• Meet New Signature Sanctuary Certification Director
• Ojai Valley Inn Reaches Green Hospitality Heights
• The Basics of Pond Bioremediation
• ACSP Excellence in Iowa & Canada
• A New Sustainable ‘Village’
THE FAIRWAYS FOUNDATION COULD HELP FUND YOUR PROJECT
Aquatrols established The Fairways Foundation with the purpose of funding local and global projects that advance the conservation of our natural resources. These projects will help to preserve the environment we live and work in while encouraging education and stewardship not only within our own industry but also within wider communities.
CEO CORNER
Transition, Renewed Growth… And Renewed Purpose
This is the time of year that brings thoughts of cooler temperatures, shorter days, and falling leaves. It’s transition season. Summer keeps hanging on in many parts of the United States, but before we know it, winter is here – all the hustle and bustle it brings through the holidays, with the golf industry’s busy national and regional conference and show season beyond.
Through it all, the good work of environmental stewardship never stops. At Audubon International, we keep adding to our family of newly certified golf courses, hospitality and lodging venues, and communities, with leaps in technology putting certification in reach for more partners than ever, much of it driven by the explosion of artificial intelligence.
When they’re in the field working with our golf course, hospitality, business, and community-based members to achieve certification or earn recertification, our Directors and Environmental Specialists witness first hand the leaps and bounds that stewardship-enhancing technologies are taking across the best practices board. From water-saving soil sensors on golf courses to incredibly efficient HVAC and lighting systems in clubhouses and hotels to amazingly streamlined and planet-friendly designs in waste processing – much of it designed, driven, and analyzed by computer hardware and software – we are seeing our valued partners embrace and implement these amazing developments on a daily basis, further reducing their environmental footprints where it matters most while saving on the financial side, too.
Still, no business or public entity striving to “do the right thing” by the planet, both at the behest of the marketplace and in the need for long-term sustainability, can get there on A.I. alone. It’s through the dedication and hard work of people where the true stewardship strides take place. We see their passion and purpose in action as they take on every challenge involved in certification. We see superintendents, hotel managers, and most importantly, the crews and staffs they lead take their goals to heart and create lasting cultures of stewardship that their members and customers also embrace and implement in their own lives. And when we see hundreds of volunteers come together for our annual BioBlitz each spring – taking time out of their lives to head for a local golf course and count up the many species of flora and fauna that make these vital natural spaces their home – we remember that it’s the human element that matters most, and always will.
That’s certainly true at Audubon International. Our team continues to grow and bring an incredible wealth of talent to the table. When longtime Director of Environmental Programs for Golf Frank LaVardera retired earlier this year after a distinguished career in furthering the sustainability cause, he left a strong legacy for our specialists to follow. Our new Director of Signature Sanctuary Certification, Ken Benoit, brings decades of experience as a golf course superintendent, consultant, and sustainability evangelist to our management mix. He even rode his bike across the country, through the depths of the pandemic, to educate fellow superintendents on the many benefits of sustainable best practices. Meanwhile, Director of Green Hospitality Certification Greg Poirier is working hard to certify lodging properties such as Ojai Valley Inn in California – which achieved our Platinum level this summer –while Sustainable Communities Program Specialist Jill Moore continues to increase its member rolls.
The good work continues, and there’s no shortage of good people to make it happen through whatever technological advances and transitions take place. Thank you for being part of this good work. We look forward to growing our mission together
CEO, Audubon International
www.auduboninternational.org
518.767.9051 | Toll-free 1.844.767.9051
Audubon International Headquarters 120 Defreest Drive, Troy, NY 12180
STAFF
Christine Kane , Chief Executive Officer christine@auduboninternational.org
Fred Realbuto, Chief Operating Officer fred@auduboninternational.org
Ken Benoit, Director, Signature Sanctuary Certifications ken@auduboninternational.org
Greg Poirier, Global Director, Green Hospitality Certifications greg@auduboninternational.org
Scott Turner, Assistant Director of Signature Sanctuary Certifiation scott@auduboninternational.org
Jill Moore, Sustainable Communities Program Manager jill@auduboninternational.org
Sarah Honan, Assistant Director of Signature Sanctuary Certifiation sarah@auduboninternational.org
Alexandra Kellam, Environmental Program Manager alexandra@auduboninternational.org
Lauren Wengender, Environmental Program Manager lauren@auduboninternational.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Henry DeLozier, Chairman
Rich Katz, Vice Chairman
Marvin Moriarty, Secretary
Henry Wallmeyer, Treasurer
JC Chi
Ruth Engle
Jennifer Grant, Ph.D.
Rick Lohman
Jim Pavonetti, CGCS
Jake Riekstins
David Robinson, CGCS
James Singerling, CCM
Bryan Stromme
Michael Williams
STEWARDSHIP
Vic Williams, Editor & Designer
Dan Shepherd Public Relations
BioBlitz 2025 Winners
Ken Benoit Named Director of Signature Sanctuary Certifications
St. Kitts Marriott Earns Green Hospitality Certification
Freylit USA Becomes Audubon International Sponsor
Michael Williams Named to Board of Directors
CHAIRMAN’S
CORNER
Leading The Way To A Better Future
Audubon International and its mission are attractive to many for a variety of reasons…all of which are true to our core beliefs. “The healthy functioning of our planet’s ecosystems – our air, water, and land, and the vast diversity of life on Earth – is worth preserving.”
When one considers the many reasons people and organizations choose to join and support Audubon International, one finds that those reasons sort into several important categories, which are not mutually exclusive. Five categorical motivations for supporting the mission of Audubon International are:
1. It’s the right thing to do. Through education, technical assistance, certification, and recognition, Audubon International puts environmentally sustainable management practices in place around the world. We positively impact environmental health at multiple geographic scales, from individual properties to entire communities and eco-regions.
Caring for the environment holds considerable importance to many thousands. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey of 10,329 U.S. adults conducted May 30 to June 4, 2023, reports:
• 74% of Americans say they support the country’s participation in international efforts to reduce the effects of climate change.
• Overwhelming majorities support planting about a trillion trees around the world to absorb carbon emissions (89%) and requiring oil and gas companies to seal methane gas leaks from oil wells (85%).
• 61% favor requiring power plants to eliminate all carbon emissions by the year 2040.
2. It’s good for business. Many residential communities, hospitality and lodging concerns, country clubs, and public-available golf courses are recognized within the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) and Signature Sanctuary certifications. Through several segment-specific programs and certifications, these certifications provide guidance to those who choose to implement and document a comprehensive environmental management plan.
The Green Hospitality certification serves the hospitality industry with guidance and programs that support healthy and safe lodging options.
The same 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 76% of respondents favor providing a tax credit to businesses that develop carbon capture technologies and 70% support taxing corporations based on their carbon emissions.
Consumers recognize the conscientiousness of businesses and corporations which seek to create safe environmental havens.
3. It’s a popular commitment to make. Support for environmentalism remains high globally and in the U.S., with broad backing for policies like investing in renewable energy, restoring nature, and creating climate-friendly jobs. While specific definitions of “environmentalist” have shifted, a majority of people across diverse demographics and political affiliations favor government and corporate actions to address environmental challenges and climate change.
4. Its reach is global. Audubon International’s certifications helps golf courses, schools, and other properties implement and document a comprehensive environmental management plan across the globe.
