Ocean Lakes Family Campground provided details on its “green” program—iCare—in a story about trash management in the November 2010 issue. As a follow-up, Barb Krumm, director of marketing and public relations, shares even more great ecofriendly information as the program has evolved.
 Our 310-acre oceanfront facility in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, created the iCare Program with the slogan “Awareness and Action Count” after teammates received an e-mail from a longtime patron of the park.
The guest was upset with the amount of litter washing into the ocean. At the same time, our facility was working with local officials to help reduce storm-water issues. This confluence of events eventually led to the creation of the iCare Program.
The program’s goals are to decrease beach litter, pet pollution affecting storm-water runoff, and garbage transported to the landfill. The initiative also aims to increase guest awareness and educational opportunities through programs, signage, public relations, and communications. Finally, we wanted to demonstrate leadership and accountability. The program has already won the national “2009-2010 Plan- It Green Award” from the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. It also garnered state recognition in April by receiving the “2010 Earth Day Award” by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
First Steps
Ocean Lakes developed a multiphase plan to roll out a series of green efforts. Since recycling began on June 26, 2009, Ocean Lakes has collected more than 180,000 pounds of recyclables. In January 2010, we dedicated our own 20-year rearloader garbage truck to collect the recycled materials. In comparing the recycling numbers from summer 2009 and 2010, we found guests and teammates doubled the amount being recycled, and guest comments continue to applaud our program. We feel good about what we have accomplished so far, but we know we have a long way to go in reaching the quantity of recyclables collected at most municipalities. Guests can enjoy learning about their impact, too, through a Green Meter, which shows them how much they have recycled over time.
Green Pets
Regarding “pet pollution” Ocean Lakes features a “Pet Welcome Kit” available inside several guest areas at the campground. Guests with pets are asked to pick up the kit, which includes materials for cleaning up after pets. They are available throughout the campground at stations featuring free doggie treats. The program aims to make guests aware of the negative impact pet waste has on the ocean and its inhabitants. Branding the program through signage, print materials, social media, our website, and the park’s closed-circuit TV stations is key to the program’s success. We want to encourage our teammates and our guests to take action.
 Solar Power
The program has continued to expand. We installed one Apricus solar panel on the roof of an existing bathhouse to heat the water for 12 shower stalls and the sinks. Although substantial federal rebates are available to help underwrite the cost of the pilot project, future investments in solar bath-houses will be determined by the impact the solar power has on Ocean Lakes’ energy costs (electric and gas). Ultimately, the impact must help offset the cost of the equipment and prove it does enough to help conserve energy and further reduce the campground’s carbon footprint. Ocean Lakes is still trying to assess the solar-heated water success in the bathhouse, as there did not seem to be a decrease in propane gas usage. However, water consumption did decrease. We will continue to monitor the success of this pilot program.
Fishing Line Recycling
Ideas come from all corners of Ocean Lakes. A teammate in accounting shared the details of a fishing line recycling container she saw on a trip, leading us to begin our own program. My team researched the issue online, even downloading directions on how to build a “snorkel” container. Maintenance then built six snorkel containers and installed them around the campground’s lakes. Some of the staff members seemed skeptical about the success of trying to collect monofilament fishing line. However, they were pleasantly surprised when they checked the content of the snorkels; you just don’t know what will work with guests sometimes!
Barb Krumm has been the director of marketing and public relations for Ocean Lakes Family Campground since 1998. She is a certified park operator through the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. She also owns a small radio station, WLSC, with her husband and son in Loris, South Carolina.
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