Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program
In September 2002, the St. Clair Shores Country Club completed the requirements to receive the Michigan Environmental Stewardship Award.
Program Purpose: The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program is intended to organize efforts of the turfgrass industry, state agencies, MSU, and environmental advocacy groups to advance the environmental stewardship of the turfgrass industry and to recognize environmental achievements. The program was developed at MSU with support from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, Golf Association of Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan Department of Agriculture. The Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program provided the base funding to develop the program and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is providing additional support.
The Macomb Conservation District is working with the St. Clair Shores Country Club to plant 5-6 acres of conservation buffers to protect water quality. A conservation buffer is best described as a strip or other area of land in permanent vegetation that helps control pollutants and manages other environmental concerns. Native grasses and wildflowers will be planted along some of the waterways, and in areas that are considered "out of play". The goal of this project is to decrease maintenance costs, improve aesthetics on the course and to protect water quality. Hopefully, this project will initiate other golf courses around the county to think about protecting their water with similar buffers. We hope to use this golf course as a model of what can be done to improve water quality and still have a course that is pleasing to the public. Planting is scheduled to start in the spring of 2002. The project will probably take a few years to establish, but after establishment it should take care of itself with only a small amount of maintenance.
The Waterfront Environmental Committee has participated with the golf course by constructing wood duck nest boxes, bat houses and blue bird houses to be used on the golf course. Plans on how to construct bat or bird houses or a wood duck nest box could be obtained by calling the Macomb Conservation District (586) 752-9580.
Free Plans for all types of bird nest boxes
Wood Duck, Blue Bird & Bat House Information Center