5. It’s easy to get involved. After joining the program, the next step is to take stock of environmental resources and areas to improve. Then, develop an environmental management plan that fits each unique setting, goals, staff, budget, and time. Audubon International provides a Site Assessment and Environmental Planning Form to provide guidance, as well as educational information to help you with outreach and education; resource management; water quality and conservation; and wildlife and habitat management.
Christine Kane, Audubon International CEO summarizes the value of participation, saying, ““By seeking certification for their sustainable property management, our members are leading the way to a better future in harmony with nature.”
Henry Delozier, Chairman of the Board
BioBlitz 2025: Meet The Big Winners
Annual Species-Counting Event Brings Communities, Courses Together
Audubon International’s 9th Annual BioBlitz competition, sponsored by BioBoost Nest with support from Seed King Enterprises LLC, welcomed a healthy and enthusiastic cross-section of golf courses from across the United States, Canada, and Latin America, with three U.S. courses taking top honors in Community Engagement, Best Photograph, and Biodiversity.
The popular event played out May 15-June 15, attracting hundreds of nature lovers of every stripe as club members, school kids, local environmental group members and others came together, a day at a time, to observe nearly 1,300 species of flora and fauna thriving on Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf-certified and other member courses.
Participants reported logging an impressive cross-section of species including 797 plants, 204 insects, 135 birds, 66 fungi and lichens, 29 mammals, 22 reptiles, 16 amphibians, 11 mollusks, and 10 fish. Results were compiled and confirmed by Audubon
International’s team of Environmental Specialists, led by Alexandra Kellam.
“Last year’s very strong competition set the stage for another successful event in 2025,” said Christine Kane, CEO at Audubon International. “We continue to attract strong participation from our member courses, who once again brought their communities together to identify the amazing wealth of wildlife in their natural habitats and learn why golf courses are proven, committed leaders in environmental stewardship. As always, we salute every winner and value everyone who took part in this science-based fun.”
“Sponsoring BioBlitz is a natural fit for our company,” added Jody Fitzpatrick, CEO of BioBoost Nest. “We provide an eco-friendly system for managing ponds that is increasingly popular with golf courses committed to environmental sustainability. Our golf course customers embrace their role in preserving green spaces with low-chemical approaches that foster biodiversity.”
Best Photo Award: Eastern Bluebird with Golden Polypod Fern on Sabal Palm . Photo courtesy of Mike Powers/Naples Lake Country Club
The 2025 winners:
Community Engagement Award for most participants goes to Glencoe Golf Club of Glencoe, Ill, with 83 participants. Glencoe moves up after two third-place finishes in this category.
“The Glencoe Golf Club is thrilled to receive recognition from Audubon International,” said Stella Nanos, General Manager. “As we strive to embrace and integrate all of the standards set forth by Audubon International, Outreach and Education is a standard that carries on beyond the golf course grounds. Bio Blitz helps to convey the importance of milkweed, pollinator gardens, wildlife trees and other environmental features that support habitat for insects and wildlife. Our goal is to have every patron learn something about the benefits of the golf course to the environment and hopefully carry some of that education back to their own gardens.”
Best Photograph Award goes to Naples Lake Country Club in Naples, Fla., for Mike Powers’ stunning shot of an Eastern Blue Bird with Golden Polypod Fern on Sabal Palm (see photo on previous page).
“Naples Lakes CC has participated in Bioblitz for more than 10 years and their commitment to safeguard
the environment shows in the multiple awards received in those years,” said Habitat Consultant Monica Higgins. “Staff and members work together to showcase the club’s effort to be good stewards. One of the members, Mike Powers, participates frequently and his photography skills are shared with all — as seen in the photo that won this year’s award.”
Biodiversity Award (most unique species found) goes to Ironwood Golf Course of Byron Center, Mich., which racked up an impressive 409 unique species. Even more incredible is that only 14 participants took part at Ironwood, which averages to nearly 30 species per person.
“Winning the biodiversity award means so much to all of us at Ironwood,” said Kim Davidson, the course’s horticulturist, whose family has owned the course for nearly 50 years. “Our staff works hard every day to maintain a public golf course that not only provides quality playing conditions but also quality habitat for all the fauna in the area. We take pride in knowing that so many different species call Ironwood home, and we strive to bring that to our golfer’s attention. BioBlitz has been a great way for us to showcase our efforts over the years, including enhancing the course with native and pollinator plants and bird nesting boxes. If you plant it or build it, they will come!”
Audubon International offers hearty congratulations to the winners and all participants – all of whom expressed pride in taking part, and dedication to a truly worth cause in the collective goal of giving the game of golf its due in creating sustainable spaces for nature’s bounty.
“We held our BioBlitz on May 29th and, it’s safe to say, everyone that participated had a great time,” said Ken O’Brien of Boonsboro Country Club.
To participate in next year’s BioBlitz competition, visit www.auduboninternational.org or call toll free: 1-844767-9051
The sign-in station at Glencoe Golf Club in Glencoe, Ill., which took the top Community Engagement Award. Photo courtesy of Glencoe GC.
Longtime GCSAA Member Benoit Named Director of Signature Sanctuary Certification
Well-respected golf course superintendent and sustainability consultant Ken Benoit has joined the Audubon International leadership team as Director of Signature Sanctuary Certification. He began his new position on Aug. 18.
A longtime member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Benoit brings over 25 years of distinguished environmental leadership and comprehensive golf industry expertise to his new role. A graduate of the University of Detroit and Michigan State University, he combines deep technical knowledge in turfgrass management with extensive experience in environmental program development and certification.
“Bringing Ken on to helm the Signature Sanctuary Certification program truly positions Audubon International for continued growth in a core area of our mission,” said CEO Christine Kane. “His appointment represents our commitment to environmental excellence, putting into action Ken’s unique combination of technical expertise, program development experience, industry relationships, and passion for advancing sustainable practices in golf course development and management.”
The Signature Sanctuary Program certifies new or renovating golf courses, resorts, and communities in environmental best practices and involves comprehensive environmental planning with architects, owners, managers and key stakeholders to ensure sustainable design, construction and long-term management of each property. Its Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels include golf courses and maintenance facilities.; Platinum level certification also includes all open space and landscaped areas as well as clubhouses, restaurants, and lodging.
Benoit will work with each Signature Sanctuary member’s development team prior to, during, and after construction to ensure the property meets and maintains all sustainability requirements. He will also serve as primary point of contact for any inquiries from current, former, and prospective members of the Signature Sanctuary Certification, and coordinate
with appropriate staff members on the development of program materials as well as marketing, growth, recruitment, and communications strategies.
“I’m truly excited about starting with Audubon International,” Benoit says. “I look forward to being a part of their team and helping to grow their brand, working with superintendents to help them manage their properties in a way that aligns with sustainable practices, and helping developers build their properties with those goals in mind, on a truly global scale. There’s never been a better time to tell the world our story – that golf is actually good for the environment.”
