Red Hawk Golf Club certified as first Audubon signature course

SPARKS - The Red Hawk Golf Club at Wingfield Springs has been certified as the first Audubon international Signature Sanctuary Community in Nevada and the 19th in the world after meeting strict environmental criteria.

This Audubon International program is designed for those individuals or companies interested in developing projects that follow the Audubon Principles For Sustainable Resource Management, and ultimately achieving Audubon Signature Status. This certification means that a development is considered an internationally significant demonstration of environmental planning, design, construction and management.

"The essence of the Audubon Signature Program is sustainability - using natural resources, without depleting them, in ways that will support human activity," said Ronald Dodson, President and CEO of Audubon International.

Wingfield Springs and Red Hawk not only preserved the integrity of existing habitat in the Spanish Springs Valley, but also looked for opportunities to expand wildlife habitat, nesting areas and native plant communities to more than 100 acres. Wingfield added 13 acres of wetlands during construction and built 10 more lakes at the master-planned community.

These lakes and wetlands have become a stopping ground for migratory waterfowl, a feeding area for the American white pelican and nesting grounds for large raptors such as golden eagles and the red-tailed hawk. Residents and visitors can also see great blue herons, snowy egrets, plovers, dowitchers and numerous species of songbirds, and the resident barn owls.

"We are very proud of the Audubon Signature Sanctuary designation," said Terry Reynolds, General Manager of Wingfield Springs. "We believe that good environmental sense makes good economic sense and we want to 'do the right thing' from a sustainable development point of view."