Cranberry Highlands Lauded By Audubon International

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA - Audubon International again has designated the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course as a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The course initially was recognized as part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program in 2009 and was re-certified in 2011.

The award-winning education and certification program helps golf courses protect the environment. Course get the cooperative sanctuary designation for maintaining high standards in such areas as planning, wildlife and habitat management, education, reduced chemical use, and water quality management.

For this certification, Audubon recognized a program at the course initiated last year to create wildflower areas around the fairways to help support pollinator insects that have dramatically declined in population because of habitat loss and other issues.

In a letter to course superintendent Dave Barber, Audubon program specialist Allie Smith cited the course’s “superb outreach efforts, including your involvement with the Boy Scouts to build houses.” The course also added a half-mile nature trail in a wooded section of the 18-hole course.

According to township officials, Cranberry Highlands is one of 909 golf courses currently carrying the Cooperative Sanctuary designation. About 2,200 courses are enrolled in the program out of more than 34,000 worldwide.

Photo via Cranberry Township.