As Founder and President of Eco Turf Consulting since 2019, Benoit has specialized in sustainable golf course management practices, providing expert guidance to facilities nationwide on environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance. He facilitated
Now residing in Boise, Idaho, Ken Benoit spent 18 years as a Certified Golf Course Superinendent at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y.
the creation of 13 statewide Best Management Practices (BMP) document templates and assisting numerous golf facilities in formally adopting comprehensive environmental management protocols. His executive leadership experience includes serving as President of both the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association and the New York Golf Course Foundation, where he later became the organization’s first Executive Director (2020-2024). He has also been a featured guest lecturer at The Pennsylvania State University Turfgrass Management Program and a featured speaker at industry conferences including the New York State Turfgrass Association’s “Turfgrass Advocacy Day” and GCSAA national conferences.
Benoit’s hands-on golf course experience includes 18 years as Certified Golf Course Superintendent at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y., where he managed operations, oversaw significant renovation projects, and served as the club’s primary liaison with municipal authorities. His prior golf course construction expertise provides him with unique insight into
the development process from environmental planning through project completion.
In 2020, Benoit took his commitment to educating golf superintendents on sustainability best practices to the next level. As the COVID-19 pandemic set in, he packed his bicycle with a tent, clothng and other provisions and rode it from Connecticut to Oregon, interviewing colleagues along the way and posting the interviews on YouTube.
“Then, in 2021, I did the same thing in the state of New York,” Benoit says. “My uncle went with me as my cameraman. He’s always thought golf was just recreation that sacrifices the environment just so people can go hit a ball around. So I took him to courses that have some really good environmental programs. He couldn’t believe all the positive stuff that golf courses do for communities. I interviewed him at the end – I play it for superintendents and show them the impact that we can have on people by just telling our story and letting them know what we’re actually doing out there.”
Reach Benoit at ken@auduboninternational.org.
Red Hook is rife with nature trails
Oldfield Club volunteers bring a wealth of talents to the tasks at hand
St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort Joins Green Hospitality Certification Ranks
St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort, Casino and Spa has achieved Green Lodging/Green Hospitality Gold-level Certification.
Located on the windward side of the island of St. Kitts, 10 minutes from the capital city of Basseterre, St. Kitts Marriott Beach Resort, Casino and Spa offers 389 rooms, eight restaurants, a full-service spa, championship golf course, and guided tours to the 65-squaremile island’s many ecological wonders including volcanic landscapes, rainforests, and black sand beaches. Audubon International Green Lodging Gold Certification gives the strongest reason yet to tout its environmental bona fides.
“In a region long recognized for its commitment to its environment, St. Kitts Marriott has set an even higher bar for the lodging industry throughout the
Caribbean,” says Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “It is that rare destination that indeed takes sustainable best practices to heart. We congratulate Marriott for adding another property to its long list of certified resorts, and the entire St. Kitts team on seeing their vision through and putting it into impressive action.”
“We are incredibly proud to have received the Gold Certificate for sustainability from Audubon International, a recognition that reflects our unwavering commitment to responsible hospitality and environmental stewardship,” said Anna McNutt, the resort’s general manager. “At St Kitts Marriott Beach Resort, Casino & Spa we believe that sustainable practices are not just good for the environment — they also enhance the experience we offer our guests and support
the long-term well-being of our community. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of our entire team, and we remain focused on continuously improving our operations to lead by example within the Caribbean region.”
The St. Kitts Marriott Resort has long pioneered sustainable eco-practices in the hotel industry in St. Kitts and Nevis. In 2004, it completed its 1,250,000-gallons-per day-reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant, and it currently runs a wastewater recycling plant producing 500,000 gallons per day to irrigate the golf course.
Other best practices contributing to its Audubon International Green Lodging Certification include:
• A move to eliminate all plastic containers by the end of 2025
• Regular energy assessments conducted by independent companies to ensure efficiency is maintained
• Wet waste from kitchens collected by local farmers to feed animals
• Improving staff awareness of the need to recycle plastics by monthly posts in the company newsletter
• Water stations used in all meeting spaces
• Biodegradable cups made of corn
• Water bottle refill stations
• Condiments served in bulk
• Energy reclamation to recycle cold or hot air in ballroom to conserve energy
• Automated HVAC efficiency system
• Individual temperature control in all meeting rooms
• Hotel-wide LED lighting
• Recycled paper
• Towel re-use program
• Linen re-use “Green Choice” program where guests can opt out of housekeeping service to receive 500 Marriott Rewards points per day.
• Water saving shower heads, toilets, and aerated faucets
• Recycling receptacles in every guest room
• Green certified cleaning products
• E-folios for client receipts to cut-down on paper usage
“Marriott St. Kitts Resort, its staff, and its customers indeed have much to celebrate,” says Greg Poirier, Global Director of Green Hospitality Certification Programs for Audubon International. “Reaching the Gold level shows their deep respect for the environment and clearly illustrates their plan to operate in balance with nature and help keep their island free of unsustainable practices that contribute to climate change.”
Freylit USA Sponsors Audubon International
North Carolina-based Freylit USA is Audubon International’s newest corporate sponsor.
Freylit USA joins such longtime Audubon International sponsors as Porous Pave, epar and BioBoost Nest to support the organization’s ongoing efforts to help lead golf courses and clubs, hotels, resorts, municipalities, private communities, and businesses establish and build on sustainable best practices. Freylit USA provides closed loop wash water systems for golf courses as well as oil water separators. Currently the company has 10,000 such systems installed worldwide, and provide a varied selection of solutions to meet the most challenging water treatment and separation issues.
The company’s maintenance equipment offers major environmental benefits by separating solid materials like soil particles and grass clipping from wash water; treating wash water, which can have levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, through propri-
etary filtration and degerming processes that do not use harmful chemicals, corrosive ozone or hard to monitor enzymes when recycling the wash water for reuse, thus saving thousands of gallons of water; and preventing the discharge of untreated wash water into the environment.
“We are very excited to work with Audubon International as we share their vision to create sustainable environments,” says Neil Dick, Director of Operations at Freylit USA. “With over 30 years of field testing and research invested in our products, our company has long been committed to helping golf courses and other clients keep their water safe, clean and environmentally sound – as well as help a golf course’s bottom line.”
For more on Freylit USA and its products, visit www. freylitusa.com.
Communications Executive Michael Williams Joins Audubon International Board of Directors
Audubon International has named Washington, D.C.-based journalist, communications expert, and speaker Michael Williams to its Board of Directors.
With a wide-ranging career including success in banking, technology, media and communications and as a leading advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the golf industry, Williams brings a wealth of interdisciplinary experience to the board.
“Adding Michael to our board will help broaden our reach to the larger golf community,” says Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “His wide range of relationships within and outside the golf sphere and his sharp communication skills will also strengthen our mission and message among potential members who want to embrace sustainable culture and best practices. We welcome his deep experience and fresh perspective.”
A Washington, D.C., native who majored in English Literature at the University of Maryland, Williams’ work as a journalist has been honored by the Golf Writers Association of America, the PGA of America, and the National Association of Black Journalists. As a sought-after speaker and communications expert he has counseled influential individuals and organizations, including some or the largest owner/operators in golf, on crisis management, corporate re-branding, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion issues. His pioneering work in Emotional Intelligence has been cited as a model for promoting empathy and understanding in organizations and communities. He has also been tapped by major companies outside of golf to consult on DEI and corporate culture issues, including the National
Peace Corps Foundation, The National Governors Association, Wikipedia, Michter’s Distilleries and others. As a political correspondent, Williams is also a longtime contributor to Voice of America’s flagship political program, “Issues in the News,” heard by over 19 million listeners weekly. He also serves as the Washington correspondent for Project 10 News in Australia and is a Senior Correspondent and Contributor to the National Golf Course Owners Association. He has contributed to a wide range of charitable organizations, including The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC.
