Creating WIldlife Habitats on the Golf Course

As I have mentioned in several of my blog entries, golf courses provide fantastic opportunities to create habitat for wildlife. From out of play areas that are left to naturalize to water bodies with buffer zones that are used by wildlife to feed, rest and inhabit, golf courses can be great wildlife habitat.

If you happen to be involved with a golf course that does not have many areas that can be naturalized for wildlife it may be beneficial to create some artificial wildlife habitats. Many golf course superintendents have installed nesting boxes or birdhouses on their golf courses to attract birds to the property.

Nest boxes not only attract birds to the golf course they also add an element of beauty and show a certain amount of respect for the wildlife that live in the area where the golf course is located.

If you should decide that you want to install bird houses on your golf course you must first decide what type of birds you want to attract. The type and size of the birdhouse you build will have a direct effect on the species of bird that will use the house. The are several online sources that can help you to select the type of birdhouse you will choose to build and install.

Once you have chosen what species of birds you would like to attract to your facility you have some options as to how the structures will be built. Some golf courses like to build the birdhouses themselves by doing it during the slow time of the winter.

In my opinion the best option is to recruit the help of a local school shop class who could construct the birdhouses as part of their class assignment. Their are several benefits to having a school do the birdhouse construction. The first benefit being to the students who are able to help out the environmental initiatives at a local golf course while fulfilling their school curriculum.

The benefits to the golf course include having the structures built for them as well as the opportunity to involve some local school kids in their environmental endeavours. If this option is chosen it is imperative that the school not only receives credit for the work performed but they should also have the opportunity to learn the importance of environmental sustainability and wildlife habitats on the golf course.

Once the bird houses have been built I would suggest inviting the builders of the structures out to your course to help install them. Of course the golf course staff will have to the ones who actually do the work, due to insurance reasons, but this is a fantastic opportunity to eduate the kids about your facility and your goal of environmental sustainability.

Once the nest boxes have been installed they must be monitored on a regular basis. At least once per year, preferably in the spring, the nest boxes should be cleaned out to make room for new inhabitants. In the past I have invited local cub scouts out to the golf course and they have helped to clean the boxes and take inventory of the success of the structures. Again this creates a great opportunity to educate some local kids about the environmental conservation efforts of your golf facility.

Throughout the entire birdhouse building process do not be afraid to invite the local newspaper to cover the story so you can gain some positive publicity for the golf course. Local newspapers are often looking for "feel good" stories to cover and if it can include your golf course all the better. This is good for the kids and a great way to change the negative public perception that golf courses have when it comes to the environment.