2010 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cam Reed, a senior at Centennial High School in Calgary, Alberta won first place in the 2010 Caring for our Watersheds (CFW) finals. Afterwards, Nutrien donated $4,000 to implement his idea.
The winning idea from Reed was to install bat boxes and bird houses on golf courses in the Calgary area as a natural pest control. His proposal had a realistic budget, accurate research and a strategic timeline for implementation. By the CFW finals, Reed already had golf courses committed to the project.
Reed worked with Nutrien, 8 local golf courses and community partners such as Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Calgary Bat Society to support this project.
After selecting the boxes, Cam worked with local Boy Scouts and his High School carpentry class to paint and assemble the boxes.
The following golf courses had boxes installed: Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club, Glencoe Golf & Country Club, McKenzie Meadows Golf Club, Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club, Maple Ridge Golf Course, Bearspaw Country Club, Canada Golf (RCGA) and Pinebrook Golf &Country Club.
Reed commented, “I’ve learned that golf courses aren’t the bad guys and they are very open to ideas to protect our watershed. And, my project was another way to add to their environmental stewardship.”
In addition to improving the watershed, Reed was offered a summer job at many of the golf courses. He accepted one and is looking forward to finishing his final year in school.