“It is truly an honor to be given the opportunity to contribute to Audubon International,” Williams says. “During my career, I have had the pleasure of working with the organization to protect and preserve the environment at the East Potomac, Langston and Rock Creek Golf Courses into Nation’s Capital, and I will do my best to contribute to the essential role that organization holds in the industry.”
Golf Club at Lansdowne Awarded ACSP Honors
The Golf Club at Lansdowne, nestled along the scenic Potomac River in Leesburg, Va., continues to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, proudly earning three new certifications from the esteemed Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.
The club was recognized for excellence in Water Conservation, Environmental Planning, and for submitting an outstanding Environmental Case Study—a testament to its ongoing efforts to balance exceptional golf course conditions with responsible environmental practices. In addition to the recent certificates, which are part of the requirements to become an International Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, golf course superintendent Marc Muniz, GCSAA, was honored with a Certificate of Achievement in Environmental Planning.
“Sustainability is more than a goal, it’s a responsibility,” said Nick Zaloga, Director of Club and Leisure. “These certifications reflect the hard work of Marc and our entire team and are a big part of our goal to have our facility certified.”
Part of the prestigious Lansdowne Resort, The Golf Club at Lansdowne features 45 holes of championship golf, including courses designed by Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones Jr., offering a premier playing experience for members and resort guests.
More information about Lansdowne: www.lansdowneresort.com.
NOW’S THE TIME TO JOIN MONARCHS IN THE ROUGH
Research from various conservation-minded organizations tell a distressing tale: Natural breeding habitat for Monarch butterflies is on a steep decline.
According to The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, “In the 1990s, nearly 700 million monarchs made the epic flight each fall from the northern plains of the U.S. and Canada to sites in the oyamel fir forests north of Mexico City, and more than one million monarchs overwintered in forested groves on the California Coast. Now only a fraction of the population remains, monarchs have declined by more than 80% since the 1990s from central Mexico, and by more than 95% since the 1980s in coastal California.”
Golf courses across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are doing their best to reverse this trend by joining Monarchs in the Rough, founded in partnership between Audubon International and Environmental Defense Fund.
The program connects and supports superintendents and other golf course staff as they plan, install, and manage habitat projects for the monarch butterfly on their
courses. Thanks to a grant from the FairWays Foundation, Monarchs in the Rough provides regionally-appropriate milkweed seed to Audubon International member golf courses – enough to establish an acre of high-quality monarch habitat when planted with wildflowers supplied by the course. Larger projects are encouraged. Milkweed-only plantings can be supported in other areas on a case by case basis through other sources of funding as they become available and are a wonderful complement to a local pollinator mix.
Monarchs in the Rough also offers signage, posters, and technical guidance to golf course managers as they install and manage habitat, and as they communicate with course members about their effort to save the monarch.
By joining Monarchs in the Rough, golf courses can do their part to prevent further monarch losses while gaining recognition as an environmental leader and connecting with their communities in new ways.
For more information, visit www.monarchsintherough. org
Seeking Certification? Think Bioremediation For Your Pond Care FROM THE EXPERT
By Jody Fitzpatrick CEO, BioBoost Nest
Bioremediation is an important but overlooked approach to pond care that pays big dividends for properties looking to improve their sustainability efforts and to secure Audubon International certification status.
Audubon International certifications help golf facilities, private and public communities and destination resorts enhance their environmental sustainability best practices. Recipients are recognized for improvements in reducing chemical use, conserving water and other natural resources and encouraging biodiversity.
BIOREMEDIATION BASICS
WHY CHOOSE BIOREMEDIATION?
Traditional care of human-crafted ponds frequently relies on repeated chemical applications, manual interventions such as raking, or full aquatic resets via dredging.
Unfortunately, these techniques can inhibit biodiversity, play havoc with connected water systems and create a vicious cycle of chemical dependency.
There is a no-chemical, ecologically sound alternative - bioremediation. Bioremediation is scientifically proven to be an effective, cost-saving, long-term solution for cleaner, safe, beautiful ponds.
Adopting bioremediation for your pond care lessens your environmental footprint in several ways:
• Minimizes or eliminates chemical usage
• Provides healthy habitats for fish and wildlife
• Avoids water waste or toxic exposure through draining or dredging ponds
Under the surface, your ponds are filled with microscopic drama. The action begins with excess nutrients in your water, manifesting from the breakdown of fertilizer runoff, fallen leaves, grass clippings, aquatic weeds and animal waste. Left unchecked, excess nutrients set the stage for troublesome pond issues.
The nutrients, frequently nitrogen and phosphorus, are the ideal fuel for dormant algae spores to rapidly bloom and turn your pond into an unsightly mess. High nutrient levels also develop problems such as noxious odor, bottom muck buildup, unwanted aquatic weeds, fish kills and clarity issues.
Blasting algae with chemicals creates a sudden load of dead algae. As this organic mass rots in your pond, it breaks down into—you guessed it—more nutrients for new algae to feed on, creating a maddening merry-go-round of repeated treatments that seem to work but suddenly don’t.
Enter what we like to call “beneficial bacteria.” Bioremediation leverages the nutrient-busting superpower of bacteria to outcompete algae. When the bacterial population in a pond is sufficiently large and vigorous, it rapidly consumes nutrients and essentially starves algae of its food source. Proper bacterial
Left: golf course hazard pond before bioremediation. Right: featured pond several weeks later.
treatment is powerful enough to significantly minimize or even end your need for chemicals to keep your ponds problem-free.
The key is fostering bacterial dominance in your ponds. While beneficial bacteria may occur naturally, bioremediation uses colonization sites, microbial inoculations and other boosts, ensuring a powerful, nutrient-gobbling bacterial force to win the day.
A WINNING STRATEGY
• Water Conservation
• Water Quality Management
CHANGING YOUR WATER WAYS
Adopting sustainable water practices has a broad-sweeping impact on your environmental stewardship goals. If you’re seeking one of Audubon International’s certifications like the Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf, Green Hospitality or Sustainable Communities, your bioremediation improvements boosts your qualification in several sustainability categories:
• Wildlife and Habitat Management
• Chemical Use Reduction and Safety
Increasing community concerns and tightening government regulations demand we protect our water. That means a different approach to pond care. Embracing bioremediation can position your operation at the front of this movement.
Jody Fitzpatrick is CEO of BioBoost Nest, a pioneering provider of subsurface bacterial habitats and microbial inoculation treatments for pond bioremediation. Learn more at bioboostnest.com
Courtesy of bioBoost Nest
GREEN HOSPITALITY SPOTLIGHT
Ojai Valley Inn Flies ‘Platinum’ High
SoCal Luxury Resort Earns Certification on Several Fronts
WhenOjai Valley Inn in Ojai, Calif. – a 220-acre, five-star property ensconced in a beautiful Mediterranean-flavored setting just inland from Santa Barbara – achieved Audubon International Green Hospitality Platinum-level Certification earlier this year, it reached a pinnacle in property-wide sustainable best practices that truly sets a new standard for hotel operations throughout the Golden State.
