Monday, January 11, 2010

Wildlife Corridors

As I spoke of in an earlier blog the idea of creating wildlife habitats on golf courses is very important if the industry is going to thrive in the 21st century and put some of the negative criticisms behind us.

By creating wildlife habitats on golf courses we are providing homes and shelter for the animals the choose to live on the property. Typically, golfers love to see animals on the golf course, it just seems to add to the enjoyment of the game.

Wildlife habitats are created by taking minimally used portions of the property and naturalizing them by designating them as no-maintenance areas. To help make these areas more useful for wildlife it is important to create corridors where the animals can wander on and off and throughout the property without ever having to leave their habitat.

Connecting areas on the property with areas off the property for wildlife to enter and exit is a great way to attract animals to the golf course. If your golf course has an area that is bordering a forest, a water body or some other habitat make sure that there is an opportunity for the animals to enter onto the golf course without ever having to leave the shelter of the habitat.

In an ideal situation an animal would be able to enter the golf course on one side of the property and walk from one end to the other end without ever becoming exposed. I understand that golf courses are not designed this way but that is the ultimate goal.

Superintendents should be aware of opportunities to create wildlife corridors as they will attract animals from off the property and make the golf course a better place for wildlife and golfers.

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