Audubon Tourney May 23 

Are you FORE wildlife? Then sign up for Skidaway Audubon’s annual FUNdraiser golf tournament benefiting critically important wildlife initiatives on Skidaway Island. The registration deadline for the May 23 special event is May 17. Entry cards are available at the pro shops and skidawayaudubon.org. 

Tournament co-chairs Eddie and Caroline Ambrose, Bonnie Kelly, and Larry Batanian have whipped up a not-to-be-missed event packed with fun for all, including an online auction for golfers and non-golfers alike. 

Set for the Terrapin Point and Palmetto courses, the tournament includes a scramble format, teeing-off from locally crafted butterfly markers on all par-five holes, “Deal or No Deal” approaches for quicker play, a Floating Green contest, and a twist on Beat the Pros – it’s a Beat the Kids Challenge! The fun-filled event will be followed by a happy hour/reception at the Palmetto Clubhouse with a pick-a-prize raffle, presentations, and awards. The $150 entry fee includes raffle tickets and the reception. 

New this year is an online auction. Among the items to be auctioned are a three-night, four-day escape to Tybee Island, a fire pit installation by Zipperer & Co., and beautiful works by local artists. Visit skidawayaudubon.org for more auction information. Auction and raffle proceeds will fund Skidaway Audubon’s efforts to help bring monarch butterflies back from the brink of extinction. In the last 20 years, nearly 90 percent of the world’s monarchs have disappeared due mainly to habitat loss. The butterflies’ migratory path crosses Georgia. During this migration, the butterflies lay their eggs – almost exclusively on milkweed, much of which has been destroyed by development and herbicides. 

In partnership with The Landings Association and The Landings Club, Skidaway Audubon is planting milkweed and other plants that attract pollinators in common areas and in out-of-play areas along the golf courses to form a Monarch Butterfly Trail. It also is encouraging island residents to plant pollinator gardens in their yards. To help homeowners obtain native pollinator plants, Audubon scheduled an online pollinator plant sale for April at skidawayaudubon.org. 

The event also will help fund other island-wide environmental projects. Skidaway Audubon maintains the largest network of bluebird houses in the Southeast, the largest Diamondback Terrapin rescue project in the Southeast, a state-of-the-art bird cam, an invasive tree removal program, a garden to help reverse the worldwide loss of pollinating insects, bat houses to reduce mosquito populations, and weather stations to promote water-saving irrigation practices. It also offers special events, such as educational live wildlife presentations, and promotes environmental awareness and stewardship.