BT@HB Bluebird Trail is Thriving

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay is home to a collection of 45 Eastern Bluebird nesting houses strategically scattered throughout the golf course.  These nesting houses have been in place since 2008 and have fledged hundreds of bluebirds which now fill the air around the golf course.  Eastern Bluebirds are not only nice to look at, but have a peaceful song and help to eat lots of insects, including spiders, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and many more.

Nesting boxes at the course are very active already this year with over half of them already having residents staking claim for the year.  Bluebirds usually have 1-3 broods of 2-7 eggs per year.  The incubation period is between 11-19 days and the then they will remain in the nest from 17-21 day before fledging.

Bill and Diane Bice, Diane Johnstone, Angie Medley
(Deanne and Jim Morgan, Chuck Johnstone not pictured)

We are extremely fortunate that several years ago we were able to connect with interested community members who love to monitor and take care of our nesting boxes.  These members of the Friends of Harrison Bay State Park volunteer their time to take care of the blue bird houses at the course and a smaller blue bird trail at the park.  Projects like this one where we can reach outside of our course and invite people from the community to see what golf courses can provide for the environment are critical in changing the philosophy that golf courses are harmful to the environment. Previous post on Bluebird Nest Monitoring

After a couple of years where we lost several nests due to predication from raccoons and snakes we installed simple wire predator guards which have made a significant difference in our success rate.

Recently our friends at TurfNet put together this video on the predator guards and why we use them.

Predator Barriers for Bluebird Boxes

Bluebird nesting houses can be a great addition to any golf course, or even your backyard, and are rather easy to make.  There are many nesting house plans on the internet but we chose to use the Eastern Bluebird Nesting Box Plans from Audubon International.   Bluebird Fact Sheet from Audubon International

All the information you could probably ever need to know about bluebirds can be found at http://www.sialis.org or at All About Birds

In order to keep up with how our nesting houses are doing Mrs. Diane Johnstone reports our nesting activity to  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nest Watch.  A real simple way to know which boxes are doing well and help to keep a count of Eastern Bluebird nesting activity at Harrison Bay.

The Bluebird Trail at the golf course has been one of the easier environmental projects that we have done and has provided suitable habitat for hundreds of hatchlings to begin their lives.  If you don't have bluebird houses (or another species nesting house) on your course then I strongly encourage you to consider it.  Start small with just a few and expand from there.   Happy Birding!!!

Golf Environment Organization (GEO)

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay is very proud of our affiliations with different environmental and golf entities around the world as we feel that the more knowledge you have, and/or the more knowledgeable people you know, the better equipped you are to do the job properly.  Our golf course has had a long working relationship with organizations such as Audubon International, The Groundwater Foundation, the Environmental Institute for Golf, and the USGA Green Section.

Jacobsen President Mr. David Withers and
TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau with our GEO
certification presentation

In an effort to broaden our knowledge base on what we can do to continue to lessen our impact on the environment we recently became involved with the premier environmental organization in Europe known as the Golf Environment Organization or GEO.  GEO serves a multitude of countries outside of the United States setting the benchmark for environmental stewardship and consciousness. Our involvement with GEO has evolved over the past couple of years and we were thrilled to gain our GEO Certified status on April 22, 2014 at our Earth Day 2014 Event presented by Jacobsen.

As with most things that mean something certification with GEO is not something that is easily achieved, but that is not to say that it can not be done or should not be sought after.  It took us about two years to complete our certification but we have had a few projects going on during that time.  The thing that I like about the GEO certification process is that they look not only at what you are doing now but how have you changed your operation practices over a period of time.  This allows you to see if you have changed and are just treading water or have you changed your practices and continue to make improvements.  The certification process is broken into six different categories; Nature, Water, Energy, Supply Chain, Pollution Control, and Community.

The "Nature" section of the certification, as you can guess, deals with how the golf course interacts with the natural surroundings and inhabitants of the golf course.  What are we doing to enhance the property for the benefit of the environment?  What changes in our management practices and policies have we made to lessen our impact on the environment and the surrounding?  What environmental programs or practices have we put in place to create sustainable and suitable habitat for wildlife?

