The Venice Golf and Country Club Honored with Top Environmental Award from Audubon International

VENICE, Fla. - July 14, 2015 - PRLog -- The Venice Golf and Country Club – one of Southwest Florida’s most prestigious private golf communities – earned the award for Most Species Recorded from the first global Golf Course BioBlitz organized by Audubon International and sponsored in part by the United States Golf Association. Representatives from Audubon International will formally present the award to The Venice Golf and Country Club at a special luncheon at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2015, at the club’s Venice location.

BioBlitz is a species counting competition designed to create awareness among golfers and the community about the environmental value of the habitats supported by golf courses. The program was open to any golf course worldwide, including those unaffiliated with Audubon International. “We embraced this challenge whole-heartedly and are proud to come out on top with the number of species found throughout our grounds,” said General Manager Jim Schell. “This project could not have succeeded without the extensive planning, identification processes and tracking skills of our volunteers.”

Awards were given in the categories of Most Species, Most Participants, and Best Photo. Competing in the event were 28 golf courses from Quebec to Nevada and Hawaii to Florida representing biodomes from all around North America. This collection of participating courses resulted in 2,230 unique species recorded and more than 3,560 total species encounters. “A BioBlitz is also a great way for golf courses to bring naturalists and families out to see the natural beauty golf courses provide in their towns,” said Doug Bechtel, executive director of Audubon International.

With a team of volunteer participants comprised of community residents, naturalists and other local experts logging over 319 hours, The Venice Golf and Country Club identified 588 unique species throughout six scheduled field excursions between April 19 and April 25, 2015. “The resulting report from the 2015 BioBlitz provides details of the event, but doesn’t fully capture the sense of excitement surrounding this journey of discovery at The Venice Golf and Country Club,” said Schell.

About The Venice Golf and Country Club

Located in Venice, Florida, with easy access to I-75 and close to VeniceIsland shopping and the beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, The Venice Golf and Country Club consists of six enclaves of 587 single-family homes on 460 tropical acres. Residents enjoy a variety of today’s most desirable amenities, including an 18-hole championship golf course with clubhouse, junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, Har-Tru tennis courts, exercise facilities and more. The Venice Golf and Country Club is extremely proud to have earned the status of being GEO Certified™ and has been recognized by Audubon International as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary since 2004, which signifies the fulfillment of comprehensive and advanced sustainability requirements. The Venice Golf and Country Club offers three types of equity membership for members to enjoy: Golf, Recreational and Social. For more information, visit VeniceGolfAndCC.com or call 941.492.9600.

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