Under the stewardship of General Manager Hanna Morris, the Point Reyes Hostel has made many eco-friendly changes, from switching to compact florescent light bulbs to utilizing non-lethal pest control solutions. In addition to maintaining the hostel's recycling and composting programs, Morris has ensured that paper products used in the hostel -- from office paper to toilet paper -- are 100% post-consumer-waste recycled and non-chlorine bleached.

Guests are encouraged to pitch in by bringing their own refillable water containers and taking advantage of the hostel's new Multi-Pure water filtration system, rather than relying on bottled water. Guests may also opt to bring their own sleeping bags to save hostel energy on linen washing. Linens and towels that are used by guests are machine washed and hung to dry in the California sunshine, weather permitting, in order to further conserve energy.

"Doing whatever we can to be a greener hostel is good for the environment, and becoming green-certified is good for business," says Morris. "In addition to gaining positive exposure in the community, we hope that other businesses might be inspired to do the same."

Hostelling International prides itself on its commitment to eco-friendly, low-impact travel. Through its Green Hostels Project, Hostelling International (HI) ensures that all of its hostels practice energy conservation and offer guests information about environmental preservation, in the hopes that travelers will continue these practices when they return home. The first HI hostel to become a Bay Area Green Business was the Marin Headlands Hostel, which was certified in 2006.

The Bay Area Green Business Program is a partnership of environmental public agencies that assists, recognizes, and promotes businesses and government agencies that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible way. The program is currently offered in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Sonoma counties.

The Point Reyes Hostel is an Authorized Concessioner of the National Park Service and is the only lodging facility within the Point Reyes National Seashore. The hostel is operated by the Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting intercultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and world peace through travel.

For reservations or more information, please visit http://pointreyeshostel.org
Download a PDF of this news release and high-resolution photos at http://norcalhostels.org/press-room/