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CONSERVATION & ECOLOGY


We are starting to attract funding from the Ladies section of the club, and more


” interested parties


coming forward, but we always could do with a little more!


Pollinator have been incredibly willing to share ideas and best practices.


PC: What benefits do you consider ecological features have for the design and playability of your course?


RM: I want everyone to enjoy their golf at Banchory but, if they don’t, they can effectively “smell the flowers” and look at their surroundings and endangered species as they make their way around the course.


Playability has not changed and we work on habitats in out of play areas; the ecology work does not really change our targets on surfaces. We’re a sustainable course, but mainly due to reductions in inputs and better targeting to have a genuine balance of integrated approach to turf and pest management.


RR: A common saying for myself and my colleague Bob Taylor is that “nature is possible on the golf course not despite of golf but BECAUSE of golf”. A golf course has amazing potential for nature, all of which will go on to be appreciated by the membership and wider community alike.


Just because you cannot dedicate 90% of the working week to


” improving the rough


areas doesn’t mean that the birds don’t


appreciate the boxes you put up in five minutes!


Keeping membership up to date with Operation Pollinator initiatives and what is going on


106 PC April/May 2020


Accurate spray application targets inputs where they are fully utilised and avoids environmental losses


PC: What proportion of your annual maintenance budget do you consider you typically spend on ecological management?


RM:We have no allocated budget for anything ecology wise and certainly haven’t the staff to do it in the normal working day. We have to look at how investment to help the course can be undertaken in such a way to have the greatest environmental benefit too, at little or no extra cost. We also take advantage of rain or snow days to do environmental projects, and put in extra time after work. Other things, such as topping up squirrel feeders can be done as the guys do course checks anyway. The only thing we bought was a jigsaw for the wood cutting; Godsend that, as poor Paul was starting to blister from saw use! We are starting to attract funding from the Ladies section of the club, and more interested parties coming forward, but we always could do with a little more!


RR: There is no required amount of time to dedicate to improving the biodiversity but


any small amount makes a difference. Greenkeeping teams seem to get smaller and smaller by the year! It is worth mentioning that anything positive for nature should be appreciated. Just because you cannot dedicate 90% of the working week to improving the rough areas doesn’t mean that the birds don’t appreciate the boxes you put up in five minutes!


PC: Have you had a good level of support from your members and the community for the environmental initiatives?


RM: There’s been a very positive response from the members. We conduct regular members’ evenings to communicate what we are doing, as well as showing them how to do it at home. Local schoolchildren are painting animals and insects that will go on a new course wildlife information sign. Local schools and nurseries also come in to spread wildflower seeds, and come back later to see the fruits of their labour. I’ve even had a little stint on local radio, explaining what we do on their local golf course. We feel that, as long as


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