Audubon International has scheduled the next chapter of its ongoing effort designed to help golf course superintendents spread the word about their stewardship efforts and what good environmental neighbors golf courses can be.
The 10th annual BioBlitz event will be open from June 1 through July 1. The event offers courses the opportunity to identify the diverse species of flora and fauna on property and share the information with others.
In cooperation with Seed King Enterprises, BioBlitz provides a chance for superintendents and golf courses to interact with members of their respective communities to highlight and take inventory of the varied wildlife and plant life on participating golf properties.
Audubon International provides all participating courses with a BioBlitz handbook as well as personalized staff assistance.
In last year’s BioBlitz event, participants included superintendents, club members, golf course employees and members of their respective communities.
Last year’s winners were: Glencoe (Illinois) Golf Club, a 1921 Chicago-area course that won first place in the Community Engagement Award; and Ironwood Golf Course in Michigan, which won first place in the Biodiversity Award, with 409 wildlife species identified in a single day. The award for Best Photograph went to Naples Lake Country Club in Naples, Florida, for member Mike Powers’ shot of an Eastern Blue Bird with Golden Polypod on Sabal Palm.
“Bio Blitz helps to convey the importance of milkweed, pollinator gardens, wildlife trees and other environmental features that support habitat for insects and wildlife,” said Glencoe Golf Club GM Stella Nanos. “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.”
Audubon International will announce the winners later this summer.
