By Nancy Kristof

Imagine discovering an ideal resort retreat and realizing that you can return there year after year to find the same unspoiled haven. These are places where we take comfort in knowing that bustling growth will not encroach, and where the land and its inhabitants will be protected in perpetuity.

That’s precisely the kind of pristine environment emerging in communities represented by IMI all across North America.

Consider The Cliffs Communities in the Carolinas, which employs a full-time agronomist to ensure that its golf courses maintain minimum impact on the surrounding land, wildlife and watersheds. Likewise, Ginn LaurelmorSM near Boone and Blowing Rock, N.C., boasts a massive conservation easement with a stunning 2,750 acres of protected land, encompassing 64 miles of preserved mountain streams. And Martis Camp in North Lake Tahoe, developed by DMB Highlands Management Group, constantly monitors water quality and — through the use of innovative inlet filters — removes 99 percent of hydrocarbons from Martis Creek.

A recent IMI-represented offering employing eco-friendly techniques is Kor Hotel Group’s Viceroy Riviera Maya, which is part of the 1,600-acre resort community of Mayakoba on the Mexican Riviera. While Mexico’s coastal ecologies have been challenged by bustling destinations such as nearby Cancun, the creators of Mayakoba have remained steadfast in their commitment to a responsible, low-density development. Years before construction began, designers camped out in the mangroves — which later emerged as the soul of the community’s distinct composition.

As a result, 20 percent more mangroves were preserved than government zoning requirements mandated. Also, builders discovered a vast system of lagoons just beneath the land’s limestone surface. Carefully excavating the limestone, they created more than six miles of navigable waterways, which are now traversed by eco-friendly electric-powered boats. Called lanchas, these boats can carry visitors throughout the resort, where no motorized vehicles can go. As an alternative, residents can walk or bike along miles of trails that meander through the mangroves.

Adding to the distinction, the Kor Hotel Group’s Greg Norman Championship Golf Course, El Camaleón, was sculpted using the excavated limestone from the lagoons. This mitigated the environmental impact on the course’s surrounding watershed, as did the use of a drainage system that diverts inorganic materials into an on-site water treatment plant. This plant filters the water runoff and converts it into safe, reusable “gray water.” What’s more, the golf course and lagoons function as “open air” channels, carrying cool ocean breezes throughout the resort, allowing homeowners to save on electricity and air-conditioning costs.

The fruit of Mayakoba’s efforts abound, as some of the world’s most incredible and colorful wildlife thrive. “Birds are everywhere, and fish are literally at your feet,” explains one recent visitor. Just off the coast, the Great Maya Reef — the world’s second largest barrier reef system — provides a refuge for abundant sea life.

At Mayakoba and all of these communities, it is clear that meaningful conservation does not occur in a vacuum. It starts with an earnest commitment; it is envisioned through innovation and hard work; and it is maintained with significant investments. With this combination, truly environmentally sensitive communities emerge — communities IMI is proud to represent and that provide customers with the genuine solace of knowing they are part of a place that gives back to the land.