I would like to begin by mentioning our thoughts are with the Queen and her family this week after the death of her beloved husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who devoted his life to serving as the Queen’s consort for over 70 years. As most of the televised broadcasts have shown, he was a man full of life and wise opinions. While celebrating my own 65th birthday last weekend it hard to imagine that the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme has being also going 65 years, changing the lives of over 4,000,000 people. 

I find it amazing that a single person could achieve so much in a lifetime, while at the same time influencing many others along the way. Of course, our own sports turf industry has its own set of influencers both at national, local and grass roots levels, without whom we would not have the fabric of our community life and the wonderful sports facilities we now have on offer. 

Wrekin GC 

As editor of TurfPro and in my other roles as a Green Flag judge and pitch advisor for the RFU, I am enabled the opportunity to meet many of these influencers who dedicate their lives to producing, maintaining and managing our excellent sports pitches.

Hopefully over the next few months, once lockdown restrictions are lifted, I will be able to regularly get out and about and meet many of these dedicated professionals and volunteers once again, who maintain our plethora of sports facilities in the UK .

Wrekin Golf Club

Easter Bank Holiday was exceptionally busy, with many golf clubs full to capacity with people wanting to play golf again after the lockdown. I recently visited the Wrekin Golf Club in Shropshire, which enabled me to catch up with their course manager Harry Jones, who said, “On the first day of reopening the club welcomed back over 250 members and players. And in the first week over 1000 players managed to enjoy the course”.

Harry and his team are starting to see the rewards of their hard work during this year’s long lockdown. Making the most of not having golfers out on the course meant that plenty of work has been achieved. This includes getting the playing surfaces up to speed, completing a  major winter pathway project, some bunker restorations and woodland work.   

The reason for my visit was due to the club taking delivery of a new piece of equipment, a Wessex ProLine STC-180, which will be an integral part of their new semi and permeant rough management regimes.  Harry, under the watchful eye of local biodiversity consultant John Handley, is keen to improve the quality of grasses and fauna within these areas of the course, which will not only speed up play, but will increase the biodiversity of the course. 

Harry had a demo of the machine last year, kindly supplied by Charlies Groundcare & Machinery, Welshpool and was impressed with its performance. The machine can be mounted on a tractor of 25hp upwards. The Wessex offers a generous working width of 1.8m and a hopper capacity of 2.25m. The machine has the capabilities to sweep, scarify and flail mow. However, Harry’s primary objective of the machine is to thin out areas of semi and permanent rough grass areas to increase biodiversity and improve the aesthetics of the course.

Harry Jones, Laurence Hoggins, Matt Lewis 

On hand to deliver the machine was Matt Lewis, areas sales representative for Charlies, and Laurence Hoggins, Midlands area sales manager for Wessex International. 

It was then a case of unloading the machine, setting it up for scarifying and away we went. It certainly coped well with the undulating ground conditions and fetched a lot of material out during one pass. I am sure this machine will become a regular sight out on the course in the coming years. 

This machine comes in two different sizes 1.2 m (STC 120) and 1.8m (STC 180) working widths. I personally see the STC 120 becoming a popular machine for use on local sports clubs, helping them scarify outfields as well as rugby and football pitches. It also has the ability to clear up leaves. 

I was certainly impressed with its performance and enjoyed the opportunity to see it working locally. No doubt Harry and his team of staff will be kept extremely busy this year now restrictions have been lifted and golf is back on the menu. 

I will also be popping back to the Wrekin GC sometime soon to compile a full report on the maintenance of the golf course and obviously keep an eye on how this machine has performed in its first season.

As for myself, I am keen to start visiting golf clubs again and already have a few in mind to see what they are up to and how they have coped through the pandemic.

