Monthly Feature Hosted By:
	David Phipps, GCSAA Class A member at Stone Creek Golf Club, Oregon City, OR

During your career you occasionally come across an individual that really motivates you by just reading about what they are doing at their job. In my case that person is Tim Hiers, CGCS, at Old Collier Golf Club in Naples, Florida. Tim is a pioneer in the Audubon Signature Program. While at Collier’s Reserve, Tim and Ron Dodson from Audubon International basically created the Signature Program through the construction of the facility that became the world's first ever Audubon International Signature status golf course. Tim has since moved on to Old Collier Golf Club and continues to do wonderful things. Although I have never actually met Tim personally, he has inspired me to become Audubon certified and to take an active role as an environmental leader in my community.

Tim has organized numerous environmental tours at Old Collier Golf Club that share the golf industry and our profession with visiting EPA officials and local grade school students. The tours have positive effects that are astounding and long lasting. Within Tim’s case study you will find information that can help you develop a simple yet effective tour at your course. Tim’s techniques for captivating children’s attention and involving EPA officials in the game of golf are brilliant. I know for sure that I will be incorporating these techniques into my tours in the coming season.

Tim’s case study is a “must read” at EDGE. If you feel you have some additional ideas for hosting tours at your club, please share them with us.

If you are compelled to share an environmental case study, we would love to hear from you. Your completed case study will earn you 0.25 service points. If you have any questions feel free to contact myself at dcphipps@bctonline.com or Mark Johnson, GCSAA’s Senior Manager, Environmental Programs.

June's Guest:
	Mary Lou DeFlavis, Teacher– Naples Elementary School

If you can find a way to connect teachers with golf course superintendents, you might be surprised with the exciting opportunities to complement existing lesson plans with elements on the golf course. We consider ourselves fortunate to be neighbors with the Old Collier Golf Club and our students have been involved in visiting the course as a field trip for several years. Tim Hiers and his staff have been wonderful to work with and the annual field trip has become a favorite of our students and teachers.

Most of our students are familiar with golf courses, but have never had the opportunity to spend time on a course and connect with nature. About 150 fifth graders take a tour of the golf course each year with Tim and his staff and they have been doing this for over ten years. The things they learn often relate directly to the unit they are studying. There are opportunities to design a lesson plan around topics such as wildlife habitats, water, weather, recycling, wetlands, and many other topics. Our students especially enjoy seeing a variety of animals on the trip like fish, snakes, fox, alligators, osprey, egrets, eagles and even an endangered gopher tortoise. They learn about the man-made structures on the golf course and how the members of this course have invested to preserve the natural features. As they tour the golf course, they really get to see the native features of southern Florida. In addition to the learning, they just have fun!

This project has provided a means for our students to learn about golf and the environment in the actual environment. Students learn how golf course superintendents and their staffs strive to strengthen the game of golf while also preserving and sometimes improving natural habitats.

When I run into students years later they often comment on this trip and how much they enjoyed it. I would recommend that golf course superintendents and teachers work together to provide our students with this unique opportunity. For starters - call Tim!!