4 ways you help our planet at Wekiva Island

You may think you can only celebrate Earth Day in April, but at Wekiva Island—Earth Day is every day! Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Wekiva Island, and when you visit us, you’re helping the planet without even realizing it. We’re here to provide you and your family with a fun day on the river while also educating the community about sustainability and how small changes can make a big difference. Here are four ways you can help your planet while at Wekiva Island.   

Hang out under our Solar Array

That’s right, you can help the planet by grabbing a bite to eat or a drink and relaxing under our Solar Array pavilion. This space is decked out with solar panels across the roof and allows cover from the Florida elements while still allowing guests to take in a gorgeous view. Wekiva Island relies heavily on solar power, and 210 of the 290 solar panels that generate much of our electricity are on property. The solar power generated here powers many things on the island, from our lighting to hot water.

You could even host your own Orlando event under the sustainable Solar Array pavilion any weekday.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

It can’t get easier than that, right? If you’ve visited us at Wekiva Island, you’re familiar with the recycling bins located throughout the property. We always encourage our guests to recycle their bottles and cans—but make sure to keep food and liquid out of your recycling and separate out any loose plastic bags. And we wouldn’t ask you to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves; our entire team is passionate about our recycling program and practices it daily.

Use the bathroom (believe it or not!)

At Wekiva Island, helping the planet is as easy as using our restrooms. Our water closets are low and dual flush to conserve water. Not to mention, the rainwater we collect is used to facilitate the flushing mechanism on our toilets. Our urinals are also waterless and each one saves an average of up to 40,000 gallons of water a year. By paying close attention to the often-unseen elements like our restrooms, we’ve developed eco-friendly processes that make Mother Earth happy all year long. 

Visit our LEED-certified Mike Barr Education & Learning Center

You might know that The Mike Barr Education & Learning Center as a great place to host a fun event or a corporate retreat, but did you know the building itself is helping the planet? Our Classroom’s design earned a LEED Platinum Certification, which is a mark of quality and achievement in green building. It’s geothermally powered right from the wild and scenic Wekiva River, run by on-property solar panels and made from repurposed wood.

At Wekiva Island, we’re constantly looking for ways to become more eco-conscious and reach our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. We care for our ecosystem, amazing wildlife, beautiful plant life, and of course, our beloved Wekiva River. That’s what attracted our owners to this special place to being with.

All it takes to help the planet are little changes every day. This Earth Day, we welcome all of you to join us on our journey to help Mother Earth. We look forward to enjoying nature with you now and long into the future.