environmental management and monitoring for ... - Eventkultur.lab

Awareness Raising and Education
The environmental message is being promoted via TV, press and on-site
information and interpretation facilities. Key measures include; features in
TV magazine programmes leading up to the event, interviews with star
players, wildlife film sequence shot a Valderrama for use in live broadcasts,
briefing notes for commentators and journalists and a post-event video.
This entire environmental programme is being coordinated by the EGA
Ecology Unit working in close liaison with the event organisers, hosts and
other key stakeholders. It is above all an open, accessible campaign for all
parties involved in the 1997 Ryder Cup. To this end we are launching a
"Committed to Green Club" to enable sponsors, suppliers, and exhibitors to
demonstrate their support and, where applicable, to showcase their own
environmental programmes, products and technologies.
Environmental Management at Valderrama
Fir several years, Valderrama Golf has been working to ensure that correct
environmental practices are followed. The Club was an early subscriber to the
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program and is currently aiming to achieve
fully certified status. As a pioneer in the development of an Environmental
Management Programme for golf courses in Europe, Valderrama will be the
first European golf course to be officially recognized through the "Committed
to Green" campaign. These programmes require adherence to an integrated
management plan based on the following main headings.
Environmental policy
A detailed environmental policy provided the foundation for the
management programme. It embraces a commitment to Best Management
Practice and to be seen to be implementing recommended measures.
Nature conservation
Valderrama is a haven for a rich variety of wildlife - nearly 300 species of
plants and over 100 species of birds inhabit the golf course. Regular
monitoring of the flora and fauna of Valderrama has been undertaken since
the beginning of 1993. This forms the basis of the conservation and education
programmes. Several nature sanctuaries totalling over 20 hectares have been
identified in the golf course and these are protected from disturbance.
Water resources management
Consumption of large quantities of fresh water is a key issue. The installation
of the state of the art Toro 8000 computerised irrigation system, with
dedicated link to and on-site weather station is a key element in the drive
reduce the amount of water used at Valderrama. Water quality management
is addressed though having a closed internal circulation system, with all
eventual outflow channelled to the local treatment works. The introduction
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