President’s Corner – April 2023 – Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary

President’s Corner – April 2023 – Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary

I don’t often get a chance to talk about Duran Golf Club in my HOA discussions, but, I am going to take this opportunity to really brag a bit on what they have achieved. When Duran was first moved into my department at The Viera Company and placed under my purview in 2019, I learned that the golf course was working on the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary certification. It was a years long project that included a lot of community volunteers and staff hours. Certification was achieved in March of 2020 and Duran recently went through the 3-year recertification process.

Audubon International (not be confused with the Audubon Society), is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) environmental education organization dedicated to providing people with the education and assistance they need to practice responsible management to land, water, wildlife and other natural resources. There are five areas that the Audubon team looks at when considering and granting certification to applicants: Environmental Planning; Wildlife and Habitat Management; Chemical Use Reduction and Safety; Water Conservation; Water Quality Management, and; Outreach and Education.

So, what does the certification really mean to the Golf Course and the residents of Viera? Well, I think you will be shocked to learn how many environmentally sustainable projects and areas that exist at Duran and how they have been able to integrate with the golf course and golfers. Here is a short list of some of the wonderful projects at Duran:

• Birdhouses – Over 25 of them (built by a Duran employee for charity)
• Duck Houses (named after Duran employees)
• Eagle/Osprey stand
• Butterfly garden and other pollinator garden areas
• Bat Boxes
• Creation of the Duran Resident Advisory Group (community members)
• Eight acres of environmentally sensitive areas set aside for wildlife habitats

Here is our very own Duran Golf Course General Manager, Jeff Von Eschen, standing with the “Brenda” Duck Box (Brenda is the Office Manager at Duran).

I also have my very own duck box that was recently installed. I should have my picture taken with my duck box very soon! There are some great videos out there of ducks entering and using their duck boxes and every time I look at them, I get sucked into the rabbit hole of watching video, after video, after video….

For anyone interested in learning more about the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Certification or any of the environmental and wildlife conservation activities of Duran Golf Club, give Jeff (or me) a call and we will schedule a tour.

And, not to spoil a surprise, but, staff is currently working on something similar for the entire Viera community. More information will be forthcoming soon.

So, until next time, please remember … “If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched.” (Steve Irwin)

Eva M. Rey, President
Central Viera Community Association, Inc.