The Peninsula recognized for environmental excellence
The Peninsula Golf and 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.
The golf course was originally designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in 2009 and is one of eight in Delaware and 889 courses in the world to receive the honor. Courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Central America, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the 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 and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
"The Peninsula Golf and Country Club 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 Doug Bechtel, associate director of environmental programs at Audubon International.
After designation, courses go through a recertification process every two years. This year, the recertification process required a visit by a local community representative who was given a tour of the course and then sent his observations to Audubon International.
“We see the site visit as an important component of a course’s recertification,” said Bechtel. “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.”
Audubon International is a not-for-profit 501c3 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. Visit www.auduboninternational.org.