“It’s truly fitting for such a renowned and respected Southern California resort to achieve the loftiest of Audubon International’s Green Hospitality certification levels,” said Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “The leadership and staff at Ojai Valley Inn prove once again that sustainability and luxury are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they enhance each other. We congratulate their entire team for its vision and action in service to its guests, the immediate environment, and the entire planet.”
you at this magnificent property.”
Added Greg Poirier, Global Director of Eco Certification Programs for Hospitality, “It’s rare when a new member joins Audubon International and with the first try achieves our highest-level Platinum Hospitality Certification. When it happens, it’s a joy to recognize the people behind the achievement,” says “Thank you and congratulations to all the team and especially Jack Jarvis, Sustainability Manager, and Kate Morrison for the pleasure of working with
Proving that Green Hospitality Platinum Certification doesn’t end in the hotel rooms themselves, Ojai Valley Inn has made sure that great, lasting, committed stewardship extends to every corner of its operation, from spa to restaurants and every element of the guest experience in between. “We are honored to receive the Platinum Level Green Lodging Certification—a testament to the collective commitment, care, and collaboration of our entire Ojai Valley Inn team,” said Morrison, who is the property’s Director of Wellness & Sustainability. “We embrace our responsibility to preserve and protect it for future generations. This recognition reflects the
Ojai Valley Inn combines deep environmental roots with modern sustainable culture on its 220 acres just inland from Santa Barbara, Calif.
“Certification is a testament to the collective commitment, care, and collaboration of our entire Ojai Valley Inn team.”
— Kate Morrison, Director of Wellness & Sustainability
strength of our culture and our dedication to elevating the guest experience through responsible luxury, while encouraging a shared sense of responsibility through guest education and engagement.”
Spanning a century of what it deems “thoughtful evolution and impeccable care,” the story of Ojai Valley Inn is as richly layered as its rural beauty and rarefied spirit. What began as the California dream of a wealthy Ohio glass titan, Edward D. Libbey, became the Spanish Colonial-inspired Ojai Country Club that grew into today’s Ojai Valley Inn. Over the decades the resort has been peppered in famous names and events—from Libbey himself to wellknown “California style” architect Wallace Neff, to golfer Jimmy Demaret to film director Frank Capra and producer George Cukor, to fabled actors like Clark Gable, and Judy Garland. It has played host to military troops, Hollywood films, and PGA Tour events. Today, guests experience the legacy of Ojai Valley Inn through its preserved architecture, timeless atmosphere, and commitment to world-class service – which, of course, stresses sustainability at every turn.
Examples of Ojai Valley Inn’s sustainable best practices include eliminating single-use plastics wherever possible – earning recognition from Oceanic Global – and prioritizing local sourcing across dining and retail spaces, including produce from regional farmers and ranches as well as rosemary, basil, thyme, lavender, lemongrass, and edible flowers grown and harvested from their chef’s gardens. Water-saving efforts include smart irrigation systems, replacing traditional grass with drought-tolerant landscaping, and offering in-room features that support mindful conservation. They also offer guests aluminum bottles to use at their many water stations. The resort also partners with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, Produce Good, Clean the World, and Recork to extend their sustainability footprint into
the larger community.
Though at present not a separate, certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf member, the resort’s golf course agronomy team also puts sustainability at the center of its operations.
“Championship level course conditioning and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive, they are reinforcing,” said Casey Kim, Ojai Valley Inn’s Director of Agronomy. “Our team has made significant strides in reducing water use by integrating weather-based irrigation systems and evapotranspiration data, enabling us to match water applications to the needs of turfgrass precisely. This promotes healthier root systems, conserves resources, and maintains the playability that our guests expect.”
Kim also pointed to other ways the course adds to the resort’s spirit of stewardship, from native habitat corridors throughout the course, particularly along riparian zones, to reducing intensive maintenance requirements while significantly enhancing the local ecosystem’s health and diversity.
“These areas not only improve the landscape but also make a meaningful contribution to our region’s biodiversity,” he continued. “In alignment with the Inn’s broader sustainability vision, our long-term planning includes a strategic transition to drought tolerant turfgrass varieties that require fewer inputs, less water, fertilizer, and fuel-intensive maintenance. This transition not only reduces our environmental footprint but also lowers operational costs. We’re also undertaking the removal of invasive eucalyptus trees, replacing them with California native species that enhance fire safety and ecological resilience. This designation from Audubon International affirms our integrated, property-wide approach to sustainability, and reflects our team’s shared dedication to thoughtful land management, resource conservation, and preserving the unique beauty of the Ojai Valley.”
The Green Hospitality Program provides third-party verification that certified lodging facilities have met environmental best practice standards and have demonstrated a strong commitment to making improvements. Areas of focus include Communication, Community, Waste & Materials, Water Conservation, Energy, and Chemicals & Air Quality. Properties must recertify every three years.
For more on Ojai Valley Inn, visit www.ojaivalleyinn.com
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Palmer Hills: Midwest Muni Mastery
By Vic Williams
Therolling, forested east-central Iowa terrain on which Palmer Hills Golf Course is built pretty much defines the best of municipal golf in the Midwest. Located in the city of Bettendorf across the Mississippi River from Illinois and celebrating its golden anniversary, Palmer Hills is beautiful, welcoming to wildlife, and well-respected not only as a friendly golf challenge, but as a local leader in sustainable best practices.
It’s also proof positive that Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Certification is within reach for all kinds of courses and all levels of budget. Occupying land that was once owned by Palmer College, the nation’s leading school for the chiropractic profession, you could say that – pardon the pun – Palmer Hills has finally worked out all the kinks on its journey to certification this June after many years of hard work and dedication, with Superintendent Brian Hickey in the lead.
aerification. All those things helped us reduce our fertilizer usage and retain water during dry periods. Compost also helps open the soil during wet weather.”
“I’ve been with the city for about 11 years, and I’m only the third superintendent in the course’s history,” Hickey said recently. “When I got here, the administrator asked me to take about three months and make a list of things I wanted to do to this golf course. We really wanted to take it to another level. I gave him my vision of where I wanted to go.”
First up? Reining in chemical use. When Hickey arrived, the city sprayed a lot of chemicals, using a lot of synthetic fertilizer. “There were certain chemicals that we couldn’t use, like Banner Maxx, Heritage, and DMI fungicides. They just didn’t work,” he said. “As we increased our aerification schedule, we started getting more oxygen in [the turf] and doing a lot of deep tine aerification. The greens started getting healthier. We went from 25 fungicide applications a year including greens, fairways, and tee boxes to nine total applications – five or six on the greens and three on the fairways. That’s a 64% reduction in fungicide. We started using a lot of organic good microbes and applying compost to our fairways during late season
Hickey calls Palmer Hills’s in-play turf a “hodgepodge” of Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, rye, fescue, and poa annua, which work together to handle the course’s eightmonth season and Iowa’s wide variations in temperature and climate, while offering solid playing conditions for all. Fescue in native areas for added definition as well as playability for those off-line shots. But Hickey wasn’t finished augmenting good turf conditions with better conditions above the ground, too. Noting that the course had become too difficult thanks largely to tree overplanting and overgrowth, he set about opening corridors.
“The city had planted a lot of silver maples back in 1974 when they took over the property and decided to build a golf course. They must’ve got ’em for really cheap. We got a tree management plan in place.”
