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Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

April 5, 2023/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar: For more than 10 years Dennis Sisis have held pre-season indoor seminars so it was fantastic, after an enforced absence since 2020, have it back in the calendar. The “Cricket Pit Maintenance in a Changing Environment” Seminar at St Albans School Woohham Trust, one of the regular […]

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

April 4, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project: The FairWays Foundation is not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting conservation, stewardship and education within the turf industry and beyond. The foundation supports environmental projects; both big and small by granting funds to successful applicants globally. The projects funded help to preserve the environment we live and […]

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

April 5, 2023/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

April 4, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

April 5, 2023/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar: For more than 10 years Dennis Sisis have held pre-season indoor seminars so it was fantastic, after an enforced absence since 2020, have it back in the calendar.

The “Cricket Pit Maintenance in a Changing Environment” Seminar at St Albans School Woohham Trust, one of the regular hosts, offered the 200 delegates a feast of knowledge and a genuine sense of normality.

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

The programme was devised by the school’s Head of Grounds, Ian Smith and for the morning session at least, hit delegates like a sledge hammer.

The extremely polished Robert Ja‑ , of Howardson Group, was the Master of Ceremonies and he did an excellent job all day of keeping to time and pit ing in comments and questions to ensure a smooth running show.

A weather forecast for 2050 and information that abstraction licenses may be revoked or restricted in 2028 offered a glimpse into the future that turf managers would perhaps describe euphemistically as “challenging”.

The weather forecast came from Met Office meteorologist Aiden McGivern who delivered his paper via video. He admitted that the projections he had included were two years old but that already some of the extremes in temperature had been reached.

He talked about regularly topping 40 degrees in the UK – a level that created a new British record last summer – but that it would become a common occurrence. Aiden also said that temperatures in India would hit the high 40 degrees, and that there would be bans on outdoor working which would impact farming and, of course, sports turf maintenance.

Aiden was followed by Andrew House, of the Environment Agency, who broke the news about the changes to extraction licenses which will be brought in in 2028. Anyone hoping that this might result in a more beneficial outcome for turf managers would undoubtedly be viewed as optimistic at best.

Ton Hanson, Managing Director of Environmental Solutions International, and George Warren, Anglian Water’s Integrated Water Management Lead, looked at what we might be facing over the next few years and what water might be available to the amenity sector, or not, as the case may be.

With the picture painted it was time for two well known faces to come up with solutions.

Alex Vickers, now a turf consultant but with 25 years of experience at TGMS and as Director of the MSc programme in Sports Surface Technology at Cranfield University, and Dr Christian Spring, the STRI’s Group Principal Scientist, spoke on “Root Zones for a Changing Climate” and “Pests and Diseases of the Future” respectively.

Complete with red bucket and a sponge Alex was able to illustrate how water operated in rootzone while Christian identified which diseases and pests would thrive in hotter dryer summers and wetter winters.

The morning was a well balanced and thoughtful session and perhaps was a case of better off knowing what we are likely to be facing in the short, medium and long term, than innocently thinking that everything would remain mu the same and that the weather we have been experiencing lately is nothing more than a blip.

After lunch provided by the school catering staff , the afternoon session ki‑ ed off with Dr Iain James, the ECB’s Head of Facilities Services. Iain spoke on “What Does Sustainability Mean for Grass Roots Clubs?” and covered everything from recycling old kit which carried old sponsors names to stripping parts from no-longer-used mowers.

There could be no better duo to deliver the final formal talk “Cricket Pit Preparations – difference between north and south” than Vic Demain, Head Groundsman at the Durham CCC, the most northerly Test ground in the world and Karl McDermott, who was Head Groundsman at Hampshire CCC, the most southerly Test Ground in England, and now Head Groundsman at Lords.

Vic and Karl know each other inside out and were able to josh and joke while offering the assembled gathering some insights into both their jobs. In Vic’s case the earlier and earlier start to the season is an added factor while Karl spoke of the complications created by the slope when watering the most famous ground in cricket.

The day ended with a Q&A Session with Vic and Karl, as always, sharing their knowledge on a wide range of subjects.

