Green Initiatives

The Run Off-the-Grid is promoted as the race with the smallest footprint and we take this statement seriously. We have a number of green initiatives in place to help reduce the carbon footprint of this event and we continue to make improvements every year.

• The event is hosted at Nature’s Harmony Ecolodge, which is an off-the-grid facility producing the majority of its electrical needs through solar and wind power. Nature’s Harmony was recently selected as a 2012 finalist in the Sutainable Tourism category of the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence. We don’t just talk ‘green’, we live ‘green’!
• Outdoor eco-showers are available to everyone. Rain water is collected, heated passively by the sun or by fire, and gravity fed into the showers.
• Outdoor composting toilet facilities are available. Human waste is composted and used in the landscaping at Nature’s Harmony which completes the human nutrient cycle.
• Trail signage is on permanent posts to reduce the need for flagging tap.
• Drinking water is provided from a natural spring.
• Clearly marked bins are available for waste, recycling and composting. Doggie bins are also available for doggie waste composting.
• Local produce and meats are purchased, where practical, for the post race meal.
• All participants, guests and volunteers are asked to bring their own dishes & cutlery to eliminate the use of disposable products. Dishes are washed by everyone individually using the outdoor sink facility with rain water. Biodegradeable soaps are provided for washing.
• Emedia Group prints the race bibs on a biodegradable material that is made of seeds. After the race, participants can plant their bib and if they’re lucky it may bloom into a beautiful flower in the spring.
• Carpooling to the event is encouraged and can be facilitated through the Run Off-the-Grid Facebook page.
• The event promotes local and environmentally friendly businesses.
• As a way of supporting the local community, proceeds from this event are donated to the Mattawa Food Bank.
• Proceeds from this event will also be donated to Greening Nipissing to help fund a green eco-project in the Mattawa area.
• Sustainable Living and Off-the-Grid tours are available throughout the weekend.
• In 2012, we were honoured to speak at the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference to talk about the Run Off-the-Grid and how sport tourism can contirbute to the economic development and sustainability of the Mattawa Voyageur Country region.

We hope that the Run Off-the-Grid will become a model of best practices for coordinating a green event.