Key Takeaways
- Audubon International is a non-profit that helps golf courses, communities, and new developments protect wildlife, water, and open land.
- It's a separate group from the National Audubon Society, but they both support initiatives that work towards protecting the planet.
- As one of many qualified charitable organizations, it runs on donations, memberships, and people who care.
- Virgin River Naturals is a 1% for the Planet member, so backing groups like this is baked into how we work.
Virgin River Naturals was built on a simple idea: you can make beautiful things without leaving a mess behind. We hand-pour our candles in St. George, Utah, and spend a lot of time thinking about the land that inspires our scents.
So, when we come across a group doing real work to protect the environment, we pay attention. Audubon International is one of them. Read on to find out what this organization does, what its certifications mean, and how you can pitch in to its great cause.
What is Audubon International?
You may have seen it listed next to a golf course, new neighbourhood, or resort and wondered what it stands for. It's an environmental nonprofit that helps properties put sustainable practices into place and provides certification when they meet the requirements of its programs. You may encounter it more as buyers and visitors ask harder questions about sustainability.
So, what exactly does this organization do?
It's a non-profit focused on education and certification that works with landowners, businesses, and communities to shrink their impact on the land around them and track the results over time.
Despite its name, the organization says it has no formal affiliation with the National Audubon Society.
How Audubon International Got Started
Its story goes back to 1987, when the Audubon Society of New York State was established as a 501(c)(3) focused on environmental education and sustainable resource management.
Once its programs expanded beyond New York, the organization started doing business as Audubon International in 1996, though it remains incorporated under its original name.
Today, it provides education, technical assistance, certification, and recognition to properties and communities worldwide. Its programs have enrolled over 4,000 properties across golf, businesses, communities, and hospitality.
The Programs Behind Every Certification
Most of the nonprofit's work runs through a handful of programs. Each sets the standards to be followed for certain kinds of property and hands out certification once those standards have been met and verified.
The difference is primarily in the type of places they serve. It can range from a single course to a whole town.
The Cooperative Sanctuary Program
The Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program is probably the one you've brushed up against several times without even realizing it. Golf courses lean on it to manage water, protect wildlife habitat and cut way back on chemicals across a lot of acreage.
The Sustainable Communities Program
The Audubon International Sustainable Communities Program zooms out. It helps neighborhoods, developments and even entire neighborhoods grow in a manner the land can actually handle.
The Signature Sanctuary Program
The Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary is for those building from scratch. To earn this certification, you need to follow environmental guidelines from the blueprint, through construction and long after.
What It Means to Be Audubon International Certified
Certification isn't a one-and-done sticker. Certified properties must continue meeting the program's requirements and go through recertification, generally every three years.
That ongoing check is the whole point. It doesn't just leave conservation to a one-time event, but makes it regular upkeep that keeps the community showing real effort that's documented.
Why Qualified Charitable Organizations Matter
A qualified charitable organization is a nonprofit the IRS recognizes as eligible for tax-deductible donations. It fits the bill alongside other environmental and community groups.
If you're looking for an easy way to put your values to work, supporting qualified charitable organizations is one way. Giving to a group like this means you're taking part in initiatives to support education, certification, and hands-on habitat work.
Even small, steady gifts go a long way, and so does where you spend the rest of your money.
Where Virgin River Naturals Fits In
You don't need to run a golf course or build something from scratch to take part in these initiatives. That same care shows up in every batch we craft, backing groups like this alongside the other qualified charitable organizations we support.
As a 1% for the Planet partner, we set aside a share of every sale for environmental causes, the kind of on-the-ground work that groups like Audubon International do best. It isn't the only group we back this way. Read about our partnership with the Sierra Club, if you want to see another example of where the giving goes.
We use a natural blend of soy, coconut, and beeswax and natural fragrance oils to make our hand-poured candles. The packaging isn't left behind either. Each product in our collection is packaged in recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable materials to ensure that the goodness you bring into your home doesn't cost your home.
Our room sprays are crafted with the same attention to detail and mindfulness of the planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does a Place Become Audubon International Certified?
It has to meet specific standards to earn the certification, then keep maintaining those standards year after year to keep the certification.
Is Audubon International the Same as National Audubon Society?
While the names are similar, they're different groups. Both are pro-planet, though. The National Audubon Society's main objective is the conservation of birds and their habitats.
Do I Need an Audubon International Membership?
Only if you manage a property such as a golf course, resort, park, school, or business, and you're interested in pursuing environmental certification. If not, you can support the program's causes through organizations like Virgin River Naturals. Part of the proceeds from our sales go towards supporting environmental initiatives since we're a 1% for the Planet member.
