Articles
Solving For Vandalism
Many park-maintenance duties are of the standard variety. Repair needs surface after inclement weather, trails degrade from prolonged, heavy use, historic sites require more care with age, and the list goes on.
Campground Popularity Reaches New Heights
As with other outdoor activities, camping’s peak months tend to fall when the weather is warm, school is out, and free time is plentiful. However, recent years have given rise to a new pattern—full capacity year-round.
Take The Time
Imagine you’ve made a commitment to complete a job by a certain date. You have great equipment and skilled, trained technicians. But, when the employee gets to the job site, the equipment fails. This is a frustrating, stressful, and expensive event that has likely occurred for countless maintenance managers.
Managing Routine Maintenance
Among many reasons, park maintenance is important to ensure the safety of public facilities, protect investments in public lands, and position parks as a source of pride for local communities. But parks departments often have to juggle preventative work with other concerns, including emergencies, staffing shortages, and the addition of new parks or other construction projects.
Revitalizing Park Infrastructure: Part 1
For those people who work in parks, there are few things sadder than to see a run-down, forgotten park—especially knowing what a great one can do for a community. Thankfully, as cities expand and mature communities begin to reinvest in older neighborhoods, there is increasing interest in reviving aging park infrastructure.
Pond Management
Whether you’ve recently stepped into a new role as parks manager or simply decided to give more attention to the aesthetic needs of the facilities, there’s a good chance your responsibilities include overseeing a lake or stormwater pond. Maintaining a fully interactive aquatic ecosystem that will be aesthetically pleasing, functional, and safe for the community can be daunting!
Essential Factors For Park Maintenance
The National Park Service has approximately $315 million in deferred park maintenance in Pennsylvania. The state’s parks and forest systems have estimated more than a $1-billion price tag for deferred maintenance/infrastructure needs across the Commonwealth.
Avoid A Structural Deficit
Since the passage of CaliforniaХs Proposition 13 in 1978, the message to local government has been that growth must pay its own way while continuing to operate in an efficient and effective manner. Th
Peeling Back The Paint
When it comes to park restrooms, two things are certain--they should be clean and safe. Although this may seem obvious, achieving that goal may not be easy. Start at the one place that can make a difference
The Push For Propane
Parks and recreation facilities are facing new challenges as public budgets shrink and changing climates add unpredictable elements to operations, maintenance, and planning activities. On top of these, private
Calling All Crew Members
When it comes to park maintenance in the fall, some things are as certain as the leaves changing color and the days getting shorter.
Coordinate Efforts
During a recent visit to Beaufort, S.C., my wife and I discovered the Naval Heritage Park in adjacent Port Royal. The amenity that first attracted us was a huge skate park, open on all sides with a metal roof.
Focus On First Impressions
No matter the region of the country, the transition from winter to spring is a busy one for parks and recreation maintenance workers.
Pedaling Park Maintenance
Staff members of the Mt. Pleasant Parks Department in Michigan knew they needed a more efficient and earth-friendly way to complete daily park-maintenance tasks. After exploring
Winning The War
A weed is most commonly defined as “a plant out of place.” It can more formally be defined as a plant that interferes with the welfare of humans or livestock or is otherwise objectionable. In
Contracting For Maintenance Services
In recent years, most parks and recreation agencies have had to deal with the economic realities of reduced revenue and higher personnel costs. On the recreation side, program fees
Leaf Blower Bans
Redondo Beach, Calif., is known for its pristine outdoor spaces—the historic Veterans Park, the community playgrounds at Anderson Park, and the popular camping site, Hopkins Wilderness
Clean, Sanitize, Or Disinfect
As winter approaches, many parks and recreation centers have concerns about possible flu or virus outbreaks. For example, during the winter of 2012-2013, a serious flu outbreak occurred,
Tending To Trees
Parks and trees seem to be inseparable. We can shade ourselves from the hot summer sun beneath a centuries-old Cottonwood tree, listen to wind whisper through a Ponderosa Pine’s
Reclaim It To Maintain It
Like many maintenance departments, Durham’s Park Maintenance Unit in North Carolina is a route-driven organization with mowing, cleanup, landscaping, and facility maintenance teams