New York, United States: Marcus Gray has been named as the Director of Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Programme for Golf (ACSP), the internationally recognised programme which advances and highlights voluntary environmental stewardship activities on the world’s golf courses.
Gray will give specific attention to building the programme’s membership base, forging partnerships, enhancing development efforts and conducting outreach to promote science-based conservation of wildlife, water and soil.
Gray brings extensive experience with butterflies and pollinators, large mammal management, bird monitoring projects, water resource protection and certification programmes.
He most recently served as the inaugural Executive Director at the North American Butterfly Association with previous positions at USDA APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services) and Resource Conservation and Development Councils in New Jersey and Virginia.
Audubon International is a not-for-profit organisation which works with nearly 2,500 golf courses, businesses and other organisations to encourage ecological management of natural resources.
Its mission is to deliver high-quality environmental education and facilitate the sustainable management of land, water, wildlife and other natural resources in all places people live, work and play.
In addition to golf courses, which constitute the largest membership base of Audubon International, the organisation works with cemeteries, hotels and resorts, residential communities and industrial facilities.
“Marcus is well-versed in rare species management and brings a great combination of field work and administrative experience,” said Audubon International Executive Director Christine Kane. “We’re very happy that he’s joined our staff.”
Raised in central Virginia, Gray holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Science from South Dakota State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Conservation from Maine’s Unity College.
Gray is excited to collaborate with stakeholders globally to address complex natural resources concerns to benefit communities, the golf industry and the habitats on which they depend.
He said: “Audubon International’s programmes foster real change on the ground. Activities underway to scale up conservation efforts to the landscape level, working with golf courses and other partners worldwide, were very appealing to me.”