Audubon Program

Audubon Coooperative Sanctuary

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program began at Huntsville Golf Club in 1994. Huntsville needed to fulfill six categories before receiving certification in the Program. Those categories include Environmental Planning, Integrated Pest Management, Water Conservation, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Public & Member Involvement, and Water Quality. Huntsville Golf Club officially became a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary on October 25, 1996. It continues to maintain its high standards in each category and must apply for re-certification to Audubon every two years. Huntsville is one of the few golf courses in this region to attain the distinction of being a certified Audubon Sanctuary.

Public & Member Involvement

An important category in maintaining our certification is Public & Member Involvement. Huntsville needs to maintain a relationship with both the club members and the public, such as schools or scouting organizations.
We have given course tours and nature trail walks to several groups. We have had school groups participate in building bird boxes for our course, and hope to soon have another group of children help us build some osprey nest platforms. Bird Walks and Wildflower Walks are held periodically, along with a hayride in October to see the fall foliage.
The children at Huntsville have been treated to such programs as the “Butterfly Man,” the “Reptile Man,” and a petting zoo. Huntsville participates in the yearly Audubon Bird Count which takes place in May. The course has many bluebird and butterfly boxes scattered throughout, which are monitored by both members and our horticulturist.

Educational

Our Nature Trails will teach you to identify some of our common tree species here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Look for signs identifying both common and Latin names for each species. At the “Spring” you will receive a history lesson. At the “Pond” you will be learning about the native wetland species that exist there, as well as some amphibians that have been seen there.

Recreational / Fitness

A walk on the trail makes for a great afternoon that can be enjoyed by the entire family. And what better way to stay fit and enjoy the day than to take a hike! Use the map shown here to help you find your way along the trail or pick up a brochure in the clubhouse.

The Nature Trail

The Huntsville Nature Trail is a network of mapped and blazed trails that are available for hiking, walking, exercise, or exploring. Over 4 miles of trails have been blazed. Our original scenic nature trail has been modified and extended to follow the contour of the property around the front nine holes of the golf course. This new trail is marked in gold and is a 2.3 mile loop featuring a variety of terrain. Hiking boots and a good walking stick are recommended for this trail because of the hilly terrain and potential slippery conditions. In addition to this extension, we have added a casual walking trail that is perfect for exercise, taking your dog for a walk or discovering some of the natural beauty Huntsville has to offer. This trail is an easy walk and marked in blue on the trail map. Hiking boots are not necessary for this trail, but we recommend sneakers.  Also available is the Huntsville Red Trail, which is a .45 mile trail that connects to both the Gold and Blue trails. It can be used to make different combinations to extend or shorten the trail.
Maps of the Nature Trail can be found in the Clubhouse.