Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--An environmental stewardship study of six Florida golf courses is earning a recent Mississippi State graduate recognition from a national professional association.
Robert G. "Rob" Collins of Naples, Fla., is one of only three university students whose research projects recently were selected for top 2005 student awards of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Other honorees this year attended Cornell University and the California Institute of Technology.
Collins, formerly of Signal Mountain, Tenn., received a master's degree in landscape architecture last May. As an independent contractor for a golf course architect, he now is overseeing construction of an 18-hole golf course.
MSU assistant professor Susan Mulley, Collins' former faculty adviser, termed the award a "remarkable recognition" that resulted from a research process that was "extremely thorough in establishing criteria and collecting data."
Titled "Fool's Gold: Audubon International Certification as a Predictor of Foraging Habitat Suitability for Wading Birds," his investigation took a year to complete. In the conclusion, Collins advances some objective measures for evaluating the relative environmental stewardship of golf courses certified as "gold signature sanctuary programs" by Audubon International of Albany, N.Y.
The not-for-profit environmental education organization is among some 500 carrying the "Audubon" name, though it is not affiliated with the more widely recognized National Audubon Society.
Collins' investigation evaluated three AI-designated "gold signature" courses and three without the designation. The "gold signature" designation typically commands significant course development fees, as well as increased individual membership fees, he explained.
As an indicator of ecosystem health, Collins focused on the suitability of wading bird foraging habitat. He developed a series of eight comparative indicators that included water and vegetation type, total wetland area, and pesticide usage, among others.
His report included both quantitative and qualitative measures, which he rated from a high of one to a low of six.
Based on the data and his evaluations, Collins said there often is a "difference between image and reality in some 'sustainable' developments." While his study focused narrowly on bird foraging habitat, he said he believes his work clearly illustrates the need for further research about such environmental designations.
"One of my goals for this study is to try to create an awareness of the need for developments to make a genuine commitment to sustainable design," he said.
For additional information, contact Collins at robcollins10@hotmail.com.