Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program
Wildhorse Golf Club would like to make you aware of a new Outreach initiative – the Audubon Green Golfer Challenge. Taking the Audubon Green Golfer Pledge is a very simple way for golfers to carry on golf’s venerable tradition of preserving the nature of the game. Equally important, it helps golf make a positive difference in the quality of our environment for present and future generations. Additional information regarding the Audubon International and the Green Golfer Challenge can be found at: http://www.golfandenvironment.com/
August 2014 – Press Release
CONTACT: Doug Bechtel, Executive Director
(518) 767-9051, Ext. 114
doug@auduboninternational.org
Wildhorse Golf Club Recognized for Environmental Excellence
HENDERSON, NV– Wildhorse Golf Club has retained its designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program.
Participation is designed to help course personnel plan, organize, implement, and document a comprehensive environmental management program and receive recognition for their efforts. To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas including: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.
“Wildhorse Golf Club has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property,” said Doug Bechtel, Executive Director of Audubon International.
Wildhorse Golf Club is one of seven courses in Nevada and 906 courses in the world to receive the honor. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Central America, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the program. The golf course was designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in 2011. After designation, courses go through a recertification process every two years.
This year the recertification process, coordinated by Greg Todd, Regional Agronomist and Golf Course Superintendent at Wildhorse, required a visit by a local community representative. Patrick Watson, Conservation Services Administrator at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, was given a tour of the course and sent his observations to Audubon International. “The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program has enhanced the look and feel of the Wildhorse Golf Club,” reported Watson. “There are happy birds on almost every hole.”
“With the help from ACSP, we are able to look at finding better ways to manage the wildlife and habitat on the golf course,” said Todd. “We are also looking for ways to better manage the resources that we use,” he reported.
“We see the site visit as an important component of a course’s recertification,” stated Bechtel. “It provides an objective verification of some of the more visible aspects of the course’s environmental management activities. In addition, it offers an opportunity for golf course representatives to share publicly some of the voluntary actions they have taken to protect and sustain the land, water, wildlife, and natural resources around them.”
About Audubon International
Audubon International is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization dedicated to providing people with the education and assistance they need to practice responsible management of land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources. To meet this mission, the organization provides training, services, and a set of award-winning environmental education and certification programs for individuals, organizations, properties, new developments, and entire communities.
For more information, contact Audubon International at 120 Defreest Drive, Troy, NY 12180, (518) 767-9051, e-mail at acsp@auduboninternational.org, or visit the website at www.auduboninternational.org.
Press Release
CONTACT: Jim Sluiter, Staff Ecologist
(518) 767-9051, ext. 16
jsluiter@auduboninternational.org
HENDERSON, NV – Wildhorse Golf Club has received certification in Environmental Planning from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), an international program administered by Audubon International designed to help landowners preserve and enhance the environmental quality of their property. The plan was developed by Scott Sutton, Golf Course Superintendent, who is also recognized for his effort to plan for environmental stewardship.
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses provides an advisory service to help existing golf courses develop effective conservation and wildlife enhancement programs. This worldwide effort is coordinated by Audubon International and sponsored in part by the United States Golf Association (USGA)
“The open space of a golf course is utilized not only by golfers, but is habitat for a variety of wildlife species,” explained Jim Sluiter, Staff Ecologist for Audubon International. We welcome Wildhorse Golf Club’s commitment to the environment and to managing the golf course with wildlife in mind.”
By joining and participating in the ACSP, Wildhorse Golf Club will be involved in projects that enhance habitat for wildlife and preserve natural resources for the benefit of the local community. These projects include placing nest boxes for cavity-nesting birds, utilizing integrated pest management techniques, conserving water, and maintaining food and cover for wildlife.
“The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program benefits both people and wildlife,” said Shuiter. “It’s a great way for the managers of developed properties to work together to become better stewards of land and natural resources.”