Best Photograph Winner: La Iguana Golf Course, Puntarenas, Costa Rica – Three-toed sloth. (Photo by Yaudicio Araya)
Audubon International, an environmentally focused nonprofit organization offering numerous certifications and conservation initiatives, awarded winners in several categories for its 8th Annual BioBlitz competition, sponsored by BioBoost Nest.
The event stretched from May 18 to June 17 across the United States, Canada and Latin America as hundreds of nature enthusiasts — from club members to school kids to local environmental groups — came together to observe more than 2,000 species of flora and fauna thriving on Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf-certified and member courses.
“Last year’s return of this popular competition set the stage for an even more successful event in 2024,” said Christine Kane, CEO at Audubon International. “We continue to attract strong participation from our member courses, who once again brought their communities together to identify the amazing wealth of wildlife in their natural habitats and learn why golf courses are proven, committed leaders in environmental stewardship. We salute every winner and value everyone who took part in a month of science-based fun.”
“Sponsoring BioBlitz is a natural fit for our company,” added Jody Fitzpatrick, CEO of BioBoost Nest. “We provide an eco-friendly system for managing ponds that is increasingly popular with golf courses committed to environmental sustainability. Our golf course customers embrace their role in preserving green spaces with low-chemical approaches that foster biodiversity.”
Southwinds Golf Course in Boca Raton, Fla., received the Community Engagement Award for the second straight year, with 225 people participating in its BioBlitz event. Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Del., achieved second place while Glencoe Golf Club in Glencoe, Ill., repeated its third-place honor from 2023.
“Our team is extremely environmentally conscious, and as a result, endeavors to engage all in our golfing community in environmental stewardship,” said Sarah Painter, Southwind’s Manager. “Not only do we try to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, but we can also empower folks from our youngest junior golfers to the most senior to take meaningful actions that contribute to the health and sustainability of our golf course and planet.”
Painter added that this year’s installation of bee hives creating honey from plant sources on the golf course has spurred a “buzz” in the community through positive awareness. Honey sales have gone beyond the reach of the golf course and are also a focal point in Southwinds’ summer junior camps and clinics.
Naples Lakes Country Club in Naples, Fla, received this year’s Biodiversity Award with 370 species identified. Just short of this in second place was Niagara Parks Commission Whirlpool Golf Course in Niagara Falls, Ontario, with 358 species sighted. The University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Md., took third place with 262 species logged.
The award for Best Photograph went to La Iguana Golf Course at Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, for Yaudicio Araya’s capture of a three-toed sloth posing near a tee box. The University of Maryland course also scored in this category, taking second place with Philip S. DeShong’s “Hawk and Bluejay” photo. Another Latin American participant, Twin Dolphin Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico, took third for its “bee and cocoon” entry.
“At La Iguana Golf Course, we believe in harmonizing sport and nature. Our recent BioBlitz event was a testament to this vision,” says José Quesada, PGA Director of Golf. “The astonishing array of wildlife and biodiversity we discovered highlights the importance of appreciating and conserving these natural treasures. Together, let’s continue to celebrate and protect the incredible ecosystems that coexist with our favorite game.”
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