Westwood Plateau Named Wildlife Friendly
WESTWOOD PLATEAU GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB NAMED “WILDLIFE FRIENDLY” GOLF COURSE
Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club has been named a “Wildlife Friendly Golf Course”, by the Institute of Urban Ecology at Douglas College. The partial findings of an I.U.E. investigation into the wildlife habitat value of three golf courses in the Greater Vancouver Regional District were published in the Institutes newsletter this fall. Nadine Pinnell, an I.U.E. Eco-Ed Coordinator writes, “Forested areas, undisturbed native vegetation, and small bodies of water throughout the [golf] course provide lots of natural habitat for wildlife. Course managers have further enhanced this natural habitat by installing nesting boxes for wood ducks, songbirds and bats”. The newsletter also goes on to mention Westwood’s five-year endeavour to be certified as a cooperative wildlife sanctuary by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada.
Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club Course Superintendant, Bruce Thrasher, says, “In 1995 the Golf Course owners made a commitment to the community to design and provide a golf course that integrated the natural habitat of the surrounding area. Over the years we have continued to uphold the integrity of that original design”.
The Institutes Final report featuring studies of Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club, Guildford Golf Club in Surrey, and Eagle Quest at Musqueam, will be published in December.
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Richard Lazazzera
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Interesting that the I.U.E. focused on the forested areas and small bodies of water as key habitat features—I always figured golf courses were just grass and sand traps, but it sounds like Westwood Plateau has a lot more going on ecologically. Nadine Pinnell’s mention of “undisturbed native vegetation” makes me wonder how much of that is intentional versus just leftover land between fairways.
That’s great news for Westwood Plateau—especially the mention of forested areas and small bodies of water making a real difference for local wildlife. The Institute of Urban Ecology’s work on these three GVRD courses sounds like a smart way to show how well-maintained spaces can double as habitat. Always nice to see a golf course recognized for more than just fairways and greens.
It’s really encouraging to see Westwood Plateau recognized as a “Wildlife Friendly” course by the Institute of Urban Ecology at Douglas College. Nadine Pinnell’s note about how their forested areas and undisturbed native vegetation help local habitats shows that golf courses don’t have to be ecological dead zones. I’d love to see the full findings of this study on the other GVRD courses to see how they compare.