Feeling stressed out about how to celebrate Earth Day? Nusta Spa has a relaxing solution. Between April 18-24, the country’s first LEED certified spa will donate 10% of all proceeds from spa services and retail sales to Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests throughout the world.
Founder Elizabeth Snowdon opened the spa in May, 2004 after a trip to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. It was in Peru where she found the inspiration to build a luxury “natural” day spa that would honor the principles of environmental responsibility while still catering to Washington’s downtown clientele.
“I was always under the impression that ‘going green’ meant sacrificing the luxuries that we expect at day spas, but after learning more about sustainable building practices, I realized that I could create a warm, healthy environment that still felt luxurious,” says Snowdon.
With the help of a DC architect and sustainable building experts, Snowdon realized her vision with an eco-spa that incorporates virtually all environmentally-friendly materials, including Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood flooring, Energy Star appliances, LED efficient lightening, and more. Nusta even carries its own organic skincare line that is free of allergens and unnatural chemicals.
Here are a few more excellent sources for all that’s green and happening this week.
The Natural Capital offers their top picks for celebrating Earth Day with a focus on outdoor activities.
Donna Childress over at We Love DC has pulled together a nearly exhaustive list of Earth Day activities from Green Drinks to the Sweetlife Festival to several green film screenings.
Did we miss something? Feel free to add in the “comments” section.
Who says fashion can’t be earth friendly? On Wednesday April 21 (the day before Earth Day, in case you forgot!), The Fashion Group International and the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Corcoran College of Art + Design will host “Eco Chic: Night of Stars and Rising Stars.”
The evening will recognize pioneers of the Eco Chic movement for their ecological and ethical design in fashion, art, beauty, architecture, and interior design.
The cocktail reception will feature a fashion presentation that includes London Fashion Week “Eco Designer of the Year” winner, Jeff Garner of Prophetik , acclaimed designer Monique Péan, as well as rising star nominees Calamarie, Alberto Parada, and TranquiliT.
After the reception, guests will enjoy the Eco Chic awards ceremony emceed by NBC4 news anchor Wendy Rieger.
And what’s a swanky event without an equally swanky goody bag? The one at this event will be filled with eco-themed products supplied by the sponsors and members of The Fashion Group
Tickets: FGI and Corcoran Members $120. Non-members $150.
Talk about turning trash to treasure. At Kimpton’s Morrison House local artists have repurposed the hotel’s trash to create whimsical works of art.
General Manager Robert Hannigan invited area artists to tour the hotel and look for inspiration in discarded objects ranging from faucets and heating filters to plumbing lines.
The result is a collection of sculptures that are exclusively composed of repurposed materials and pairings of unexpected objects – like hubcaps with plastic lids.
The artists enjoyed being challenged to create art from found objects at the hotel. “The fun in working with reclaimed items is trying out unusual combinations of forms and solving the mysteries of the links between them,” said artist Rosemary Luckett, who will have six pieces on display at the reception.
A reception for the “Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle” exhibit will be held on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 from 6-8 p.m, at the Morrison House (116 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA) and features more than a dozen works created for the event by local environmental artists affiliated with the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town.
After the reception, guests can enjoy a 100-mile candlelight dinner in honor of Earth Day at The Grille at Morrison House . The four course dinner, with ingredients sourced from local farmers within a 100 mile radius is priced at $55 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Eggs and poultry will be sourced from Path Valley Farms, while guests can enjoy local Virginia beef, pork sourced from Pennsylvania, and freshly caught fish from the Chesapeake and surrounding tributaries.
Dine deliciously and celebrate Earth Day with special events, menus, and offers from local area restaurants:
Sustainable Dinner at Tallula Tallula will celebrate Earth Day with a special four-course dinner showcasing locally grown produce, humanely raised meats, and sustainable seafood.
Bev Eggleston, founder of EcoFriendly Foods and leading proponent of ethical farming, as well as Drew Koslow, biologist, clean water advocate, and brother of Executive Chef Barry Koslow, will also attend the dinner. The dinner will start at 7PM on Thursday, April 22nd in the restaurant’s intimate wine shop.
Priced at $85 per person including wine pairings (excluding tax and gratuity) the Earth Day dinner will feature dishes such as Bison Carpaccio, sourced from New Frontier Bison in Madison, VA, and a Pork Trio from EcoFriendly Farms. The dinner will also include dishes using local, sustainable seafood, such as Virginia Clams and Striped Bass and local Virginia wines.
Eco-Friendly Cocktails at JW Marriott
As an extension of Earth Day’s celebration, the JW Marriott Washington is creating a special menu of refreshing eco-cocktails and organic summer white wines by the glass to help raise awareness for preserving the rainforests.
The special beverage menu will be available at Bar 1331 beginning on Monday, April 19 and served throughout the summer. Cocktails, including “Strawberry Fields” (muddled fresh strawberries, basil leaves, simple syrup), are $12.00 and organic wines by the glass start at $9.00. Thirty percent of the proceeds from the new beverages will be donated toward the protection and preservation of 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest in the Amazon, called the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve.
Sweetlife Festival Sweetgreen‘s free outdoor music festival, Saturday, April 24 from 3–9 PM (behind its Dupont Circle location), will raise money for Farm To School, an organization committed to connecting schools with local farms. Live performances will feature Hot Chip performing a DJ set, U.S. Royalty, The Love Language, Phil Ade, Will Eastman, DJ Grant Shapiro and more. Limited complementary tickets are available via the Sweetgreen beginning on April 9, with donations requested.
Mixt Greens Offers Tote with Green Goodies
The first 150 customers who visit one of Mixt Greens three DC locations on Thursday, April 22nd, will receive a complimentary tote bag filled with goodies including recipes from Chef/Co-Founder Andrew Swallow’s upcoming cookbook, Mixt Salads, and packets of herb seeds to plant at home.
Green Hours
The official Earth Day 2010 Sustainable Feast DC initiative encourages restaurants across the DC area to highlight the responsible decisions they make when buying and serving local or organic, sustainable foods. Participating restaurants include Bread & Brew, Pitango Gelato, Busboys & Poets, and more.
Earth Day Menu at Restaurant Nora
Restaurant Nora will be featuring an Earth Day tasting menu that includes seasonal spring vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, and spinach as well as seasonal cocktails. On April 20th and 21st, the restaurant will be donate $1 from each seasonal cocktail to Earth Day Network.
Feeling stressed out about how to celebrate Earth Day? Nusta Spa has a relaxing solution. Between April 18-24, the country’s first LEED certified spa will donate 10% of all proceeds from spa services and retail sales to Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests throughout the world.
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