They started cutting down non-native trees and strategically planting those native to Iowa – white oaks, red oaks, Kentucky coffee – to enhance rather than hinder play. That led to a commitment to further enhancements, including more teeing areas for kids and women, and 20 to 25 acres of “native prairie.”
Palmer Hills has replaced non-native trees and shrubs with plants that thrive in the course’s Iowa climate. Photo courtesy of Palmer Hills
“They had mowed the whole place like a park,” Hickey said. “The native areas are great for animals, for pollinators, and for stopping water flows that cause erosion. The golf course took on a new look. We cut down a lot of trees around greens; the more sunlight they got, the more airflow they got.
“We had a whole new template, and they gave me free rein. The golf course was just too difficult. We went from 25,000 rounds a year to over 42,000 rounds.”
Superintendents at other area courses — including a colleague at one of the six Iowa layouts that were ACSP for Golf certified at the time – took notice of not only the increase in play at Palmer Hills, but the sustainability measures Hickey had put in place. “He said, ‘you actually do way more than I do – it’s a no-brainer for you guys to get certified.’ I hadn’t really thought about it. We were just looking to be environmentally friendly and trying to do the right thing. So I started looking into Audubon International, and then we applied to get started with the program. It took us about two years.”
Despite some occasional pushback from neighbors on the methods that keep Palmer Hills healthy and sustainable – including late-season spot burns to eliminate thistles and
other invasives – he sees strong buy-in from the course’s clientele.
“Golfers understand what we’re trying to do as far as wildlife habitat and reducing mowing and wear and tear on machines. We have less turf we have to mow on a weekly basis, less area we have to fertilize on a yearly basis too,” he said. “We still seem to make somebody upset about burning, which we do in late November and December. But other than that, I think everybody’s bought into it. They all know me by name after 11 years as the superintendent, and know what I like to do, what our goals are.
“I write newsletters and articles [touting stewardship], and while they may not always agree with my environmentalism, not ‘all in’ as much as I am, they can see the good that it’s doing for the land, the animals, reducing our water usage, all the things that make golf more sustainable and even regenerative – trying to make our soils better than they were before the golf course was even here.”
That deep dedication to improving Palmer Hills continues. Hickey and his crew will keep striving and learning as their first recertification approaches a couple years down the road. “One thing that really surprised me was how in depth the program is. They’re certainly not letting just the casual golf course become certified. It is rigorous, and it takes some effort to do it, but that’s a good thing. They want to make sure that you’re pretty darn committed to be able to achieve that certification.”
For more on Palmer Hills, visit www.palmerhillsgolf.com.
The Palmer Hills crew has set aside protected nesting spots for snapping turtles and other wildlife.
Thanks to plantings of milkweed around Palmer Hills, Monarch butterflies and bees alike are welcome.
Reynolds Lake Oconee Keeps Raising The Bar
Seven Courses and Counting Put Sustainability First
By Vic Williams
The world’s most famous golf course is 75 minutes down the road, but even that “masterful” layout can’t match what’s been going on along the 374-mile shore of Lake Oconee for a quarter century: Six, going on seven, golf courses reaching the pinnacle of sustainable best practices certification, with an eighth waiting in the wings.
Welcome to Reynolds Lake Oconee, one of north Georgia’s preeminent resort community developments. It comprises a collection of courses that began their ACSP for Golf journey back in 2001, when its first three courses – The Oconee, Great Waters, and The Preserve – achieved certification in May, June, and July of that year respectively. Four more have joined the ranks every few years since, including The Landing, Creek Club, and The National. Richland, the newest layout and second Tom Fazio design, debuted in October 2024 and is on its way to certification after a visit by Audubon International Environmental Pro-
gram Specialist Alexandra Kellam this spring.
“We have a longstanding relationship with Audubon International, and obviously that’s grown with the addition of golf courses and [deepening] of our alliance,” says Lane Singleton, who oversees Reynolds Lake Oconee’s agronomy program, which certainly ranks among the nation’s largest. “They’ve been a good partner of ours and we just continue to carry that torch – and have for 25 years.”
The torch gets brighter as Fenmoor Golf Club, the 12,000-acre development’s eighth full-length course and another addition to its private portfolio, takes shape on densely wooded land that, Singleton says, offers “a little bit of a different feel” with its “topography and elevation changes … it’s on Lake Oconee, but there’s a lot less boat and people traffic on that portion of the lake, with maybe a little less real estate [planned for] that golf course versus those we’ve done in the past. We may see a little more wildlife than we do on
The Landings was the fourth course at Reynolds Lake Oconee to achieve Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Certification. Photo courtesy of Reynolds Lake Oconee
others.” Fenmoor is slated to open in late 2026. “There’s a lot of things moving and shaking here at Reynolds,” Singleton says, adding that there’s little chance of anyone involved in its continued growth resting on their laurels, or veering from its deep-seated stewardship commitment. “To be successful long term, you’ve got to have a product and showcase the product that’s going to stand the test of time – to look for different programs along the way to help shepherd that, or at least mold that. Reynolds is a little bit of a unique property. There’s not a whole lot of blueprints on how to be successful with properties with our size and scale, and we’ve done it for 35 years. We look to different programs and putting things in place that can help us get us there.”
CULTURE OF CARE
Audubon International’s ACSP for Golf program is clearly part of that long-term plan. Coupled with its proven and demonstrable long-term savings in water use, turf applications, energy and more, certification also illuminates a course’s commitment to “doing better” by and for the environment while helping rehabilitate the industry’s (often misguided) reputation for doing the opposite.
“When we thought of joining and putting a program like Audubon International’s [certification] in place here at Reynolds, we tried to curb some of mis-
“Being
able to speak about environmental stewardship and Audubon International is anothe feather in our cap in terms of the seriousness of our approach to our business plan.”
—
not half bad. The positive influence that we have far outweighs anything from a negative standpoint.”
That influence sifts down to every member, guest, resident, and business interest in the Reynolds orbit, too.
Lane Singleton, Director of Agronomy
nomers that are associated with golf and water and resources and chemical use productions,” SingIeton says. “It is a program that helps us say, ‘Hey, we’re here. We’re going to do what we need to do from a sustainability standpoint and be environmental stewards.’ When you put a bunch of nice golf courses in the middle of a rural area and have Lake Oconee as one of your backdrops, there’s a want and need, especially for myself and my team, to show the golf world – or at least the world around us – that golf’s
“We are in the business of selling real estate and golf is one of the leading amenities that we have here. It’s a big draw. We get more questions from the newer member base, people coming in who don’t know a lot about Reynolds and what we do, how we go about conducting our business. I think answering those questions and being able to speak about environmental stewardship and Audubon is another feather in our cap in terms of the seriousness of our approach to our business plan. We definitely have our stuff together in terms of day-in and day-out running our business in a good manner.”
FROM THE DESIGN UP
The list of golf architects leaving their marks on the rolling, handsome, golf-friendly terrain at Reynolds Lake Oconee is impressive indeed – Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, the late Georgia-based designer Bob Cupp (who, like Fazio, laid out two courses here), and now, with Fenmoor, Steve Smy-
A turtle finds its way to land on one of the seven courses currently in operation at Reynolds Lake Oconee. An eighth is on the way, along with more wildlife. Photo Courtesy of Reynolds Lake Oconee
ers. All took their initial light-on-the-land charge to heart, just as they have at courses around the world over the years, especially over the past two decades.
