Opryland ain't jest countree, it's GREEN country

Down Nashville way the Gaylord Corporation is trying to live with fewer toxic chemicals. They cook 1.5 million meals a year, maintain over two thousand guest rooms and nien acres ofindoor gardens. All that with pest control handled by mother nature. They use various bacterium and natural materials to control insects and other pests.

Here's part of the program they use at Gaylord, as described by spokesperson Kim Keelor: "We use bio-rational pesticides instead of chemically-engineered ones for reasons that become obvious when you read their descriptions. Botanigard or Beauverai Bassiana is a bio-rational pesticide that comes from a natural fungus. Conserve – Spinosad is a natural byproduct of fermentation and is very effective, as is Azadiractin, which is derived from the Neem tree. And the list goes on to include fatty soaps, vegetable oils, etc. We significantly reduced chemicals that are not bio-rational from our indoor horticulture program.

"The challenge regarding structural pest control is obviously different, as there are no plants to damage or support, but there is the health of guests and employees that is of number one concern. That is why Gaylord Opryland has also phased in more bio-rational methods of structural pest control as well over the years, reaching our peak use in 2006. Now Pyrethrum-based products are used. They are botanical pesticides made from the daisy-like flower Chrysantheum Cinerariifolium. We have also moved to insect growth regulators which prohibit insects from reproducing thus reducing the amount of insecticides needed for future populations. We use baits over chemicals whenever possible, many which contain environmentally-sound ingredients such as boric acid, and Abamectin, which occurs naturally in the soil, and insect sex and food pheromones to attract a specific insect into a trap.

"In our waterways outside, and if necessary, inside, we started using Bacillus Thurengensis with great success. It a naturally occurring bacterium which is used to control a number of insects, most notably mosquitoes."

And those polluting chemical air fresheners? They're having none of it at Opryland. The air is cleaned by the plants and no chemicals are introduced into the gigantic HVAC.

That picture is one of the flatboats on the INSIDE streams at Opryland, picture from the company's website.