Belper RFC

Belper RFC 

While on the subject of visits, last week I had the pleasure as part of my role of pitch advisor for the RFU, to meet up with Keith Kent, former HG at Twickenham, on an inspection of the pitches at Belper RFC. We met up with the club’s chairman Jakie Dyer, Simon Jones, groundsman, and treasurer, Paul Gascoyne, to discuss the condition of the pitches. Keith had already been to the club a few months earlier to advise them on how to improve the pitches in terms of maintenance and perhaps taking up the mantel of looking after the pitches themselves with the investment of new machinery, in terms of buying a new mower, line marker and outfield spiker.

Flooded Belper RFC pitches 

However, their biggest issue is the threat of flooding from the nearby river. The pitches are situated on a flood plain and are susceptible to flooding when the river rises. During a bad year will see flood water egressing onto the pitches several times during the winter months, thus preventing the club from using the pitches until the flood water recedes and the pitches are able to dry out.

However, the club have been proactive on this front and have sought quotes for a drainage scheme to help overcome this problem. As with any full pitch drainage system they come at cost and the club are looking to raise the necessary funds and find a window of opportunity to undertake this work. The club’s focus is getting players back training and playing in the next few months.

As with most, there is a desperate need to start generating some much-needed income over the bar and from holding social events.

Parks

On the parks front, I have recently seen a communication from APSE (Association of Parks Service Excellence ) saying it has been 20 years now since the first public parks assessment and almost 7 since the first State of UK Parks report. We have just come through a tough year for local authority parks services and it is time to take stock and plan for the future.

APSE and CFP are keen to build on both the previous State of UK Parks research and also APSE’s own state of the market research to create a comprehensive picture of the current state of our parks and greenspaces. To that end they have designed a new research project and they hope that turf professionals will be able to take part.

Cannon Hill Park 

The link to the survey is here. The closing date is 30 April 2021, with APSE aiming to publish the results in late May.

Also this year’s Green Flag Awards are starting soon with over 500  Green Flag judges looking forward to getting out and about and judging in excess of 2000 applications both home and abroad. Also, I note the organisation is saddened to hear of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke was a champion of environmental causes including becoming President of Fields in Trust, formerly the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA) in 1948 until 2013. During that period the number of green spaces protected grew to over 2,000.

Early in his royal life, The Duke was said to be appalled to see children playing in the street instead of on green spaces and it became his desire to improve this situation for young people in urban areas. This led to him taking the Presidency of the NPFA, succeeding his uncle, Rear Admiral the Rt. Hon. Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Green Flag Award Manager Paul Todd said; “Our thoughts today are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family. He leaves a lasting legacy in the thousands of parks and green spaces that are now protected and will be enjoyed by future generations.”

The Green Flag Award scheme works with Fields in Trust to ensure that as many parks and green spaces are protected for future generations and managed to a quality standard set by the Award.

Grassroots football cub, Earlestown Athletic JFC, has ensured the long-term quality and improvement of their four-pitch site, The Hive, with a New Holland Boomer 35 tractor, Trimax Striker mower and Sisis Quadraplay from Campey Turf Care Systems.

 
The Warrington based club has 21 teams from the ages of three to under-17 level, with a vast majority of games played at The Hive. The development of the five-acre site, which over the years was left derelict, took place four years ago with the help of funding from The Football Foundation, Corby Environmental and Sport England.
 
With that money and a 99-year lease from the council, the club renovated the ground, installed drainage, a modular building with toilets, a kitchen and a car park. To this point, The Hive has become one of the best football facilities in the area, and it is the aim of Chairman, Carl Hollingsworth, that this can be improved thanks to the help of Campey product specialist, Ethan Yates, and their new machinery.
 
“I’ve been with the club for nearly nine years now, mainly as a coach, but it’s only been in the last year and a half since becoming Chairman that I’ve seen a lot more happening behind the scenes than I ever had before,” Carl explains. “It’s been a bit of an eye-opener, with plenty of ups and downs, but thankfully we have a fantastic committee who put the Club first. Between myself, Dave Edwards our Secretary, and rest of the Committee we’ve steered the club through some pretty tough times with the COVID-19 lockdown and the premature ending of last season. Credit also must go to our players families who have supported us throughout.     
 
