Yesterday, April 22, was Earth Day.

I have to admit, the press in this country didn't exactly fall over themselves to promote it. The hottest ever London Marathon dominated proceedings somewhat yesterday it seems. However, it is a major global event, focused on the promotion of environmental issues.

On their website the organisers of Earth Day state that they believe that "more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world."

They say that the day is "a day of political action and civic participation. People march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures."

What does Earth Day have to do with the turf professional industry, you might ask? Well quite a lot I guess when you consider that the maintenance of green spaces is of primary concern to this industry.

It would appear often that the general public may not consider that turf professionals have as a major part of their remit, the duty to act as environmental custodians. The lazy perception is of course simply of workers pushing a mower around or poking holes in the turf with a fork. Any opportunity which can be used to grab attention to highlight just the level of environmental stewardship which turf professionals are undertaking as a matter of course, should be readily taken.

It was therefore great to see the American equivalent of BIGGA, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), jump on the Earth Day bandwagon and gain some air time on the mainstream sports networks yesterday, promoting the excellent environmental work the sector has achieved recently.

Speaking on NBC, the CEO of the GCSAA Rhett Evans explained the environmental improvements which greenkeepers across America have been in achieving in areas such as water, energy, pesticides, and nutrients usage.

He had five key areas which the association has been concentrating on, which have had results published in the recent findings of a comprehensive study project which has been underway since 2006 entitled, the Golf Course Environmental Profile. These were:

• Energy use - Annual median energy use at U.S. golf facilities has decreased 8.3 percent. This was primarily the result of a 31.4 percent decrease in consumption of electricity since 2008.
• Nutrient use - U.S. golf courses have significantly decreased overall nutrient use since 2006, including a 34 percent reduction in nitrogen, a 53 percent reduction in phosphate and a 42 percent reduction in potash.
• Pest management - Golf courses have increased their reliance on non-pesticide pest control practices such as cultural control, plant growth regulators and biological control.
• Land use - The amount of maintained turfgrass on an average 18-hole golf course has decreased from 99 to 95 acres, with 46 percent of average 18-hole courses having increased natural-area acreage.
• Water use - Use of recycled water has increased by 32.7 percent. Recycled water now counts for 25 percent of all water used on golf courses, thereby reducing the use of surface, ground and potable water sources.

“Golf course superintendents are committed to their role as environmental stewards,” Rhett Evans said. “The Golf Course Environmental Profile helps us document and share the many ways they are implementing change for the betterment of the environment.”

Which is a superb philosophy to have. And it shouldn't be thought that this sort of publicising of the great environmental work that turf professionals do, can only occur on a global scale with events such as Earth Day and with national bodies such as the GCSAA. Turf professionals can be engaging with local environmental groups and local media to let their communities know the vital work they are carrying out at their course or at their sportsgrounds.

It's a great idea to let the wider public know that the work which you are regularly undertaking doesn't just solely benefit the users of your facilities. Your environmental stewardship is bringing the local community considerable environmental gains in terms of all that a thriving greenspace asset provides.

It would be great if when the public think of turf professionals, their go-to association is that of a group who are dedicated advocates for the environment.