SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA—The Fairmont Southampton has achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International. Jason Pick, assistant superintendent, has led the effort to obtain sanctuary status for the property’s golf course and is being recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International. The Fairmont Southampton is the first golf course in Bermuda and the 617th in the world to receive the honor.
“Fairmont Southampton has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program,” says Shawn Williams, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs. “They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property. To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas.”
These categories include environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
“The ACSS provides the resources and support to allow golf courses to responsibly and effectively serve our environment as well as our guests’,” says Jason Pick, assistant superintendent. “Since we began our certification process in 2004, naturalization has allowed us to redirect labor, reduce pesticide and fertilizer inputs, conserve water, and create wildlife corridors. The significant population increase of the endangered eastern blue bird, and other native and migratory bird species further illustrates the effectiveness of the ACSS programs, and how regardless of property size, we can all enhance our landscapes.
“Our green committee and golf course staff has played an integral role in our certification, recognizing the necessity of environmental stewardship and committing to these ACSS incentives,” Pick adds. “It feels great having become the first course certified, but even better knowing we won’t be the last. Special thanks to Shawn Williams, our ACSS ecologist, and Mr. Norman Mastalir, managing director of the Fairmont Southampton, for his ongoing support.”
About Audobon International:
Audubon International is a not-for-profit environmental education organization dedicated to educating, assisting, and inspiring millions of people from all walks of life to protect and sustain the land, water, wildlife, and natural resources around them. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs were created to provide information and guidance to help people preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources where they live, work, and play.
Go to Audubon International.
