Yosemite's Environmental Living & Learning Community (ELLC) is a group of Yosemite Hospitality employees finding ways to make Yosemite more sustainable. They live in a designated area of housing, and work on projects inside employee housing and throughout Yosemite Valley. Through this program they help support Yosemite Hospitality's sustainability programs and the park’s Zero Landfill Initiative.
Some projects the ELLC has worked on include:
- Building and maintaining a community herb garden.
- Creating community compost bins to reduce food waste.
- Constructing a clothesline for employees to save electricity.
- Organized weekly communal meals with environmentally friendly diets.
- Monitoring our electricity and water usage.
- Hosting the parks first cigarette recycling program for employee housing.
Additionally, the ELLC hosts guests speakers and workshops that are open to the community. Some examples of past workshops include:
- "Mental Health While Living in a National Park", with legendary rock climber Ron Kauk.
- "Creating Facelift", with Yosemite Climbing Association president Ken Yager.
- "Useful Plants in Yosemite", with park naturalists and interpreters.
- "The Truth About Garbage", with the Leave No Trace organization.
- "Quick and Easy Vegan Cooking", with Yosemite locals.
- "Sustainable Farming", with Raw Roots owner Andrew Glikin.
- Organized trash clean-ups in and around Yosemite.
The ELLC is seasonal, operating from June 1st - September 1st. Typical housing for ELLC members includes platform tents with two or three roommates and communal kitchens and washrooms. Please refer to the Benefits page for more questions about living arrangements in Yosemite Valley. Outside of community projects, the ELLC promotes awareness and helps support other sustainability initiatives around Yosemite. The ELLC furthers Yosemite Hospitality’s goals by finding ways to reduce electricity consumption, recycle waste, and conserve water.
The best way to find out more about ELLC is to follow their Instagram @Yosemite.ELLC. If you are interested in working in Yosemite National Park and making a difference while you are here, consider applying to live in the ELLC.
To do so, email YosemiteELLC@aramark.com
