Have received the Audubon International’s Silver Certified Sanctuary Designation in The Villages. I ran across this statement recently and thought it would be interesting to find out what exactly that meant. When looking into it I found that roughly 12 years ago The Villages endorsed the Audubon International’s Silver Certified Sanctuary designation and since that time, 315 holes of golf have been built and certified making The Villages the world leader in this comprehensive environmental program that promotes cooperation between development and sustainability practices that enhance landscapes and improve water quality. Based on program requirements, this plan addresses a wide variety of planning events such as watershed drainage, wildlife protection areas, special management zones for habitat, pesticide selections, fertilizer/nutrient recommendations, and water quality considerations. Whew, that’s a lot of things. As The Villages develops it always seems so easy, one day it is barren land, the next day houses, lawns and trees are in place, recreation centers, pools and golf courses spring up over night, and look like they have been there forever. As I said, it looks so easy…but when I read an article such as this, it reminds me of the amount of thought and planning that goes into everything that happens here and that quality planning is what makes it look easy. We call ourselves the Friendliest Hometown and I think that the 32 varieties of birds, including protected American Bald Eagles, Southeastern Kestrels and Burrowning Owls will thank the Audubon Society and agree that The Villages is a very thoughtful and friendly environment to reside in, even though they don’t play golf.