We have been "green" here at the Wild Echo Bison Reserve long before it was cool! The entire ranch is "off the grid" to begin with. That means that we are not hooked up to any power company (we're too remote for that) and we are self reliant when it comes to power. Our camp (in fact, our entire ranch) is primarily powered by wind and sun. Since Bison Quest is all about a camping and wilderness experience (albeit with massages and king size beds - we're not exactly roughing it), we really don't need too much electricity. We don't have any television sets in your cabins (you wouldn't have time to watch them anyway) and we don't cook with electricity, so lights are our main need. And we have plenty of electricity for that! For those of you who must have a blow dryer or music - we can make enough electricity for you, too!

One of the most common questions we get asked is, "do you have real toilets or do we have to use those smelly, chemical kind?" Well, the answer is "Yes, we do have real toilets" and "No, you don't have to use those smelly, chemical kind." Our toilets are actually composting toilets, and they look pretty similar to a regular toilet. The big difference - they are environmentally friendly and they use only 1 pint of water instead of 1 or 2 gallons.

And, of course, we do all of the "easy" things that you've all been lectured about. And they really are easy. We recycle everything that can be recycled. Recycling really doesn't take much extra time or effort, just a little forethought and organization. We have containers for various articles (glass, aluminum, cans, etc) and, when filled, we take them into Helena to the recycling center. And, if we, who live so far away from any city, can do it, so can you!

Other "green" things you'll see here at the reserve include energy efficient hot water heaters for the private showers in the cabins. To make them even more efficient, we use a hot water heater blanket to insulate them against our cool nights. You can do something similar at home just by using a hot water heater blanket and save on your fuel bills as well as help offset global warming.

We also have a super efficient propane refrigerator. While we don't expect you to run out and buy a propane powered one, you can buy an energy star appliance and your energy savings will help your pocketbook as well as the environment.

One of the most exciting things about our Bison Quest program, is proving to others that you don't have to give up quality of life to save energy and live in a way that is kind to our world. Most of "being green" is just thinking about what you're doing before you do it. Many of us don't give much thought to how items are packaged, what energy we use or how we throw things away. But it's really quite simple to "do it right" and we can prove it to you during your stay here at the Wild Echo Bison Reserve.