Is conservation the hot trend in destination clubs? Recent entrant Everlands is the latest club to embrace the idea of combining environmental stewardship with luxury retreats. The club, started in 2007, is building a portfolio of properties across the globe that mix historical preservation and land protection with five-star accommodation.

Most destination clubs build their suite of properties by buying one or more homes in a resort area or second home development. Everlands is employing the unique strategy of purchasing lodges, usually averaging 10 to 15 rooms, in prime recreational areas. Under the typical destination club model, a member would book a property for their use alone, but the Everlands model allows for multiple members to stay at the property at the same time, and therefore interact with each other just as they might at a country club.

Everlands has properties in Big Sky, Mont., Snow Valley, Vt., Martha’s Vineyard, and Devon, England, as well as on Andros Island, the Bahamas, and New Zealand’s South Island. The properties often have historic significance and are located in areas with major recreational draws. For instance, the lodge in Bristol Bay, Alaska is near prime trout fishing, and the resort provides float plane access to the best fishing spots. The Castle Hot Springs, Ariz. property is set on 207 acres dotted with natural hot springs that reach 122 degrees. In New York’s Saranac Lake, the club owns the Point, one of the last Rockefeller Great Camps in the Adirondack Park. The club is aiming for a property portfolio with a decidedly global view and plans to acquire homes in Iceland, Croatia, Kenya and Patagonia—on the tip of South America—among other locations. Everlands intends to build a club with 45 separate locations, each valued between $5 million and $10 million.

The membership base is being built by referral, and new memberships are extended by invitation only. With a membership fee of $1 million, the club ranks in the ultra-luxury category in the company of clubs like Solstice and Yellowstone Club World. Everlands is an equity-owned club, so members actually have a stake in the real estate holdings. The membership deposit is 100 percent refundable and annual dues total $40,000. The dues also land Everlands on the high end of the destination club market, but usage is unlimited, with reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis. Members’ children aged 18 to 23 and still living at home can use the properties unaccompanied.

Last year, destination club Ciel announced that it was refocusing to acquire properties with conservation easements. Everlands, aims to promote conservation through an initiative that encompasses stewardship, environmental affiliations and a foundation that grants $1 million awards to individuals or groups that exemplify the Everlands philosophy of enjoying nature while preserving it for future generations. Nominees are selected, and the winner chosen, with extensive member involvement. The prize is funded in part through member fees.