35 Years of Stewardship: Audubon International celebrates a landmark anniversary and looks to a bright future, Plus: Honoring Collier’s Reserve

Audubon International at 35

Where We’re Going, Where We Are, Where We’re Headed

It’s an exciting, gratifying and, yes, challenging time for Audubon International.

Exciting because, as the organization marks its 35th anniversary, our reach to and partnership with golf courses, resorts, hotels, other business and entire communities continues to grow exponentially, and 2023 promises to be one of our most productive years yet. Our staff of experts, including Bill Brown, Ph.D., our new Director of Conservation Initiatives, continues to expand alongside our membership base.

Gratifying because the world at large seems to be “catching up” with us in terms of concern for and commitment to preserving the planet’s natural resources — and paying deep attention to the science and human know-how that will contribute to keeping the places we live, work and play in better balance with the natural world. The Audubon International team remains at the cutting edge of this work, but we truly couldn’t do it without the day-to-day, on-the-ground efforts of our thousands of certified members.

Challenging because climate change continues to dictate where and how we, and you, put our expertise and commitment to work for the greatest benefit for all. And it’s not going away anytime soon. But, after 35 years of success, we’re confident that together we will do our part, and more, to put our science into practice on a larger and more efficient scale than ever.

To help mark this milestone, I’ve asked Audubon International leadership a couple quick but important questions: — During your tenure at AI, what has inspired you about the organization’s mission and growth? — What are your short- and long-term goals to help AI build on its reputation as the leader in the golf/resort/hotel sustainability sector?

Here are their answers.

—Vic Williams, Editor

Fred Realbuto

Chief Operating Officer

“In my 23 years with Audubon International I have certainly seen a lot of changes. I think I’m most impressed with the resiliency of the mission, the simple mission of helping people help the environment where they live work and play. I realize that it has changed slightly over the years, but I have put out the clear message that we all can make a difference. Our members make a difference and it’s important that an organization like ours be there to help recognize them for their accomplishments, that resonates with their own members, their peers, and the communities that they do business in.

My short and long-term goals are similar. I want to continue to solidify the Audubon International Green Lodging program as the benchmark and standard for certification/ recognition in the lodging industry.”

Kat Welch

Director, Signature Sanctuary Certification

“I’m consistently inspired by our member’s impact on the environment throughout the world. Our certification standards and recommendations continue to lead our members to sustainable success while helping the environment and their bottom line at the same time.

One of my short and long-term goals is to continue updating and expanding on our certification focus areas with the help of our industry partners; ensuring our organization and members evolve with technology and continue to be leaders in sustainable design, construction and long term management.

A second goal is to continue expanding on membership base to include all golf courses and resorts that have an interest and goal to be environmentally sustainable.”

Katie Apple

Member Services Director

“I feel most inspired by our members who have been with us for the majority of our 35 years. When I have the opportunity to speak with someone from one of these properties, their enthusiasm for their work with us is evident! I appreciate that Audubon International has been able to grow in its mission and reach while remaining valuable to those members who have been with us from the start.

I aim for our members to feel connected to the day-to-day reliability of our staff and the services we provide. In the long-term, I’d like for us to keep striving to provide our members with the resources they want and need in the ways that are most convenient for them.”

Frank LaVardera, M.S.

Director of Environmental Programs for Golf

“What has inspired me the most is our ability to help our members implement environmentally sustainable practices at their respective facilities. Whether it’s a golf course, lodging facility or club, seeing our guidelines and principles being implemented and making a difference is really rewarding.

My short-term goals include being responsive to our members on a day-to-day basis. I really enjoy meeting and speaking to our members and helping them make their course become more environmentally sustainable. Long term, I want to help the organization continue to grow by letting the golf industry know about Audubon International and the great certifications we provide for golf courses.”

Alison Davy

Finance & Operations Manager

“I really value working at an organization that was thinking about environmental sustainability long before it was in fashion. AI has been committed to it for so many decades. I’m not a golfer, but I’ve learned a lot. I’m glad that’s the market we focus on primarily. When I started here I was getting a lot of phone calls from superintendents, and learned very quickly that they are very committed and knowledgeable stewards of the environment. I have a real respect for the folks to do that kind of work, especially those who reach out to us and see that what we do is of value.

I come from the not-for-profit world, the same world that Christine and Katie come from, and it’s great to be on this team because they are real professionals in their particular areas. We work well together. It’s been an amazing run of 35 years, and I’m excited about the next 35. Christine really knows how to run a team of pros.

Another thing I like is that Audubon International is truly science-based. Here in upstate New York, there are a lot more people involved in environmental work, who have made it their focus. We have integrity on the science front, and we’re always trying to recruit and get better.”

In The Beginning Was Collier’s Reserve

First-Ever Signature Sanctuary Course Set the Standard

Even in the golf-rich region of Southwest Florida, Collier’s Reserve Country Club in Naples stands out for its commitment to conservation stewardship from the very first day the Arthur Hills-authored course debuted for members. Well before that day, in fact.

Located two miles from the Gulf of Mexico and four miles from I-75, Collier’s Reserve is a private, residential community of 224 single-family homes nestled peacefully along the Cocohatchee River, one of Southwest Florida’s most scenic waterways.

In 1994, the club made history by becoming the first golfing community in the world to achieve designation as a Certified Audubon International Signature Sanctuary. In 2017 it reached another milestone by becoming Gold Certified.

Established in 1993, the Signature Program was designed to chart a new path for the design, construction, and management of golf communities with guidelines for both the landscape and structural facilities. Sites that achieve designation as a Certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary must demonstrate a commitment to enhance and protect the environment with a focus on the economic, environmental, and aesthetic benefits to the surrounding community.

Collier’s Reserve brought to life the Collier family’s dream of a community where preserving and enhancing the natural environment was the most important goal — a standard of stewardship excellence that continues to this day and remains as strong as ever.

“As the world’s First Audubon Signature Sanctuary golf course, it has been a tremendous responsibility and honor to uphold the standards set by so many over the past 27 years,” said Ken Kleinelder, Golf Course Superintendent. “Being a part of such a unique, natural property with such a diverse landscape has given Collier’s Reserve the opportunity to show the public that golf and nature can thrive together.”

The Collier family owned the property for 70 years prior to its development. Its 450 acres comprise a community among the most picturesque in Florida while fulfilling a dedication to the preservation of nature. More than 30 percent of the community, some 130 acres, is dedicated as a conservation area. By design, Collier’s Reserve maintains thoughtful setbacks

and vegetation buffers for private homes and creates rare privacy and unfettered views on each hole. Devout attention to Audubon International.s Conservation Program remains evident throughout the course.

The stewardship mindset is simply ingrained into the culture here. Kleinelder originally came to Collier’s Reserve as an assistant in 2009 after earning a Turfgrass Management Degree from Ohio State University in 2007. After a year as superintendent at another Naples area course, he returned to Collier’s Reserve and took the top job in 2017, armed with a wealth of knowledge about the golf course, irrigation system and long-term master plan. He continues to build on opportunities to further the club’s dedication to the principles and guidelines for environmentally sound management that were established during its inception.

As with all Audubon International member properties, change has been a constant for Collier’s Reserve over the decades. In 2001, for instance, the club was turned over from the original developer to its members. They had to choose whether to continue in the Signature Program. They not only choose to uphold the club’s certification, but also to make various improvements starting with a golf course renovation in the summer of 2003.

As a test, the superintendent at the time removed all existing 419 Bermuda grass from around one of the Paspalum tee boxes and replanted it with native material including cordgrass, muhly grass, and saw palmettos. Members loved it and the same process was carried out for all tees — over 20,000 muhly and cordgrass plants throughout the 2.5 acres of tee complexes. The finished product: Paspalum tee surfaces with surrounding native plant material and mulched walking paths. Not only did the native look fit in with the natural environment of Collier’s Reserve, but it also helped to reduce labor costs by no longer having to mow and maintain these areas. Water output within the tee complexes was reduced by 50 percent.

Kleinelder and his dedicated staff have continued to follow the path forged alongside Audubon International nearly three decades ago, and of course, it keeps paying dividends for club members and their guests — and the natural world.

“We are seeing more wildlife than ever and providing an experience which promotes the love of golf along with the love of nature, and Audubon has been a huge support system to make that happen,” Kleinelder said. “Thank you Audubon International and congratulations on 35 years of environmental stewardship, education, and research.” www.colliersreserve.com

35 Years of Growth, Partnership and Success

Echoes From Previous Issues of Stewardship News

Editor’s Note: As we reboot Stewardship News after several years — the original version was published from 2000 to 2018, undergoing several print and online iterations over those years — it’s fitting to help mark Audubon International’s 35th Anniversary by looking back at a few of those issues to see how our mission has been sustained, and yes, evolved, over the decades. The following excerpts will reveal that we’ve remained remarkably focused on and dedicated to that mission. To peruse the editions mentioned here, and others, visit https://auduboninternational.org/stewardship-news/

“Sustainability is complex; not only does it require knowledge of new technologies and ecosystem dynamics, it requires a spirit of cooperation and collaboration—not often considered hallmarks of American culture or business life.” —Volume 3, No. 1,

January 2000 “The cooperative aspect of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System is fundamental. Each program is founded on the concept that individually and collectively we can improve the quality of life and the environment.” — Volume 4,

Issue 4, July 9, 2001

“All of our educational programs and technical assistance service are aimed at helping the environment. We firmly believe that our environmental problems can be solved only when each and every person becomes a steward of the “By working with diverse types of properties, we are striving to create a voluntary system of connected sanctuaries where people live, work, and play. Those four words — Audubon Coooperative Sanctuary System—mean a lot.” —

environment.” —Volume 3, Issue 6, November 2000

“Sustainability does not mean ‘anti-growth.’ Hence, smart growth initiatives are essentially about forging partnerships among government, business and industry, and environmental, agricultural, and community groups to create a future that we choose rather than one we get by default.” —Volume 3,

No. 4, July 2000 Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2003

“Audubon International advocates a place-based approach in which communities assess current strengths, resources, and areas for improvement, using their watershed and ecological region as the environmental leg on which they stand…communities then develop a shared vision of where they want to go, make plans, take action, and evaluate results.” —

Volume 7, Issue 3, May 2004

“We are still learning about birds and improving their habitats. But we’re also doing much more. By joining a program—whether it be for backyards, hotels, golf courses, schools, or entire communities—Audubon International members are pledging their support for our land, water, wildlife, and natural

resources.” — Volume 8, Issue 4, July 2005

“From its roots working to protect water and wildlife in the state of New York, Audubon International has grown to encompass conservation work in more than two dozen countries worldwide. Our success is wedded to the dedication of our members, who have invited us to assist them in protecting and improving the land, water, and

Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2012, Audubon International’s 25th anniversary

“The members we work with include health care facilities, schools, cemeteries, farms, campgrounds, local parks, neighborhoods, and municipalities. Our success in helping others implement voluntary practices to help the environment has been possible because of support from sponsors and donors.” — Volume 16,

wildlife they steward.” — Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2006 Issue 3, October 2013

“Environmental performance and sustainability indicators help to ensure that you stay on track to achieve your goals. They help you celebrate your progress, measure your success, and tell your

story.” — Volume 10, Issue 4, July 2007

“An early morning encounter with a fox, the bustle and activity at a well-stocked bird feeder, or the simple beauty of a painted turtle—each is reason enough to become a steward of the environment.”

— Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2009

“Many think of the ACSP as a certification program, but it is not. It’s first and foremost an education program. We ask about how things are done at the golf course, brainstorm, and work with the members to make small changes that can yield

big results.” — Volume 13, Issue 4, September 2010

“The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program is thriving because people are concerned about the environment, and because they sincerely want to improve the environment not just for themselves, but for future generations. All of our successes are

our members’ successes.” —Volume 14, Issue 1, January 11, 20th anniversary of ACSP

“We are neither a golf group, nor top heavy with golf course members. We are an environmental organization that advocates conservation of biological diversity…we are pleased to see thousands of people, who previously were not involved, have now become engaged in conservation action.” —

“When an individual, organization, or community joins Audubon International, they become part of an extended family. We genuinely care about their aspirations so we can effectively mentor and coach them through the process of implementing environmentally friendly practices and reporting

on the results.” — Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2014

“Audubon International has touched down in over 30 countries, representing North and Central America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. While our membership growth continues everywhere, 23% of newly certified members in the past year are

international.” — Volume 18, Issue 2, May 2015

“In 1987 Audubon International paved the way for many of the sustainability programs we see at other organizations today. We realized early on that the natural resource value of the areas where we live, work and play was not being recognized, valued or conserved, and we set out to change that. Today we have well over 2,000 active members around the world, in seven different programs, working to improve and preserve the quality and quantity of water resources, plant and wildlife habitats, community planning efforts and

recreational spaces.” — Christine Kane after her arrival as CEO, December 2016