From the Fact Sheet:
Public open spaces or greenspaces (parks, cemeteries, and golf courses) account for millions of acres of land in the United States. As urbanization spreads, these greenspaces have the potential to accommodate the needs of both people and wildlife. Golf courses and other public open spaces can be developed and managed to have a significant positive impact on the quality of habitat for sensitive and desirable wildlife species (Mankin, 2000), as well as enhancing the recreational, educational, and aesthetic aspects of these golf courses.
Steps to increase wildlife habitat (food, water, and shelter) and maintain a healthy environment:
- Incorporate fallen limbs and trees into strategically placed brush piles or let them remain where they fall
- Retain dead limbs and snags
- Establish food and water sources
- Provide nesting boxes/structures
- Maintain natural areas with limited human impact
- Plant native species offering berries, seeds, and nuts
- Create vegetation corridors to link isolated habitat patches throughout the golf course
- Avoid spreading fertilizers and pesticides on paved surfaces
- Leave buffer strips of vegetation along streams and ponds to reduce run-off of sediments and chemicals
- Conserve water by recapturing and reusing water sources
- Compost
- Consult a professional biologist
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