(Best Photograph, taken by Cheryl Glick at Southwinds GC)
Southwinds, in Boca Raton, Fla., won the Community Engagement Award, and Bay Oaks, in Houston, Texas, won the Biodiversity Award, as part of Audubon International’s annual event that is sponsored by the USGA. Participating courses engage community members in activities designed to showcase and record the abundance of wildlife found on their golf courses and properties.
Nearly 1,000 volunteers visited golf courses worldwide to participate in Audubon International’s 5th annual BioBlitz this year. The event, sponsored by the United States Golf Association (USGA), provides a unique opportunity for golf courses to engage their community members in activities designed to showcase and record the abundance of wildlife found on their course landscapes.
In addition to their outreach and environmental stewardship efforts, participants also competed for awards in Community Engagement, Biodiversity, and Best Photograph.
Individuals volunteering to take part in the search for plant and wildlife species at their local golf courses included men’s, women’s, and junior golf league members, scout troops, local birding groups, club members, golf course employees, community members from surrounding neighborhoods, entire families, school children, and other nature enthusiasts.
In total, over 5,400 species were recorded during this year’s BioBlitz.
Southwinds Golf Course in Boca Raton, Fla. received the Community Engagement Award. with a total of 271 participants. The club held a Lady’s Night Out and a Junior BioBlitz session that included crafting animal masks and birdhouses, along with the hunt for wildlife.
The Southwinds clubhouse joined in by featuring a wildlife-themed drink menu throughout the week of the event.
The award for Best Photograph also went to Southwinds, for its photograph of a red fox on its golf course.
“We make it a priority to educate our golfers of all ages about the habitat our golf course provides to the diversity of species that call Southwinds Golf Course home,” said Sharon Painter, Southwinds’ General Manager.
Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth, Fla. and Arrowhead Country Club in Edelstein, Ill. earned second- and third-place honors, respectively, for Community Engagement.
Bay Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas received this year’s Biodiversity Award, with 576 species identified on its course. “We could not have had this number without the help of my fellow Galveston Bay Area Texas Master Naturalists,” said Deborah Repasz, Bay Oaks’ BioBlitz volunteer coordinator. “They diligently worked to find and identify as many species as possible, using iNaturalist on their phones as well as field guides.
“We participate in BioBlitz to track the increase and decrease of species in the area while also hosting a fun event,” Repasz added. “Some were surprised to see what a golf course can support in flora and fauna. It isn’t all mown grass, sand, trees, and water!”
Close second and third place honors for the Biodiversity Award went to Naples Lakes Country Club in Naples, Fla., with 508 species sighted, and Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club in Palm City, Fla., reporting 456 species.
“The annual BioBlitz is a great way for golf courses to create an awareness among society of their wildlife habitat value, especially in urban locations,” said Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “It’s also a wonderful opportunity for community members from all walks of life to meet and learn about nature while getting outside and having fun.”
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