One of the many wildlife inhabitants of our course

The content of our Nature certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Nature

The "Water" section of the certification deals with how we are managing the water utilized on our golf course, as well as, how we are protecting the water supplies and sources around the golf course.  What practices or policies have we put in place to limit the amount of water we are using?  What steps have we made to limit the amount of irrigated acreage on our golf course?  Have we selected the proper turfgrass species for our climate and water supply?  What steps have we taken to protect the water around and flowing through our golf course from pesticide, fertilizer, or soil particle contamination?

Converting our greens irrigation from full circle to part circle
heads has reduced our usage of irrigation to water greens

The content of our Water certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Water

The "Energy" section of the certification deals with the steps we have taken to reduce the amount of energy we are consuming at the golf course.  This is not only concerned with electricity but also gasoline and diesel fuels.  What practices have we changed to limit the amount of fuel used on the golf course?  Have we implemented a recycling program at the course?  Are we using energy efficient fixtures and appliances?

A view of one of our fully electric Jacobsen Eclipse 322
battery configuration

The content of our Energy certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Energy

The "Supply Chain" section of the certification deals with our use of products and companies which also hold an environmental friendly mindset along with how we are choosing our chemicals and fertilizers to better protect the environment.  Have we changed our purchasing practices to purchase more local products to reduce the amount of fuel used for delivery?  Are we using more organic products or are we limiting the amount and number of chemicals and fertilizers used on the course?  How are we managing our soil structure and moisture content to provide a more healthy turf which will require less chemicals and inputs?

Proper equipment like the Toro ProCore 648 allows us to
properly maintain our soil structure for better turf

The content of our Supply Chain certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Supply Chain

 

The "Pollution Control" section of the certification deals with how we are protecting the environment from direct or accidental contamination from fuel, chemicals, fertilizer, or other substances.  Have we created vegetative buffer strips around our water ways to protect them?  Are we mixing our chemicals and fertilizers on impervious surfaces? Are we storing our chemicals, fertilizers, and oil products in a safe and secure manner?

Vegetative buffer strips around all of our waterways helps
to protect the surface water from contamination

The content for our Pollution Control certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Pollution Control 

The "Community" section of the certification covers how we are involving and including our community in our environmental programs and practices.  How are we communicating our environmental activities and programs to the general public?  Are we reaching out to include the public in our projects and our property with the hopes that they will implement some of our programs on their property?  How are we promoting our environmental programs with the media to help improve the image of the golf course industry?  How are we making sure that the general public views the golf course as a positive entity within the community rather than a negative environmental polluter?  

Members of the Friends of Harrison Bay State Park who
monitor our eastern blue bird houses

The content of our Community certification section can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Community

Our certification process was very enlightening and educational.  We had the pleasure of working with Mr. J. Russell Bodie, M.A. of The Smart Group as he was assigned to carry out our GEO onsite verification.  Mr. Bodie was great to work with and his Verification Report can be viewed here

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay GEO Verification Report.

It is an honor for us to be included in the current group of only six golf courses in the United States which are GEO Certified.  The other courses are Broken Sound Club of Boca Raton, Florida, Highlands Country Club of Highlands, North Carolina, Mirimichi of Millington, Tennessee, The Ritz Carlton Golf Club of Orlando, Florida, and The Venice Golf and Country Club of Venice, Florida.

Environmental promotion and protection is important and can be very enjoyable.  We hope that each course will institute some environmental programs or practices in their operating standards.  Working with organizations such as Golf Environment Organization makes the process that much more enjoyable and easier.  Utilizing these environmental organizations for their knowledge and inputs can give you ideas and methods to improve your course, as they have ours.

Bluebird Nest Monitoring

Back in 2007 we installed 44 bluebird nesting boxes around the golf course as part of our Audubon International certification program.  The nesting boxes were simple to build and we have been blessed with hundreds of fledglings over the years.  The Bear Trace has also been blessed by our relationship with The Friends of Harrison Bay State Park. 