“During this summer we applied for and received the Pitch Improvement Grant to help us do the maintenance on the fields, and the latest money is from that programme again, but on the equipment side of things and without them we’d be up the creek without a paddle basically, I can’t thank The Football Foundation enough.

“Our old mower kept breaking down and about two months ago the wheel fell off so we had to source new bolts and a new a wheel head, but the bolts weren’t right, so it fell off again and it was sat in the middle of a field. That really prompted us to push even more for the new equipment.
 
“Once we realised we could get it, and raise the money we needed, Campey were brilliant in bringing a mower to demonstrate, and Ethan especially has been great. He’s been brilliant in taking my phone calls after work as we went through the process, and on the day, he dropped the machine off, he spent hours going through it with the coaches and me.
 
“It’s going to get more use because more coaches are willing to use it whereas the old one it was a bit of a no-go area for some of them because they were a bit intimidated by it. Whereas this is brand-new equipment, and they want to use it, which is good because it takes the pressure off me.”

Managing a high wear pitch, on a relatively tight budget is probably a story with which most non and lower league club grounds managers can relate.

Eastleigh FC head groundsman, Dan Barnes says the task is made slightly easier by getting the right seed in the ground first and foremost - and for this, he says he relies on Johnsons J Premier Pitch. Dan says along with delivering superior wear tolerance for him, its resistance to disease has meant he has only applied fungicide once in the last four years. 

Eastleigh FC moved to their home at the Silverlake Stadium in the 1950’s and limited investment since then has resulted in a pitch that struggles with drainage and requires thoughtful management - a challenge Dan picked up four years ago, despite having no previous Groundsmanship experience.

“In those first few months I spent a lot of time undertaking qualifications and networking with other groundsmen as I sought to build a bank of suppliers,” explains Dan, who is assisted only by a team of volunteers. “When it came to seed, after I tried Johnsons J Premier Pitch mixture, I’ve never wanted to use anything else.” 

“Despite our challenging ground conditions, this mixture delivers on all of the key performance characteristics - it’s hard-wearing, gives us fantastic visual merit and has demonstrated fantastic tolerance to disease. In four years, we’ve had just one Fusarium outbreak which we could attribute to the use of pitch covers.” Due to budget constraints, Dan has to be creative when it comes to seeding, usually applying 50g per m2 during summer renovations and then overseeding at 25-30g per m2 in the autumn and again in the spring to see them through to the end of the season. 

Last winter, Dan supplemented Premier Pitch with Johnsons J 4Turf to benefit from the lower temperature germination of DLF’s tetraploid ryegrass. “This gave the pitch a real boost through the winter and undoubtedly helped us get through a fixture pile-up we had in February 2021 where we hosted five games in a 19-day period. The increased root length we get with the J 4Turf mixture provides great additional strength and, along with J Premier Pitch, recovers brilliantly.”

“There is nothing more satisfying than being proud of the surface you present” Dan concludes. “This combination of Johnsons mixtures gives us a pitch that is always fit and ready for play which, in turn, satisfies the following of fans we are really fortunate to have here at the club.” 

Gloucester Rugby head groundsman, Stuart Lambert, says he believes that the use of Attraxor plant growth regulator (PGR), has helped him to achieve a stronger sward while simultaneously reducing the amount of Poa annua. 

L-R: Stuart Lambert and Jerome Vidgen

Stuart started at Gloucester Rugby in August 2018 and admits to learning and adapting to the way the pitch plays every single day. This means, he says,  that he must be flexible in his maintenance strategy and be open to new products which could make a difference to the pitch at the Kingsholm Stadium. 

He came across such a product at BTME 2020 in the form of Attraxor plant growth regulator (PGR). 

