Warrenton, Virginia, April 20, 2007

EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY AT AIRLIE

Did you know that Earth Day got its start in Fauquier County at the Airlie Conference Center? As more people become aware of the importance of our environment, we can thank visionary U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson for introducing Earth Day at Airlie in 1969. Today, Earth Day is celebrated all over the world and sustainable concepts are being instituted by governments, businesses and institutions.

Airlie has maintained and deepened its environmental leadership over the years. Kevin Carter, Airlie Center General Manager, says that Airlie’s environmental commitment is part of every aspect of the business. “It starts with employee orientation and then it is enthusiastically managed and maintained by our Green Team. We celebrate our ongoing commitment this week, but everyday is Earth Day here.”

The Airlie Center exists within a beautiful natural setting with open land, multiple lakes, protected wetlands and nesting wild birds. The Center has 150 rooms and meeting facilities for 200-250 people. It is the second largest employer in the county. The Airlie Foundation and Conference Center operate in tandem to develop and sponsor educational, environmental and cultural programs, hosting over 600 non-profit, government and private sector groups a year.

Earth-friendly groups that meet at Airlie include the Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, U. S. Green Building Council, National Water Research Institute, Angler Environmental, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Piedmont Environmental Council.

This week Airlie also is hosting a one-day Local Food Project conference on April 20, to promote sustainable agricultural initiatives in schools and the workplace. Experts from all over the U.S. will meet with regional suppliers and local farmers to talk about making healthy foods more available in cafeterias and institutions. Local farmer Pablo Elliott, Director of The Local Food Project at Airlie, has organized the conference. He’s also created a garden at Airlie that provides produce for the Airlie dining room. This project demonstrates how local organizations can use their land to be more productive, to help create fresh healthy meals and sustain local farms and communities at the same time. The local food movement was spearheaded by Alice Waters in California and has really taken off. Kelsey Siegel, Alice Water’s manager of The Edible Schoolyard featured on PBS, is one of the Local Food conference speakers. (Registration is open to all.)

For Earth Week, Airlie’s Green Team leaders representing all departments at Airlie– Jean LaChance, Eva Chwalowski, Gina Clatterbuck, Paul Clevenger, Pablo Elliott, Gail Gilbert, Will Harris, Bill Holmes, Tim Jago, Linda Lyons, Patrick Shiflett, Tori Walker and Jeff Witte-- have come up with multiple events. These include a habitat cleanup program, tree planting and property walks with arborist Lytt Wood, an environmental tour with a “Swan Show” organized by Environmental Studies at Airlie, opportunities to learn about Airlie’s Eco Bees and Local Food programs, an Earth Week Clothing Drive, and an employee gathering with raffle prizes for at-home recycling, eco-purchases and carpooling.

Jean LaChance, Director of Rooms and Engineering and Green Team leader, says that Airlie builds in an environmentally sensitive way. “When we do a renovation project, we are very careful to buy eco-friendly products from environmentally-committed companies. We reuse everything we can and dispose of materials through recycling centers. Over time, we are upgrading our facilities as we decrease our global impact. We are just completing the renovation of 32 rooms in the Silo House.”

As the wedding season begins, Airlie offers a Green Wedding package. “Hosts and guests can be assured that the eco-friendly policies that drive Airlie day-to-day will be applied to their special event,” says Airlie Director of Sales, Maggie Drummond.

Airlie Conference Center has attained a Green Seal® certification in Virginia. To be Green Seal® certified, Airlie has to continuously maintain high-level environmental standards for everything from purchasing Energy Star and eco-products and cleaning materials, to recycling and waste disposal. Airlie has recently purchased two Toyota Highlander hybrid-electric vans. Conference planners can even offer to purchase Energy Offsets for their guests’ programs.

“Sometimes environmental commitment comes at a price,” says Airlie Foundation president Kim Head, “but, we are saving more than money through conservation.” “Who can put a price on the air or water we will drink in the future? We can only hope that other organizations and businesses try to do their part. As they share responsibility, earth-friendly products and services will be more available and affordable.”

For more information on the Airlie Foundation and Conference Center go to www.airlie.org and www.airlie.com or contact general manager Kevin Carter at 540-347-1300. To register for the Airlie Local Food conference, e-mail Pablo Elliott at pelliott@airlie.org. For more on the Green Seal® program, go to www.greenseal.org.