Seabrook Island Property Owners Association Earns Audubon International’s Green Community Award

Seabrook Island, SC – The Seabrook Island Property Owners Association has earned the Green Community Award from Audubon International, a non-profit environmental education organization. The Green Community Award is bestowed when a community completes the first stage of the three-stage Sustainable Community education and certification program administered by Audubon International. By completing the first stage of the program, Seabrook Island is the first homeowner’s association – and only the second community – in South Carolina to receive the Green Community Award.

“As the first homeowner’s association to receive the Audubon International Green Community Award in the State of South Carolina, Seabrook Island Property Owners Association has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring their economic vitality, a healthy local environment, and superior quality of life,” said Ryan Aylesworth, Audubon International Executive Director. “Our organization applauds Seabrook for its dedication to promoting sustainability, and we look forward to actively working with the community’s Steering Committee while the remaining two phases of the certification process are being completed.”

“The Leadership of Seabrook Island has embraced the Audubon International Sustainable Communities planning model,” states John Thompson, Seabrook Island Property Owners Association Executive Director. “The Community owes a debt of gratitude to Audubon International as well as to our resident volunteers who have tirelessly pursued the Green Community designation. We envision our participation will become the umbrella under which the pillars of sustainability are assessed continually to help the various island entities inform their individual strategies, programs, and projects.”

Audubon International’s Sustainable Communities Program helps communities take steps to ensure that they are healthy and vibrant places in which to live, work, and play–both today and tomorrow. That vision is founded in the three pillars of sustainability–a healthy local environment, quality of life for citizens, and economic vitality. The program is tailored to each community to ensure that its specific needs, priorities, resources, and challenges are addressed.  Through the program, the community works with Audubon International to establish priorities, develop an overarching plan, and take action that leads to environmental benefits at the community level.

Seabrook Island Property Owners Association strives to be a private residential community with lifestyle amenities for all ages. With a mixture of developed homes, undeveloped lots, condo and villas, the association oversees 2680 individual properties and 521 acres of common space. As a private community association, Seabrook Island Property Owners Association has the power to drive sustainability through comprehensive planning and education.

For more information about Seabrook Island Property Owners Association’s involvement the Audubon International Sustainable Communities Program, contact Ryan Aylesworth, Executive Director by phone at (518) 767-9051, ext. 106, e-mail at ryan@auduboninternational.org, or visit www.auduboninternational.org.