“Attraxor appealed to me because PGR’s are a significant part of my overall maintenance strategy to improve the turf and control Poa annua,” said Stuart. “2020 was a particularly challenging year for Poa so I was keen to see what the product could offer.”

Stuart claims that a lack of sunlight to the pitch led to an increase in Poa. “In the winter months almost the whole pitch is in shade because the stand is so high,” he said. “This has been a big factor for the care programme I have chosen to adopt. Maintaining grass coverage is a constant concern in the lower light months and the thinning grass often gives way to Poa annua in the spring which takes hold. It’s a tricky combination to contend with. 

"The lack of light, winter thinning and then the Poa means the turf is high maintenance. Couple this with the winter months being in heavy use and it means we are regularly out with pitch lights to encourage growth in match torn areas.”

After carrying out a mini renovation in June last year, Stuart applied 1.1 kg/ha of Attraxor with 20kg of 46-0-0 nitrogen fertiliser.

“It visibly weakened the Poa,” said Stuart. “It looked stressed but the rye around it looked good. It turned the seed heads brown.”

Following the first application Stuart says he is now confident that Attraxor will form an important part of his overall maintenance plan. “It is good to have a product that strengthens the sward and improves density whilst weakening the Poa. I definitely intend on applying it again,” he concluded. 

Major Equipment Intl Ltd has welcomed David Evans Agricultural Ltd ('DEAL Wales') to their dealer network.

Founded in 1993 by David Evans, DEAL Wales has amassed a strong reputation with farmers and agricultural contractors across South Wales.
 
“DEAL Wales is 100% focussed on delivering the best for their customer in terms of products, sales and support, which resonates with everything we do at Major,” says James Cox of Major Equipment UK. “I look forward to working with David and his team to grow their brand and reputation across the region.”
 
DEAL Wales will offer the total line-up of Major Agricultural and Amenity equipment.

PSD Groundscare, the exclusive UK distributor for AS Motor, Eliet, Koppl and TS Industrie professional groundscare machinery, have announced the recent appointment of Karl Savill as business development manager covering the South East and East Midlands.

Karl Savill

Stuart Mercer, sales director of PSD Groundscare said, “Karl brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience including over 12 years working in the agricultural and groundscare industry along with a great amount of enthusiasm and is a fantastic addition to our team. His experience not only covers sales but also parts and service which I’m sure will see him thrive in his new role.”

Karl says of his new role, “My passion has always been groundscare machinery, and I’m really excited and looking forward to working with dealers and getting out and meeting customers and demonstrating the fantastic capabilities and benefits of our machinery”.

Karl can be contacted on 07973 454002 or karl@psdgroundscare.com.

STIHL has launched the new HTA 66 and HTA 86, updating its range of lightweight and powerful cordless pole pruners, designed for both domestic users, as well as landscaping and gardening professionals and arborists. 

HTA 86

Replacing the popular HTA 65 and HTA 85 models, the new long-reach cordless pole pruners are equipped with a 1/4” PM3 saw chain as standard, offering users precise, high cutting performance, ideal for grounds maintenance, orchards, tree maintenance and arboriculture tasks.

The battery slot is repositioned to make these pole pruners exceptionally well balanced, providing easier handling and reduced fatigue when working over longer periods. 

Both the HTA 66 and HTA 86 feature a powerful EC motor that allows the user to vary chain speed with their finger, and the tools impress with quick acceleration, no emissions and a low noise output, meaning no ear defenders are required.  

Both models feature a new ergonomic control handle with an intuitive, yet well thought out start-up process to ensure the tool is only started when intended. The new handle design also ensures that the tool is comfortable to use whether right-handed or left-handed and features anti-slip protection for further safety and comfort. 

HTA 66

The HTA 66 has an overall length of 240cm, whilst the HTA 86 has a newly designed square telescopic shaft that not only can be adjusted between 270cm and 390cm without tools, but also offers high shaft stiffness to protect against twisting and deflection for precise positioning even at full extension.