 Besides being primary sponsors of the Harrison Bay Eagle Cam Project, members of the Friends of Harrison Bay have been volunteering their time for the past several years to monitor and maintain the bluebird houses around the golf course.  It is a small but dedicated group which I am very grateful for and I wanted to take a moment and recognize them and their hard work.  Here are a few members of the bluebird trail volunteers...(left to right) Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bice, Mrs. Diane Johnstone, and Mrs. Angie Medley.

 Another member of the bluebird group is Mr. Mark Mucciarone.  Here is a photo of Mark checking one of the blue bird boxes using a portable electricians camera which allows us to see inside of the nesting box without running the risk of scaring the adult birds or possibly dislodging the eggs or nestlings when opening the box.

 As you can see on the screen to the right, using the electricians camera they can clearly see what is inside of the nest quickly and without any risk of harming the eggs or babies. 

Here is a video we did a few years back with our friends from TurfNet

Inspecting Bluebird Houses Using an Electricians Camera

 One of the biggest improvements that they have made to the blue bird trail this year is the addition of the predator guards which are designed to reduce the possibility of raccoons and snakes from reaching into the nesting box and harming the nest. 


Here is a past blog post on the predator guard and how to make them

Predator Guards

 

 

Again, a special and heartfelt Thank You to this dedicated and fun loving group for all you do for us and the birds!!!

 

 

 

 

Congrats to Audubon International on their 1,000 certified golf course

We wanted to pass along our congratulations to Audubon International on certifying their 1,000 golf course.  The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, as well as all the golf courses on the Tennessee Golf Trail are proud of our Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status.  Below is an article from Golfdom magazine on this great accomplishment.  Keep up the great work AI!!!

Audubon International said it has certified 1,000 golf courses for its Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), an environmental education and certification initiative that provides technical assistance and guidance to help courses protect the environment, preserve golf’s natural heritage and gain recognition for their efforts.

The recipient of the organization’s most recent Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary designation is Eagles Pride Golf Course, a 27-hole championship course located in Washington at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), the Defense Department’s largest military installation on the West Coast. It was ranked one of the top ten military golf courses by Travel + Leisure magazine and is open to the public.

“We are very proud to have earned this in recognition of our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, especially since we are the 2nd Army and 5th Department of Defense golf course to be so honored worldwide,” Joint Base Commander Colonel H. Charles Hodges Jr. said. “This certification is a significant honor as a tangible recognition of our commitment at JBLM to sustainability and responsible stewardship. We look forward to working closely with Audubon International in our efforts toward ensuring all future generations have an environmentally friendly place to work and play.”

Since being established in 1991, ACSP membership (including facilities working towards certification) has grown to more than 2,300 golf courses in the United States and 36 countries worldwide. The program is endorsed by the United States Golf Association.

“Audubon International is excited to partner with the Department of Defense and its many installations to advance sustainability nationally and internationally,” said Audubon International CEO Ryan Aylesworth. “The achievements of Joint Base Lewis-McChord…serve as evidence that the U.S. military is committed to helping safeguard our environment and natural resources, and it is Audubon International’s goal to help our armed forces build on past accomplishments and ultimately achieve ACSP certification for all golf courses managed by the military.”

Expected Hatch Date is Quickly Approaching

March 17th is quickly approaching.  What is so special about March 17th you might ask?  Well it is the expected date for the much anticipated hatching of the first egg Eloise laid on February 10th.  Hopefully a few days later little brother or sister will emerge from the second egg which was laid on February 13.

Both Elliott and Eloise have been very busy and attentive parents this year, with Eloise taking the brunt of the parental duties.  She has stayed on the nest through bitter cold temperatures, driving rain, and wind storms that have swayed the treetop enough to make some viewers feel ill.  After last years sad and disappointing failure of the two eggs laid we are praying for a happy and successful hatching and fledging of the two eaglets.

It has been great to see the attention the Harrison Bay Eagle Cam Project has received this year and we are very appreciative of all the articles, email and Facebook passes, and tweets that everyone has sent out.  It has been especially thrilling to see entities such as TurfNet, The Golf Channel, and USGA spread the word about the project, along with emails and tweets from organizations such as Audubon International and GCSAA. 

