Tag Archive for: Project

St Andrews Links Trust recognised for Best Sustainability Project

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St Andrews Links Trust recognised for Best Sustainability Project: St Andrews Links Trust won the prestigious Best Sustainability Project at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards in association with Luxe Scot in recognition of its outstanding work in driving sustainability and climate action. 

Sustainable golf featured prominently at the 11th awards ceremony, held last night (Thursday 21st March) at the five-star National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre.

St Andrews Links

St Andrews Links

 

Supported by the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, the international not-for-profit dedicated to helping accelerate sustainability and climate action in and through golf, the Awards judging panel shortlisted five outstanding projects from across Scotland.

The finalists of Askernish Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links, Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club, Royal Dornoch Golf Club and St Andrews Links Trust demonstrated outstanding commitment and impacts across the sustainable golf framework of fostering nature, conserving resources, taking climate action and strengthening communities.

However, it was the work that St. Andrews Links Trust do on renewable energy, dune restoration and wildlife conservation, especially the scale and extent of their collaboration with universities and various external agencies, which caught the eye of the judging panel.

Alan Grant, Director, Partnerships and Engagement, GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, said: “Congratulations to St Andrews Links Trust on an inspiring project, and indeed to all the finalists for the collective drive and ambition from so many across golf in Scotland to protect and promote nature, contribute to the circular economy and increase the social value. Their actions are a shining example to clubs across Scotland and beyond.”

VisitScotland, the national body for the development and promotion of tourism in Scotland, has significantly boosted golf’s efforts in sustainability and climate action through its partnership with GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation. The ongoing partnership continues to establish connections and alignment between VisitScotland’s responsible tourism goals, and the sustainability activities being carried out through the leading golf tournaments in Scotland as well as club engagement.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said: “We all recognise the importance of protecting our magnificent courses and landscapes, which make Scotland such a unique destination. Congratulations to St Andrews Links Trust on winning Best Sustainability Project at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards for their working on bringing sustainability and green tourism to the home of golf.”

Scottish Golf shares the same vision, offering ongoing encouragement and support to clubs. Through their partnership with GEO Foundation, all clubs in Scotland can freely get involved, adopting the new Sustainable Golf Pledge, utilising the free OnCourse support programme, and accessing annual reports of key data and practices, and carbon footprints, and attaining certification for sustainable golf.

Andrew Baptie, Head of Club Services at Scottish Golf said: “Sustainability in golf has long been on the agenda for Scottish Golf, and with the support of GEO Foundation we’ve been able to provide tangible assistance to golf clubs who are looking to progress their ambitions in this area. We all appreciate the scale of the golf estate across Scotland, and how it can be harnessed for positive change. It’s wonderful to see sustainability work in golf clubs recognised and celebrated as it becomes key to ensuring our clubs continue to thrive in the future.”

The Scottish Golf Tourism Awards play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable practices within the golf tourism industry, inspiring clubs worldwide to embrace environmental and social impact. By acknowledging and celebrating these achievements, the awards aim to encourage continuous innovation and progress towards a more sustainable future for golf tourism in Scotland and beyond.

Other award winners on the evening included Royal Dornoch, Gleneagles and Durness among others.

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BIGGA appoints dedicated project manager

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BIGGA appoints dedicated project manager: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has appointed an experienced project manager to oversee the implementation of the innovative First Green initiative and to create an online resource centre that will showcase careers in greenkeeping to a wide audience.

Jennifer Bledge has spent over a decade working in information governance roles within education. She is a former parent governor of Sandwich Infant School and is a qualified teacher. Jennifer also has experience of developing relationships with various stakeholders across education, which will prove vital as BIGGA seeks to engage with other organisations to successfully implement its outreach programme.

BIGGA appoints dedicated project manager

BIGGA appoints dedicated project manager

At BTME 2023 in January, BIGGA announced it would be adopting the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America’s (GCSAA) successful First Green initiative. First Green transforms golf courses into STEM classrooms and Jennifer will oversee the development of a UK-specific toolkit that will aid in the roll out of this scheme.

She will also lead in the development of a digital careers in greenkeeping resource centre that is aimed at school leavers, graduates, second careers and golfers. Supporting this, she will liaise with ex-military and public services careers services, the National Careers Service, various charities and universities with related degree courses.

Jennifer has an existing understanding of the greenkeeping industry as her husband James Bledge is Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s course manager and is preparing to host The Open in July this year.

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “The appointment of a workforce recruitment project manager for BIGGA stands to be one of the most important strategic decisions the association has made in some time. It represents a fundamental shift in how we approach the challenges our industry faces and I hope gives confidence to our members that we are aware of the various issues relating to staff welfare, recruitment and retention and are addressing these head on.

“Jennifer was the outstanding candidate for this role and given her decades of experience working within education, I am thrilled she has joined the team. I look forward to sharing updates about the various projects she will be working on in the coming years with our members and the wider golfing public. There is a long way to go, but with the appointment of a talented project manager in Jennifer, I am confident we have taken a vital first step.”