“Everybody that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years, which has been all of them, are receptive in terms of talking about turf varieties,” Singleton says. “They use less water or chemicals or and were open to trying those and making sure that we were making the right decisions. At the end of the day, we’re talking about millions of dollars with some of these products and turf grasses, so you want complete buy-in. These architects have been willing to go down a road of, hey, if it’s right for the golf course and the property, whether it be turf selections or more wildlife habitat or being considerate of water pollutants in ponds, tributaries, and Lake Oconee –they’ve been open to those conversations.”
VARIETY AND VERSATILITY
All eight existing and in-progress courses are within “10 or 15 minutes” of each other and are planted in a fairly uniform mix of warm-weather
Bermuda and Zoysia on tees and fairways, with two of the original layouts also sporting cooler-weather bentgrass greens. Still, they cover a surprisingly broad range of terrains and present different types of playing conditions and personalities – hallmarks of a well-rounded and climate-conscious modern golf development. Such careful planning and execution allow a cohesiveness from one neighborhood to another, though each club and course embraces the vagaries of north Georgia’s four distinct seasons in its own way while welcoming a wider breadth of wildlife.
“A lot of them look, feel and maybe react different to a lot of environmental conditions,” Singleton adds. “Some lend themselves to a heavier deer population; some properties have different insect issues than others. So while they’re all close together, they all are unique, a lot of variables. I keep an open dialogue with our team on what they’re seeing in the field.
“A lot of wildlife, whether waterfowl or deer, find solace in home in and around our community
Its four-season Northern Georgia setting opens Reynolds Lake Oconee to a wide variety of wildlife, including plenty of waterfowl. The lake has 374 miles of shoreline. Photo courtesy of Reynolds Lake Oconee.
because of what it is. It’s heavily landscaped. There is a lot of habitat, whether natural or created. It’s a safe haven. We’ve seen an uptick in all kinds of wildlife, whether they’re welcomed or not. A lot of the development that’s happening around us will push wildlife into our communities. It’s something I’ve taken notice of in my 20 plus years [here].”
To keep habitat healthy for animals, Singleton says he and his crews are looking at adding bee colonies while continuing to explore and employ other ways of building their environmental bona fides “in addition to what we do for and with Audubon International.”
ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY
In the end, everything that Singleton and his dedicated leadership and crew has done and learned thus far in the 21st century – and all the methods and trials yet to come – serve the larger purpose that all ACSP for Golf certified courses strive for: taking care
of the immediate environment and entire planet in partnership with a proven authority, and in balance with Reynolds Lake Oconee’s business goals.
“Audubon International provides a blueprint that golf courses follow to better manage their business, especially from the golf course maintenance side, with some accountability measures,” he says. “And having someone with their name recognition, from a PR standpoint, is another feather in our cap in terms of how we choose to run our business and drive an experience that our members and guests appreciate and love – and ultimately makes them want to come here for a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation and ultimately live here.
“It’s definitely something we’ve [fully] bought into, otherwise we wouldn’t be a 25-plus year partner of theirs. And we’ll continue to be, as long as we continue to build golf courses.”
Visit www.reynoldslakeoconee.com for the latest golf and sustainability developments.
The Creek Club shows off the incredible variety of natural settings avaiable at Reynolds Lake Oconee, which allows a stellar group of architects to do some of their best work. Photo courtesy of Reynolds Lake Oconee
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Inglewood: Calgary’s Certified Golf Idyll
By Vic Williams
Whatmakes the Audubon Certified Sanctuary Program for Golf such a force for environmental good in urban settings around the world? For some onthe-ground answers, let’s take a trip north to Alberta, Canada to Inglewood Golf & Curling Club, a semi-private parkland course routed along a lovely stretch of the Bow River only 10 minutes from Calgary’s downtown core.
Inglewood achieved ACSP Certification in May under the studied leadership of Maleah Blair, who took over the Superintendent position in 2023 after 20 years on the course’s agronomy crew. “It was a bit of a process, but we got it done,” she said. “It’s the way the world is moving – more people want to be informed and know what you’re doing to be environmentally sustainable. Audubon International certification is a great resource for that.”
HEALTHY TURF, CLEAR WATER
Working with Director of ACSP, Scott Turner, Blair and her crew centered their quest for certification on improving the water quality of Inglewood’s collection of ponds. Though they don’t normally drain into the river, wild weather swings common in the high plains of North America can cause them to flood. The occasional drought can also do damage to water features and turf, leading to big shifts in what flora and fauna show up along the fairways. Like Denver far to the southeast, Calgary resides in the Rockies’ rainshadow, keeping it on the dry side … until a combination of spring snowmelt and big storms dump a lot of water in a very short span of time.
“We had a flood here in 2013. The whole course
was underwater,” Blair says. “I noticed a big increase in some of the species that are on the Alberta invasive and noxious list. I’m [still] seeing a few more crop around some of our ponds and river banks. That’s one of the projects we’re looking at for our next project for Audubon – trying to figure out how to cut them out or reduce the amount of them found on the golf course without having to spray everything.”
Nor does the maintenance crew need to hammer Inglewood’s turf with chemicals. Its mix of bluegrass and fescue fairways, bentgrass and poa annua greens (including more drought-tolerant T-1 bentgrass turf installed on the newer surfaces) and Kentucky blue on newer fairways and tee boxes hold up well through temperature swings and, on balance, thrive with less irrigation. That helps keep the course’s water features in a healthy balance – a big priority for Blair, who is also up to speed on the latest water treatment technology. Gone is the old application of harmful copper sulfate in favor of organic microbes.
“In my research, I came across a local company that deals in biologicals. They’ve created microbes for different things. We have ones for pond treatments and use it for our septic system as well. It’s completely environmentally safe and friendly. You could dump it on yourself, you would be fine, and even if it flowed into the river, it would have zero negative impact on the water and the species in there. I thought that
Inglewood Golf & Curling Club skirts the Bow River just minutes from downtown Calgary, Alberta.
was very important considering our location next to the river and the potential of another big flood. It was very important that we make sure that whatever we did to try and control algae in the pond, it didn’t affect anything if it did over spill.
“Our water quality is improving because of these microbes. A couple of our ponds were very murky, muddy looking. I threw these microbes in there and now you can see all the weeds. We’re working on that, but its clarity is unreal compared to what it was. Even when there is algae boom, we do a treatment and three days later it’s gone.”
URBAN OPPORTUNITIES
With the river on one boundary and one of Calgary’s major auto traffic routes on the other, Inglewood manages to attract a healthy variety of wildlife despite pollutants from exhaust to winter salt treatments. A nearby bird sanctuary brings a wide variety of species to the course, leading to a very successful bird nesting program in partnership with club members; Blair is currently seeking a replacement for a very involved member who recently passed away. “They were building bird houses and setting them up on different areas of the golf course. He would monitor them and come in and clean them in the spring if they needed it, just to make sure wasps weren’t building nests.”
Eliminating wasps may have helped lead to another partnership that helped Blair fulfill one element of the “community outreach and education” elements required of all ACSP certified courses.
