This environmental policy came about as a result of over 10+ years travel across some of the most exotic destinations on the planet. From a treehouse in India’s rainforests to a tent in the sub-saharan deserts of the Red Sea; these & many other examples of sustainable tourism models have inspired our policy.
In a time when our planet needs it most, Alter Experiences LLC will set the standard for a tourism model centered around sustainability, conservation & the protection of our resources in the San Diego Central Mountain Region.
We're dedicated to pioneering business practices that encourage overall sustainability and a balance with nature conservation.
We're setting out to prove that economic growth & sustainable business practices can be achieved without plundering our resources, destroying the environment or succumbing to corporate greed.
It's time for a change in the way we live, in the way we do business and in our priorities as a society.
A Model of Sustainable Tourism in San Diego
While our board of directors were exploring potential sites for our tourism model, we were captivated by San Diego’s Central Mountain region & its conservation model.
These regions are some of San Diego’s most pristine & bio-diverse habitats. Our ultimate goal is to work with community partners and stakeholders to exemplify this destination as a model of sustainable tourism development.
“Cuyamaca is a scenic mountain community of Cuyamaca Peak, North Peak, Middle Peak, & Stonewall Peak. Cuyamaca is a forested area of oaks, incense cedar, white fir, and pines. Also riparian trees, such as willow, alder, and sycamore, lie along many small spring fed streams. Boulder Creek is designated a “Wild and Scenic River”. Lake Cuyamaca is located in a natural valley and covers about 100 acres. The Lake Cuyamaca meadow has fifteen sensitive plant species, is biologically one of the most important areas in the county, and is a Resource Conservation Area. The Cuyamaca Sponsor Group area has abundant wildlife, mountain lions, bobcats, deer, badgers, foxes, bald and 9 golden eagles, and over a hundred species of birds. At an altitude of over 4000 ft., Cuyamaca is characterized by seasonal color changes on the open meadows and hillsides, from wildflowers to snow…
The Cuyamaca Subregional Group area is one of the most unique scenic areas of San Diego County. It is a rural, residential mountain community, dependen on limited groundwater. Residents have a recreational lifestyle of hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. They enjoy clean air and water, a clear night sky, spacious mountain views, and peace and quiet…
The desire of residents to preserve the area’s beauty of undisturbed nature will severely limit the future development of Cuyamaca…”
Central Mountain Subregional Plan - San Diego County General Plan
Visitor Outreach & Education
We are usually present for every guest check-in and place much emphasis on safety & environmental stewardship during every briefing. Fire safety is a top top priority for this region and safe fire handling practices are top on the list. Our outfitters cover other important issues such as: waste management, recreation area rules, general safety, wildlife & camping etiquette. Our orientation also covers some basic facts and information about the Cleveland National Forest. We also emphasis visitor safety and responsible travel through our marketing approach and social media activism regularly. As USFS Outfitters, it's our responsibility to be good brand ambassadors for the destination and to support the overall mission of our USFS for the Cleveland National Forest. We do our best to source locally and to partner up with local vendors and suppliers.
Day to Day Operations
As USFS outfitters, we always strive to reduce our environmental impact and footprint. Our glamping operation is seasonal from mid March-November and our equipment is removed and stored away. This gives our tress a break from the tree tents and from the busy visitor season through the summer. We buy all of our Tree Tents exclusively from Tentsile and they plant 10 trees for each unit we purchase. This relationship has resulted in hundreds of trees planted over the past 5 years. All of the cleaning supplies we use are environmentally friendly and bio-degradable.
All of our lights are solar powered and so we're not dependent on any electricity to power our sites. We have recycling stations at all of our sites and provide a fully stocked kitchen, to cut down on single use plastic. We use Flame King refillable propane tanks and have a re-fill station on site. Our team is regularly involved with supporting clean-ups and other local initiatives, in support of our San Diego mountain community. We're big supporters of the SDMBA, who are responsible for much of the trail maintenance and advocacy in the region.
We continue to find ways of reducing our environmental footprint, while working towards being a radically sustainable company.
Waste Reduction
Waste reduction measures will include waste minimization, waste reuse, and recycling. We’ll place emphasis on raising awareness about pollution & moving away from plastic and other products that negatively impact our environment and wildlife.
A major part of the experience will include getting guests to start thinking about their environmental foot prints, as well as steps they can take to reduce waste and pollution. The visitor experience is designed to nurture a culture of recycle, re-use, reduce & getting people to re-think their day-to-day consumption habits.
We’ll be using a multi-media approach to engender this message, as well as workshops designed to educate and engage our guests about these serious environmental issues.
Community Development
Culture and heritage will play an integral part of the overall guest experience. We’ll encourage tours to some of the historical sites in the region, as well as the nearby reservations and visitors centers. We provide on-line resources, pamphlets, and other media that will serve to educate visitors about the region’s rich heritage and culture.
We work with community partners who can assist us with providing a multitude of activities such as equestrian, water-sports, hiking, hunting, agro-tours, yoga & star-gazing.
This allows us to offer experience based tour packages in collaboration with local stakeholder, while engendering a business atmosphere that encourages overall economic growth for the community.
How Visitors Can Get Involved
By visiting Alter Experiences LLC, you're already making a positive, environmental choice in destination. We need the support of our guests to conserve the natural resources of the region. There are many things you can do to get involved like joining one of our workshops, being a responsible visitor and expanding your own personal knowledge about environmental conservation and sustainable practices. Here are a few other things you can do to help us: