18 Ways a Community Can Be Green

The Editors of GolfCourseHome have investigated the myriad ways a community can be green and have come up with 18 basic directions ranging from green space, education and nature centers to research, habitat preservation, volunteerism, dark sky initiatives and much more. We’ve listed these various directions underneath our list of Green Golf Communities in a short version. You can view that list here. See below for a fuller explanation of these 18 key areas.

1. Significant Green Space indicates that a community’s master plan shows clear intention to leave a sizable portion of the development in an unbuilt condition and maintaint it in a natural condition.

2.  Staff Naturalist: A permanent staff member, full- or part-time, or a regularly consulted outside expert, who provides scientific data about on-site natural resources and whose services are deemed important and necessary by the community’s management.

3.  Nature Centers can be large or small, enclosed or open-air installations that provide information and a participatory experiences for residents and their guests.

4.  Education and Research activities relative to the environment in a master-planned community come in many forms, often involving a public or private institution that specializes in natural resources within a region.

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Spring Island, SC: Features a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary golf course.

5.  Audubon Sanctuary is an official golf-related program of Audubon International. Detailed information on how it is conducted and how communities participate is available by clicking here. Audubon Signature is an advanced version of the Sanctuary program.

6. Habitat Restoration work sometimes occurs at the time a community is built. It can also take place at other intervals, once the community is operating. The habitat in question can be wetlands, meadows, or waterways that were compromised or otherwise fouled by a previous land use.

7. Habitat Preservation is a common activity in environmentally responsible community. These efforts involve both restraint from excess building or other disruptions, as well as maintenance practices that benefit both wildlife and plant life.

Aspen Glen, CO: Features a bald eagle preserve, nature center and more..

8. Watershed Preservation is a vital initiative, especially for golf courses and golf communities that use water so actively. There is a wide variety of protocols and procedures for preserving water sources.

9. Green Construction is a burgeoning area of the environmental movement. It can be pursued according to the federal government’s LEED guidelines or by other detailed protocols. The benefit is lower impact on areas surrounding buildings, less energy use and reduce maintenance.

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10. A community with a Conservation Trust will usually include a non-profit foundation in the partnership or corporation that is set up to build the real estate development. The mission of the trust is to extend environmental preservation (and perhaps other altruistic goals) into perpetuity. As an alternative, communities can include a major conservation easement in their original land plan.

Teton Springs, ID: Significant green space and a conservation trust.

11.  Funding of Environmental Initiatives is a feature of Green Golf Communities that is truly above-and-beyond, providing underwriting for the environmental stewardship work of other entities, beyond the community’s own gates.

12. Communities that set up Research Partnerships take the valuable step of working cooperatively with a specialized institution on a long-term basis for the purpose of monitoring and protecting ecosystems in as sustainable a manner as possible

13.  Green Volunteerism is a particularly welcome trait of a Green Golf Communities, for two reasons. One, it provides on-site labor and physical assistance with important environmental projects, and two, it extends and increases the awareness factor among all residents, making further green activities and practices all the more likely.

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14.  Common Gardens are included in our criteria because they bring community residents together in an outdoor setting with a focus on tending the landscape. In many cases this leads to greater awareness of environmental issues and more activism in support of best practices.

15.  Additional Awards: Audubon Sanctuary and Signature status is a cornerstone of environmentalism in golf communities, but there are many other important awards and recognition bestowed in the field, to further document a community’s achievements in these areas.

16.  Pedestrian Commerce Centers are given weight due to their value in reducing automobile use in the community, thus reducing the carbon imprint.

17.  New Urbanism is a term describing community master plans that reduce automobile use generally.

18. Dark Sky Initiatives, most common in remote communities, reduce light pollution and help keep the night sky clear for observation of celestial activity.

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