Lesson 4: How Golfers and Wildlife Share the Course
A golf course is a shared space — shared between golfers and the many animals that live there. Good golfers understand this and act with respect for the wildlife around them.
This means: not disturbing nesting birds, giving alligators and other large animals plenty of space, watching where you step in areas with ground-nesting birds, and avoiding the temptation to feed wildlife.
Feeding wildlife disrupts their natural behavior and diet. An animal that depends on humans for food loses its ability to survive on its own.
The best golfers are also the best environmental citizens of the course. Caring about the game and caring about the environment go together.
Create a ‘Course Wildlife Guide’ with drawings and descriptions of five animals you have observed or researched at your facility. Include one tip for how golfers should behave around each animal. Make it something you would be proud to show a visitor to the course.
The Course Wildlife Guide is a portfolio piece that synthesizes the entire Week 4 learning. Encourage your student to invest time in making it beautiful — these are the kinds of projects that get kept and returned to years later. It also introduces the concept of a field guide, which is one of the oldest and most important tools in natural history.