Here is a photo my mom sent me of some eagles having a "family reunion" in Homer, Alaska.  Don't know if we will ever have this many eagles at Harrison Bay but we can hope. 

 

 

 

 

 

Environmental Outreach and Education

I'm happy to announce the completion of our new "environmental education center" which is located in the clubhouse.  Education and outreach about environmental activities taking place on the golf course as well as how others can incorporate environmental stewardship activities into their lives and their businesses is a cornerstone of being environmentally conscious.  I hope the board will encourage others to seek out ways of being more environmentally conscious.

On the board we have tried to promote our environmental stewardship activities and display our Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award we received from The State of Tennessee and list our certifications with Audubon International and The Groundwater Foundation.  We have "take home" printouts which will be changed out from month to month to provide people with information about how they can be environmentally aware.  This month we started with a couple of Fact Sheets from Audubon International about The Business Value of Environmental Stewardship and Golf and the Environment.  Our Blogger address and our Facebook address are listed on the board so interested parties can follow our activities and easily contact us if they would like.  The best feature of the board is the PixiModo digital photo frame which runs photos of wildlife, golf course photos, and people involved in environmental activities on the golf course on a continuous loop.  The movement of the photos helps to draw peoples attention and hopefully peak their interest about the information found on the board.  I am really pleased with how the board turned out and I hope it will serve its purpose and encourage and educate people to be more environmentally conscious and to realize that the golf course can be a wonderful habitat for wildlife.

I have had several inquires into the well being of the eagles since the tornadoes rolled through our area.  The eagles are alive and doing well.  We have been able to see two eaglets in the nest.  One is already jumping up on the edge of the nest and flapping his or her wings.  It shouldn't be long before he or she is hopping from tree to tree learning how to fly.

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Receives Recertification from Audubon International and The Groundwater Foundation

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay was recently honored by becoming recertified as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.  To reach certification, course personnel demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in:  Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, and Water Quality Management. 

Research provided by Audubon International indicate members have improved or protected the environment in some of the following ways.  Since joining the program, members have reduced water costs by 52%, reduced pesticide costs by 70 %, fertilizer costs by 66%, fuel costs by 44%, electricity costs by 46%, and waste management costs by 51%.  Members have also protected the environment by 89% of members raising the mowing height along shorelines to 3" or higher to slow and filter runoff, 50% of members have reduced irrigated turfgrass by an average of 11 acres from a highly maintained management program allowing these areas to return to a natural state providing nesting and shelter areas for wildlife.

Information about Audubon International can be found at their website:  Audubon International

Our other honor that we recently received was becoming recertified by The Groundwater Foundation through their Groundwater Guardian Green Site program.  This program provides information and education concerning the importance of protecting the groundwater and surface waters surrounding large green spaces such as golf courses, parks, and other highly managed green spaces.  The Groundwater Guardian Green Site program was developed to recognize good stewards of groundwater by encouraging managers or highly-managed green spaces to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly practices.  Our golf course is located on State Park property with 11 of our 18 holes coming in direct contact with open water ways which are actively used by fishermen, boaters, and water foul hunters.  We feel that being involved with The Groundwater Foundation through their Groundwater Guardian Green Site program provides us with more information about how we can protect and enhance the waterways around our golf course for future generations. 

The application process is very simple and does not require as much of a time investment as the Audubon International program certification process does.  Anyone wishing to gain information about this valuable program can do so at:  Groundwater Guardian Green Site Program

Congratulations to The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain

CROSSVILLE, TN – The Bear Trace Golf Course at Cumberland Mountain State Park has achieved designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program.  Tim Brock, Golf Course Superintendent and Ed Brown, Greenskeeper, have led the effort to obtain sanctuary status on this course and is being recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International. The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain is the 12th course in Tennessee and the 805thin the world to receive the honor.  The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain joins Paris Landing, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Fall Creek Falls and Warriors Path as Tennessee Golf Trail courses to gain Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status.   

For more information on the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program visit www.auduboninternational.org