the rich wide open waters of Kachemak Bay. We also accommodate any special dietary needs and are happy to provide vegan and vegetarian meal options upon request. We have bins for aluminum, tin, glass, and plastic containers at various locations around the lodge and we transport all of these materials to the town of Homer for recycling.

We buy most of our products in bulk to limit the amount of packaging. We purchase paper products with a high post-consumer material content, and we purchase non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning and laundry products. We have recently started purchasing organic cotton linens and this will be a standard practice as we replace our linen and towel supplies.

In order to help offset the carbon emissions that are a reality of the tourism industry, Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge started planting a new tree in Alaska for each and every guest of the lodge in the summer of 2007. We intend to continue with this practice for the foreseeable future.

In summary, Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge provides visitors with the opportunity to see and experience a truly remarkable part of the Alaskan wilderness while staying in a comfortable and unique, self-sustainable lodge. Sadie Cove Lodge is a full-service wilderness resort with a demonstrated and award winning commitment to sound environmental practices. We are proud to share our home, our lodge, and our lifestyle with our guests and to be able to offer a lodging option with environmental practices that meet and sometimes exceed the strict standards of several environmental watchdog organizations. We invite you to visit our home by the sea in Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska.
 

From Natural Home Magazine:

Top 10 Eco-Destinations in North America

One of the rooms at Sadie Cove was created from a rescued sailboat

SADIE COVE WILDERNESS LODGE

HOMER, ALASKA

Visitors take a water taxi to these off-the-grid coastal cabins that accommodate eight guests in Kachemak Bay State Park. This elegantly rustic place has a “leave no trace” philosophy, spectacular views, and hiking, fishing, and wildlife watching.

How it’s built: Handmade cabins from milled local driftwood.

Alternative energy: Hydroelectric power from a stream; wind-power backup.

Conservation practices: Recycling, organic vegetable garden.

Benefits to local ecosystems: Plans to get the area declared a mountain goat sanctuary.

Educational programs: Nature walks to tidal flats and alpine valleys. (888) 283-7234

 

back to top

[ Home ] [ Lodge Tour ] [ Kitchen ] [ The Sailboat Cabin ] [ Lodge Activities ] [ Optional Tours ] [ Your Hosts ] [ Testimonials ] [ Booking Info & Rates ] [ Map of Bay ] [ Winter Visits ] [ Bird Watching ] [ Wildlife Viewing ] [ Wedding Services ] [ Honeymoons ] [ Eco Lodge ]