Golfers at Bolingbrook Golf Club can witness something unusual this spring, and it’s not necessarily a hole-in-one. The Club has become a true breeding ground, this time for a pair of wild swans and their seven babies, called cygnets. They join several baby geese, ducks, muskrats and killdeer as the newest “members” at the Village of Bolingbrook, Ill.-owned facility.
“It is very unusual to see wild swans, let alone their offspring,” said Jeff Gerdes, golf course superintendent at Bolingbrook Golf Club. “We go to great lengths to ensure that natural habitats are created and protected for many different species of animals. But to see the swans come and stay has been very exciting.”
In an effort to protect the eggs from predators before the cygnets hatched, members of the Club’s maintenance staff built a small fence around the area where the female swan was nesting. The mother was able to easily come and go while keeping coyotes and other unfriendly animals away from the nest.
Since opening in 2002, Bolingbrook Golf Club has been very conscious about being a good steward to the environment. From choices about types of fertilizers and chemicals to apply to the golf course, to the construction of bird houses, the Club has always focused on making a positive impact on the land it occupies.
“We hope to continue to attract many different types of wildlife to the course,” said Gerdes. “The fact that these wild swans have taken up residence is a very good sign.”