“A friend of mine is one of the founders of the Alberta Native Bee Council. Everyone’s all about the honeybees, but her attitude was, if you’re going to have honeybees, you have to make sure you have food resources for them so they’re not outcompeting the na-
tive species. She’s a biology instructor at one of the universities here, and her passion is bumblebees and native species. We had her lead an educational walk with a group of grade five students from a science-based school here. We set up a couple of bee boxes, and they built their own bee box to take home. A lot of people don’t know that there is a difference between honeybees and bumblebees, and that they compete for food. It was a good educational moment for everyone.”
Another urban challenge for Blair: Finding plant species that can thrive in the face of salt damage and car exhaust. “For instance, in our entryway, I went with a Hot Wings Maple because they’re known to stand up well to those environmental conditions and poor soil. And they’ve done fantastic. They’re huge and healthy.” She’s also reclaimed several acres of turf in out-of-play areas while removing noxious weeds along the way, all the while keeping members’ quality-of-play needs in mind. “It took a little convincing of the membership to accept that we weren’t going to maintain these areas,” she adds. “We tried it in a few areas and had to revert. That’s part of the process. It’s not going to work a hundred percent everywhere you try it. Anytime we look at an area, we ask if we should keep maintaining it, or can we get away with widening along the river where no one’s ball goes – we should bring that line in, give ourselves more buffer from the riverbank. We’re mindful of what we’re trying to accomplish and how we can go about doing that so that we’re not wasting resources as well. The board is very supportive when I talk to them about steps we should make to be better [stewards].”
A FRUITFUL PURSUIT
Now that Inglewood is ACSP for Golf certified, Blair looks forward to strengthening her collaboration with Audubon International and sharpening her best practices skills even more while getting the word out not only to the club’s 350 members, but the wider community as well.
“Everyone’s been helpful whenever I’ve had questions, guiding us in the right direction from Audubon International’s perspective – what they look for to keep our certification moving forward, and how to get the information out there about what we’re doing. Even when there were issues, we worked together to resolve them, figured out a way to find our way through it.
“Audubon International has been a great resource for all those questions. ‘Do we need this? Is this good? Will this work or not work? It’s been good that way, for sure.”
For more on Inglewood, visit www.inglewoodgolfclub.ca
Wildlife abounds at Inglewood, creating an ideal urban-nature interface.
SUSTAINABLE
Village of Hawthorn Woods Celebrates Success
In the summer of 2022, the Village of Hawthorn Woods celebrated becoming one of Audubon International Sustainable Communities. Now three years later, the small but mighty municipality completed its first recertification.
As a municipality that has been involved with Audubon International as a Sustainable Community for over three years, Hawthorn Wood’s accomplishments are an example to other communities as to the benefits of being a sustainable community that has a plan in place for dedicated staff and residents to achieve common goals.
Community Strengths
Located fewer than 40 miles from Chicago, The Village of Hawthorn Woods is a close-knit community that values the “Rural by Design” Concept and the natural environment.
The staff and residents continue to demonstrate a
noteworthy commitment to the environment and to sustainability.
From the perspective of Audubon International, a partial list of the community’s perceived strengths and accomplishments includes:
• Many nature-based recreation locations and opportunities for all ages and abilities
• A “can do” attitude of staff creating a “where there’s a will there’s a way” atmosphere
• Community involvement and relationships with like-minded organizations and businesses
• Preservation of trees, forest and native plants in landscaping and natural areas
• Interest in promoting sustainable awareness and best practices to residents and contractors
• A thriving community and volunteer participation
• Nationally recognized award winning achievements and involvement with environmental organizations such Tree City USA, Bee City USA, International Dark Sky Community, and America in Bloom
• Numerous volunteer opportunities
At The Village of Hawthorn Woods and with every member of the Audubon International Sustainable Communities family, it is encouraging to see the goals and priorities that have naturally evolved. For more information on becoming a member, contact Jill Moore at jill@auduboninternational.org.
Skidaway Audubon Diamond Back Terrapin Rescue Project
Anongoing project at the Landings at Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia, is yet another another example of the “where there’s a will there’s a way” philosophy that powers so much progress aceross the Sustainable Communities family.
Over 20 years ago, one woman’s passion to save the turtles is still going strong. With assistance and training from John “Crawfish” Crawford, (a local naturalist with UGA for over 30 years), Carolyn McInerney developed a program to locate nesting female terrapins in golf course sand bunkers and transfer their eggs to a predator safe environment. The award-winning program has grown into a team of 18 members who spend thousands of hours each season tracking, processing and collecting data on nesting females, safe guarding their precious eggs and releasing hatchlings.
The salt marsh offers gorgeous views from the course…and is also the habitat for the Diamond Back Terrapin Turtle.
During nesting season, to find the perfect nesting spot for her precious eggs, the female DBT sees the sand bunkers as an ideal spot.
In an effort to protect the nest from predators, this volunteer group made up of residents from The Landings Community transfer the eggs to a predator safe location.
Thousands of hours each season are spent tracking, processing and collecting data on nesting females and safe-guarding the eggs and relocating the hatchlings back into the wild. Every Terrapin shell is unique in its markings so by photographing each turtle they are able to keep a history of all of them and their nest information.
Sharing their efforts and educating the community is also a big part of what this group does every year. Their collected data is shared with local higher education institutions and community groups.
2025 CERTIFICATIONS & RECERTIFICATIONS
NEW CERTIFICATIONS
ACSP FOR GOLF
CANADA
ALBERTA
Inglewood Golf and Curling Club
QUEBEC
Como Golf Club Inc.
Falcon Golf Club
UNITED STATES
COLORADO
Coal Creek Golf Course
IOWA
Davenport Country Club
Palmer Hills Golf Course
INDIANA
Youche Country Club
MASSACHUSETTS
The Kittansett Club
Old Sandwich Golf Club
MISSISSIPPI
Grand Bear
NEW JERSEY
Green Knoll Golf Course
NEW YORK
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
UTAH
Victory Ranch
GREEN HOSPITALITY
ST. KITTS
St. Kitts Marriott
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA
Hyatt VC The Welk
Marriott’s Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge
Ojai Valley Inn
SIGNATURE SANCTUARY
CANADA
QUEBEC
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club
RECERTIFICATIONS
ACSP FOR BUSINESS
TAIWAN
Wu Fong Golf Club
UNITED STATES
COLORADO
City Park, City of Fort Collins
SOUTH CAROLINA
Hilton Head Public Service District (PSD)
ACSP FOR GOLF
AUSTRALIA
Avondale Golf Club
CANADA
ALBERTA
Silvertip Resort
Innisfail Golf Club
Calgary Golf and Country Club
ONTARIO
Stonebridge Golf Club
QUEBEC
Club de Golf de la Vallée du Richelieu
Whitlock Golf and Country Club
MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club Berhad
SPAIN
Real Club Valderrama
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa
Valley Oaks Golf Course
Links at Spanish Bay
COLORADO
The Club at Flying Horse
Snowmass Club
West Woods Golf Club
Colorado Springs Country Club
Aspen Golf Club
DELAWARE
Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club: White Clay Creek State
Park
Rehoboth Beach Country Club
FLORIDA
Riviera Country Club
Quail Creek Country Club
Sailfish Point Golf Club
Glades Golf and Country Club
IGM @ Sandridge Golf Club
The Country Club at Mirasol
Sugar Mill Country Club
Southwinds Golf Course
Hawk’s Landing Golf Club at the Orlando World Center
