FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE- February 2014
CONTACT: Laura Karosic,
Associate Director of Environmental Programs
(518) 767-9051, Ext. 120
Beaver Hills Country Club Recognized for Environmental Excellence
CEDAR
FALLS, IA – Beaver Hills Country 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.
"Beaver
Hills Country 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 Laura Karosic, Associate Director of
Environmental Programs at Audubon International.
Beaver
Hills Country Club is one of six courses in Iowa and 874 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 1999. After designation, courses go through a
recertification process every two years.
This
year the recertification process, coordinated by Josh Peterson, Superintendent of
Beaver Hills Country Club, required a visit by a local community
representative. Scott Harvey of Hawkeye Community College’s Horticulture
Department was given a tour of the course and sent his observations to Audubon
International. “It’s hard to capture in words the positive changes that Beaver
Hills Country Club has made over the years,” reported Harvey. “It is a
remarkable transformation of plant, animal, water, and soil synergy.”
“We
see the site visit as an important component of a course’s recertification,”
stated Karosic. “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.
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