Sponsors for the day were Turf Matters; Stuart Canvas Group; DLF Seeds; RT Machinery; Boughton; SIS Grass; Grounds Training; Mansfield Sand; Origan Amenity Solutions; Turf Tank and White Horse Contractors.

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

April 4, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Louise Amos

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project: The FairWays Foundation is not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting conservation, stewardship and education within the turf industry and beyond.

The foundation supports environmental projects; both big and small by granting funds to successful applicants globally. The projects funded help to preserve the environment we live and work in whilst also encouraging education and stewardship; not only within our own industry but also within wider communities. The FairWays Foundation believes that environmental stewardship is not an initiative; it is a long-term investment into our future and the future of our industry.

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

Since being founded in 2019, The FairWays Foundation has granted over $440,000 to 29 projects across the USA, Canada and UK. Now in its 4^th grant cycle, The FairWays Foundation is currently accepting applications until April 30, 2023.

Projects that have been funded to date include a Great Salt Lake Field Trip program, the expansion of the Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network, an on-course vegetable garden to serve the golf club restaurant, the installation of bat boxes, restoring an agricultural field to prairie, invasive specied removal, canal bank restoration and more. It does not have to be a golf-related project to be considered.

On average, golf courses range in size between 100 to 190 acres. With nearly 7,000 golf courses in Europe alone, that is a lot of nature to have a potential impact on. Golf courses have the opportunity to make a positive impact within their communities by providing shelter to wildlife, supporting native wildlife and plants, promoting positive stewardship to the public, and more. However, The FairWays Foundation understands that a lot of those things require additional time and resources that are not always feasible within a course’s budget. That’s exactly why The FairWays Foundation was created. The foundation funds projects and activities that impact communities within the turf industry for the better. Some examples of this are conservation-based projects, community education, and the enhancement of environmental stewardship practices.

Conservation-based Projects

These projects can be described as work that would conserve or safeguard the environment and natural resources on course or within the community. Please note that course-based projects that would be considered capital improvements to the course are excluded from funding.

Examples of Conservation-based-Projects:

Pollinator Gardens
Wildlife and Habitat Management
Bird Boxes
Duck Houses
Bug Houses
Composting Vegetative Waste

Community Education

An important part of safeguarding the environment is educating others on how and why they should do so. Golf courses are full of learning opportunities for this and the foundation wants to help provide the resources needed in order to spread environmental knowledge around the course and community.

Examples of Community Education:

Monitoring Nest Boxes with a Local Scouting Group
Environmental Workshops at Your Local School or Library
Engaging Members in an Ongoing Wildlife Species Inventory

Environmental Stewardship Practices

The large footprint of a golf course helps to maintain green spaces for native flora and fauna, and offers incredible potential for positive environmental impact. While regular maintenance practices may be implemented in an environmentally conscious manner, other beneficial projects may fall beyond the scope of what the annual budget would allow. The FairWays Foundation can help provide funds to implement projects and practices that promote greater environmental stewardship.

Examples of Environmental Stewardship Projects:

Installing Natural Buffer Strips Near Waterways
Management of Native Negation
Heather Management
Creating Rain Garden Wash Pad Area
Creating/Maintaining Wildlife Corridors

The above are just a few examples of what The FairWays Foundation can fund. All are welcome to submit grant applications for projects that fall within these over-arching categories during the grant submission period which opens annually between February 1 and April 30. Questions or concerns regarding the foundation or how to apply for grants can be directed to the foundation team at info@thefairwaysfoundation.com.

Matt Foster, CEO & President of Aquatrols and President of The FairWays Foundation said, “We understand making a difference locally takes tremendous grit from a local champion. It might be a green keeper or parks manager or a program volunteer. Regardless, without their will, these projects would never move forward. Our message to those individuals out there with a wish for a healthier environment is The Fairways Foundation can help with the way to get there.”

For news and to learn more, follow The FairWays Foundation on Twitter: @TheFairWaysFdn

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar

Feast of knowledge at Dennis & SISIS seminar: For more than 10 years Dennis Sisis have held pre-season indoor seminars so it was fantastic, after an enforced absence since 2020, have it back in the calendar.

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

FairWays Foundation could fund your next project: The FairWays Foundation is not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting conservation, stewardship and education within the turf industry and beyond.

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