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FairWays Foundation could fund your next project

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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

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 4th 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

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Duncan Ross completes project

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Duncan Ross completes project: Specialist sports turf contractor Duncan Ross has completed a multiple-pitch construction and drainage project as part of the £18.5 million Skirting Beck and Whangs Beck Flood Risk Management Scheme in Egremont on behalf of the Environment Agency who have completed this project’.

Formally opened on the 9th December 2022 by MP for Copeland, Trudy Harrison, the Environment Agency project scheme reduces the flood risk to properties in the area while improving sports surfaces and facilities for the local community.

Duncan Ross completes project

Duncan Ross completes project

Paul Robertshaw, Project Executive at the Environment Agency said:

“We are delighted that the £18.5 million flood scheme is now complete, reducing the flood risk to 220 properties, ahead of winter this year.

“The scheme not only better protects people and properties in the area from flooding but has created a better place for the community by providing, improved community amenities and an enhanced environment for wildlife to thrive.

“The help and cooperation of local residents, West Lakes Academy, the Falcon Club, schools and nurseries has helped this scheme and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support over the years.” 

VolkerStevin Ltd and the Environment Agency created a flood storage reservoir to intercept and attenuate flood water from Skirting Beck before it reached Egremont Town, causing flooding in periods of heavy rain.

The area chosen to create the flood storage reservoir and surface water control system was on a 2.7-hectare disused hard porous pitch and tennis courts attached to West Lakes Academy. During design works, Sport England stipulated that the site had to remain suitable for sports.

The flood storage reservoir is designed to retain flood water by the construction of a retaining wall around the outside of the site, with the beck then being choked at the outlet end and open at the inlet end.

The beck then flows into the flood storage reservoir/sports pitch area and is retained until other flood levels reduce.

Once the flood storage reservoir has drained down, it needs to again be suitable for sport. For this reason, Duncan Ross Ltd was employed under the design of the drainage system by professional design consultants PSD Ltd.

The upper 150mm thick surface was removed from the hard porous area and tarmac tennis courts and replaced by imported topsoil. A GPS grade control bulldozer graded the topsoil to create the exact gradients of the existing area so as not to decrease or increase the holding capacity of the flood storage reservoir.

A new drainage system was installed by our GPS guided 15/15 Mastenbroek trencher. The Environment Agency monitored all works to prevent any contamination to Skirting Beck.

The area was then sand ameliorated with a 50mm layer thickness of medium fine sand and seeded. Once the sward had established, the area had slit drains installed at 1m centres and all spoil was removed from site, the area was then top-dressed at 180 tonnes/hectare vertidrained and fertilised.

Some of the difficulties encountered were the sourcing of a suitable 6000 tonne topsoil to match as near as possible local soil, working within such a narrow access site, sourcing materials to Egremont, the weather and working on site during Covid and all that entailed.

One of the many positives was working with VolkerStevin staff on this project, who provided excellent leadership and whose attention to all health and safety matters was exemplary.

The works will be completed in May 2023.

On the project, MP Trudy Harrison said: “This is a milestone day for the Egremont community. This area has suffered the devastating impact of repeated flooding for many years, and this significant investment will now make a real difference to families and businesses locally.

“I’d like to thank the Environment Agency and all the partners for working together for the benefit of the community.”

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Green-tech supports Woodland Creation Project

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Green-tech supports Woodland Creation Project: The Green-tech team are proud to be supporting the Gair Wood project in Leeds, run by the Leeds Ecosystem, Atmosphere & Forest (LEAF) Centre.

Gair Wood is one of the most ambitious and significant woodland creation projects in the North of England, with the primary aim to enhance biodiversity in the area through large scale tree planting.

Green-tech supports Woodland Creation Project

Green-tech supports Woodland Creation Project

Named after former University of Leeds Secretary Roger Gair, who retired in 2021 after more than 40 years’ service, Gair Wood is a part of the wider community forest for North and West Yorkshire, named White Rose Forest.

Spanning across a 36-hectare site, Gair Wood will feature 15 hectares of new tree planting to add to the existing 4 hectares of trees. The remaining space will feature a mixture of open grass, unplanted land and scrubland. This mixture of habitats and biomes aims to further increase biodiversity in the area.

Green-tech is proud to have supplied a large amount of tree protection and canes to the LEAF team which will ensure that the newly planted trees are sufficiently protected from the elements and roaming wildlife.

In addition to the materials provided, several of the Green-tech team volunteered their time and planted and secured trees alongside the LEAF team, over a two-day period.

Speaking about the planting event, Green-tech Sales Manager Roger McGivern stated, “Green-tech is delighted and proud to supply the tree protection products for this worthwhile project. It was fantastic for me and some of the team to get out of the office and see Gair Wood for ourselves and to be a part of it all. It was great to roll up our sleeves and help to make a small difference.  It reinforced what the LEAF team are trying to do; we all took a lot from being there and we are looking forward to seeing the completed Gair Wood project.”

The Gair Wood project is a part of the University of Leeds Climate Plan, which sets out the aim of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions from the university.

For more information on Gair Wood and LEAF’s plan for the project, visit www.leaf.leeds.ac.uk/gairwood/

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