Sustainability at Baraka Point Estate
Never wanting to be in competition with the natural environment, the design and layout of Baraka Point exudes a rustic charm that invites you to appreciate your surroundings, both immediate and beyond the Estate's walls. So much of your Baraka Point Experience will take place out on the water, exploring Virgin Gorda's pristine beaches and discovering the island's treasures. At every turn you will find sensory surprises: Pelicans diving off Baraka Point, peeping tree frogs at night, the brilliant colours on land and at sea, coral gardens teeming with marine life-and all that they support-must be protected for future generations to live by and to enjoy.
While Baraka Point is just one entity we believe in the notion that one can act locally and achieve great things globally. To this end, we started by creating a beautiful garden that is home to many species of creatures and birds on the property. The gardens at Baraka Point Estate are life-giving and pure pleasure-enhancing. Lush palms and tropical foliage-a veritable jungle surrounds the Pavilions of Baraka Point- provide an outdoor "living space" in which to wander around with nature to keep you company.
There are so many corners of the property to explore and hidden natural treasures abound-a Banyan tree with shade-giving limbs, a mango tree full of ripe fruit. Watch out for lizards basking on sun-soaked rocks, industrious frangipani caterpillars, emerald-crested hummingbirds collecting nectar, and land crabs gathering their food. The garden at Baraka Point Estate and the life that it sustains is extraordinary, which is why we do not use harmful chemicals in the garden. This protects the insect life and the many frogs and lizards that live within the grounds and the bird life that is dependent on these creatures for their survival.
Maintained by our trusted gardener, Jeanan, our gardens are also of benefit to the human life that enjoys time at Baraka Point. Mango, papaya, key lime, banana, avocado and almond trees are all grown on the property and we use many of the fruits in the natural spa products Kim has created for body wraps and facials as well as in fruit platters and smoothies for breakfast. We also have a lovely herb garden which provides lemongrass and mint for spa products and Baraka Point's signature iced tea.
We think the gardens at Baraka Point and Virgin Gorda's natural beauty are inspirational and we hope that you will agree. If you would like to learn more about the ways in which we are trying to protect and preserve the natural environment of the BVI for future generations please read Going Green at Baraka Point! on the following pages.
Going Green at Baraka Point!
Here are some of the things we do at Baraka Point to protect the environment...
For our en-suite bathroom amenities and massage oils we use Aromatherapy Associates, which is a British company committed to protecting the environment through the use of high quality natural ingredients and reducing waste. All of our bathroom amenities are in re-fillable containers to minimize plastic waste.
Because the Aromatherapy Associates shower gel, shampoo, soap etc., is made from 75% plant-based materials and we recycle all of our water for our gardens, the products do no harm to the plants or to the soil. This also prevents harmful by-products washing in to the sea by way of the drainage system at the property.
We compost the bulk of our kitchen waste & return it to the gardens so as to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers. We also have 5 tortoises who munch up all of the brown bits of lettuce we don't use and the mango skins so they too contribute (and benefit!) from our kitchen waste recycling efforts.
Our use of natural fertilizers & the avoidance of pesticides in the gardens prevents harmful chemicals leeching in to the soil and water table and avoids run-off into the sea which would otherwise damage the coral and marine life.
We do not use harmful sprays in the suites, which eventually find their way out of doors & windows and negatively affect the environment. Instead we use a room fogger that is made from crysanthemums-it is "good" bug, lizard, bird and people-safe and targets only those pests which we want to eliminate from the rooms.
We collect rainwater in a 70,000 gallon cistern and all of our waste water is recycled, UV filtered to ensure its purity, and re-used in the irrigation system for our gardens.
Next year we will be installing solar panels to try to reduce our reliance on carbon-based forms of energy to power the air-conditioning units, fridges, freezers, and hot water heaters which consume the bulk of the energy it takes to operate Baraka Point.
We use very little paper in the promotion of Baraka Point Estate as a luxury destination having opted not to print a brochure for the property. Instead we rely on high quality relationships with travel agents and tour operators, word of mouth recommendations, and a new eBrochure which is available to download from our website. We hope that viewers will consider the environment before they print this brochure.
We avoid the use of plastic bags where possible because these can end up in the ocean causing grief, and more often death, to many sea creatures. Instead, all of our groceries and supplies are delivered in boxes. Everything comes to us in its original state, mixed up in trays and it goes in to the fridges the same way-it's a bit visually challenging in the fridge, but it cuts down on all the packaging that would otherwise end up in land fills and incinerators!
What you can do to help...
When you are in residence please keep windows and doors closed if you are operating the air conditioning; if you prefer to keep the windows open be sure to turn off the AC and close the screens as this avoids additional spraying in the suites.
We encourage our guests to participate in our eco-friendly villa program by agreeing to have sheets changed twice in a 7 night stay and to help us minimize the use of washing powder and water by using bathroom towels more than once. Towels left in the basket will be replaced; if you feel you can use a towel more than once hang it on the towel bar or hooks in your en-suite bathroom to air dry.