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Audubon Cooperative Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary SystemSanctuary System
• Environmental Priorities:• Watershed protection• Biodiversity and habitat management• Sustainable resource management• Environmental design• Sustainable communities
Who is Audubon International?
Community LevelStrategic Planning and Sustainable Community Initiatives
Site LevelEnvironmentally-sensitive Development and Management
Individual LevelStewardship Action
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs for:
• Golf Courses
• Schools
• Businesses
• Backyards
• Audubon Signature Cooperative Sanctuary Program
• The goal of each program is educating and assisting land managers in practicing good environmental stewardship and sustainable land management.
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses
• Administered by Audubon International
• Sponsored by the USGA since 1991
• Goals:• Enhance wildlife habitats on existing golf courses
• Encourage active participation in conservation programs
• Recognize golf courses as important open spaces and credit those participating in environmental projects
• Educate the public and golf community about the benefits of golf courses and the role they play relative to the environment and wildlife
Why Golf Courses?
• When carefully constructed and managed, golf courses can be successfully blended with the natural environment to preserve natural habitat and provide a community asset.
Why Golf Courses?
• Potential pollution of groundwater and surface waters
• Use of water resources for irrigation
• Degradation or loss of natural areas
• Potential effect of golf course activities on people and wildlife
Benefits of the Program
• The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program provides a framework for coordinating and expanding your environmental efforts.
• It will help you document, communicate, and promote what you do.
• It will help you reduce risks and environmental liabilities.
• “I came into the program very cocky. I grew up on a golf course and thought I knew it all. Audubon showed me how much I didn’t know.”
Patrick Blum, Superintendent at Colonial Acres Golf Course
Good for the Environment, Good for the Course
• ACSP Participant Survey results:
• 75% reduced pesticide costs
• 82% reduced pesticide use
• 89% improved cultural control methods to decrease the need for chemical use
• 89% conscientiously choose native plants when landscaping
• 50% increased the amount of shoreline vegetation
• 99% reported that playing quality has remained the same or improved
Good for the Environment, Good for Golfers
• National Golf Foundation survey results: • Among the top five reasons people play golf is:
"it puts the golfer in touch with nature"• 90% of golfers believe in the need to protect the
environment
• ACSP Participant Survey results:• 92% use pesticides with lower toxicity levels• Average increase of 22 acres of wildlife habitat per
course• 66% reported that golfer satisfaction has improved• 34% reported that golfer satisfaction has remained
the same
Good for the Environment, Good for Staff
• ACSP Participant Survey results:
• 80% decreased the amount of managed turfgrass
• 56% increased the width of “no-spray zones” around water features
• 99% reported that job satisfaction has improved or has remained the same
Community Outreach
Skill Enhancement
Make New Friends
Reasons To Join The Program
• Have fun
• Enhance job satisfaction
• Improve job skills
• Improve turf quality
• Improve golfer and community relations
• Not to mention:• Protect and enhance wildlife habitat• Conserve natural resources• Protect water quality
• “It’s the right thing to do!”Michael Sandburg, CGCS
Getting Started
• Register your property in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses• Fill out a short form • Send with $200 annual fee
• Receive a New Member Packet
• Receive a subscription to Stewardship News
Program Education and Assistance
• New Member Packet includes:• The Guide to Environmental Stewardship on the Golf
Course• Certification Handbook• Native Plant List
• Technical support• Sound information• Audubon Stewards Network
• Promotional opportunities• Press releases• Case studies• Articles• Media highlights
Six Environmental Focus Areas
• Environmental Planning
• Wildlife and Habitat Management
• Chemical Use Reduction and Safety
• Water Conservation
• Water Quality Management
• Outreach and Education
Environmental Planning takes into account:
• In-play Turfgrass
• Maintenance facility
• Irrigation
• Course landscaping
• Water features
• Non-play natural areas
Environmental Planning
• Commit to environmental stewardship
• Plan projects that ensure overall environmental quality
• Evaluate progress towards goals and objectives on an annual basis
Environmental Planning Goals
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
• “Enhance the wildlife present on site along with building a better environment for more;
• Show that a golf course can coexist with nature;• Build and enhance a sanctuary where nature and
wildlife can thrive and grow.”
Wildlife and Habitat Management
• Provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species in non-play and landscaped areas
• Protect existing native habitats and species
Wildlife & Habitat Management Successes
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
• Establishment of a detailed wildlife and plant inventory database
• Partnering with the City of Courtenay in the building of the BC150 Grove on Malahat Dr.
• Created a Butterfly Garden on the 1st Hole
• Instituted a Nest Box and Mason Bee Block Program
• Converting 4,700sq.ft of Broom on the 2nd Hole to a Garry Oak Meadow
Chemical Use Reduction and Safety
• Maintain vigorous and healthy turfgrass through sound cultural practices and IPM
• Ensure that chemical products are managed and applied in ways that minimize harmful environmental impacts
Chemical Use Reduction Successes
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
• Reduction in overall pesticide usage
• Re-prioritization of cultural programs to encourage a healthier turf, more able to withstand disease pressure
• Complete elimination of insecticides as part of our turf maintenance program
• Improved on-site chemical and fertilizer storage safety
Water Conservation
• Maximize efficiency and minimize water waste by proper maintenance of irrigation equipment
• Maintain soil and turf health that maximizes water absorption and minimizes water loss to evaporation and runoff
Water Conservation Successes
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
• Reduced overall water usage by 33% since pursuing Audubon certification
• Removing 12 acres of turf from our irrigation system
• Incorporating evapotranspiration rates into daily irrigation decisions
• Upgrading irrigation hardware and control software to more maximize irrigation efficiency
• Completing an irrigation audit to measure uniformity of sprinkler coverage
Water Quality Management
• Monitor the health of water features to detect possible movement of nutrient and chemical inputs into water sources
• Protect water resources by employing Best Management Practices to eliminate the potential for chemical runoff, nutrient loading, and drift
Water Quality Management Example
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
Established vegetative buffer and no-spray zones around all on-course water features
Outreach and Education
• Communicate your commitment to environmental stewardship
• Educate patrons, staff, decision makers, and community members about environmental projects
• Provide opportunities for patrons, staff, decision makers, and community members to be involved in environmental projects
Outreach and Education Examples
Participating in the ACSP
• Sets a positive example
• Leads the way for responsible environmental stewardship
• Reduces risks
• Makes a significant contribution to the environment
Join Today!Join Today!
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System46 Rarick Road
Selkirk, NY 12158
(518) 767-9051 ext. 12Fax: (518) 767-9076