New Albany Country Club Recognized for Environmental Excellence

New Albany 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.

"New Albany 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 Tara Donadio, Director of Cooperative Sanctuary Programs at Audubon International.

New Albany Country Club is one of 16 courses in Ohio and 888 courses in the world to hold 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 2012. After designation, courses go through a recertification process every three years.

This year the recertification process, coordinated by Brett Foster, Horticulturalist, required a visit by a local community representative. Dan Hall, owner of Wilds Birds Unlimited, was given a tour of the course and sent his observations to Audubon International. "New Albany Country Club should be commended for their implementation of good land management and conservation practices using the guidelines provided by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program," Hall reported.

"We see the site visit as an important component of a course's recertification," stated Donadio. "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."

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