St. Lucia's longest-running dive operation, Scuba St. Lucia, has received the PADI Green Star Award for its dedication to conservation. Founded in 1981, Scuba St. Lucia is located at the water's edge of the 600-acre Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts. Consistently voted among the top hotels in the Caribbean by leading travel authorities, both hotels were designed with a commitment to sustainability and environmental preservation.
 
Now, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is recognizing the resorts' efforts to keep its scuba diving operation clean and green.
 
The award is given to PADI dive centers and resorts which demonstrate a commitment to conservation across multiple business functions, including energy use, water conservation, environmentally friendly transportation, conservation leadership, use of sustainable materials, and a donation to conservation via Project AWARE, a nonprofit that works with scuba divers to protect the ocean.
 
That level of dedication to the environment falls in line with the philosophy of resort owner, Nick Troubetzkoy, who passionately believes in nature. "Being conscious about the environment is a way of life for our teams at Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain," Troubetzkoy said.
 
The hotels operate their own wastewater treatment plant on site, treating gray water for irrigation and keeping its water supply independent from the surrounding community, so as not to burden the residents of Soufrière. The resorts' facilities are equipped with low flush toilets, low flow shower heads and composting toilets on the beach.
 
Guests are encouraged to reuse their towels and sheets during their stay, rather than having their linens laundered daily, while old, but still usable, towels are altered by a local seamstress to become hand towels for the hotel's public areas.
 
The resorts' fuel-efficient vehicles are regularly serviced and fresh fish and produce come from a farm on property as well as the surrounding community.
 
The region around Anse Chastanet is part of an award-winning marine reserve run by the Soufrière Marine Management Association. Scuba St. Lucia strictly follows the marine reserve policy of "look but don't touch," to ensure protection of the area's coral reef and other marine life.
 
"I am grateful to PADI for recognizing us with this honor, and I'm so proud of our team members for their continued world-class excellence in all areas, but particularly in our environmental efforts," Nick Troubetzkoy said.