In addition, the cutting lengths of 25cm (HTA 66) and 30cm (HTA 86) enable even thicker branches to be shortened precisely and efficiently. A new robust branch hook on both models helps with removing loose cuttings.

Other features include simple chain tensioning that makes it easy to re-tension the saw chain, as well as the captive nut on the sprocket cover that allows for a quick chain change. In addition, users can always keep track of oil levels thanks to the semi-transparent oil tank and the patented innovative lock allows the tank to be opened and closed quickly without tools and minimum effort.

Both the HTA 66 and HTA 86 can be used with STIHL’s high-performance 36V AP battery system and are compatible with more than 20 tools to meet the needs of a wide range of gardens and applications. 

For more information on STIHL’s range of cordless pole pruners, please visit www.stihl.co.uk

ROBOTS ON THE RISE

A GAME CHANGER FOR PARKS

WORKING PRACTICES CHANGED?

OPENING UP

ROADMAP TO NORMALITY

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

BEAST FROM THE EAST RETURNS

PLAYING OUR PART

WISHES GRANTED?

TIME TO REFLECT

SELLING OUR SECTOR

SPRING WITHIN OUR SIGHTS

LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2021

A FLOOD OF WATERLOGGING ADVICE

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

Trinity College Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland. It was created by Royal Charter in 1592, at which point Dublin Corporation provided a suitable site, the former Priory of All Hallows, an Augustinian house which was founded by Dermot Mc Murrough in 1166 and which survived until its dissolution under Henry VIII in the 1530’s. Queen Elizabeth I said Trinity College was to be for “the education, training and instruction of youths in the study of liberal arts and in the cultivation of virtue and religion”. Trinity College has the largest library in Ireland and is home to the famous Book of Kells. 

Aerial view of Trinity College Dublin. Photo courtesy Trinity College

In the days before Covid-19, when people could wander freely through the campus to marvel at the buildings and grounds, and not to mention its historic significance, one would expect that it took very little to maintain the grounds there. To say that there are only a couple of pitches and some lawns here and there - nothing could be further from the truth.

An aerial view of the Iveagh Grounds showing the various sports facilities. Photo courtesy Trinity College

The College is maintained by Estates & Facilities (E&F) who maintain the University’s energy supply and utility infrastructure, provide facilities support and provide a wide-range of engineering and technical services. E&F is responsible for the planning and development of the university’s buildings and sites and for the operation and maintenance of the university’s buildings, sites and facilities. Overall over 400 staff are employed directly by E&F. The college is maintained through a blend of skilled in house labour and strategic external service partners. 

There are 18 campus maintenance operatives, which includes three craft gardeners who are responsible for the maintenance of the grounds. Tony Dalton is the Campus Maintenance Manager who looks after the general running of the Department, with the technical backup coming from John Parnell who is the Craft Gardener Team Leader and David Hackett who is the Environmental Services Coordinator. David manages the day to day maintenance and planting programme of the tree collection and carries out the tree risk assessments and the 5 year tree survey. The campus maintenance operatives keep the grounds in immaculate condition and the craft gardeners who started three years ago have significantly added to the range of plant bio-diversity on the grounds. David forms part of the Technical Services Division, while Tony and John are part of The Campus Maintenance division. Each team within E&F regularly liaises with each other as there is a crossover of work between them, good communication is key to the successful running of the operation of the College.

David Hackett, Environmental Services Coordinator with Trinity’s Estates and Facilities Department. Photo Alan Mahon

A past pupil of the National Botanic Gardens and the RHS, David has been working at Trinity College for almost thirty years. David started working in Trinity in 1993 having previously held a position with the local Parks Department, he also has experience with nursery crop management and commercial fruit and veg production. Tony Dalton has been with Trinity for 43 years having worked his way through various sections of E&F before arriving at his current management position in 2012. 

John Parnell recently joined Trinity in 2017. He comes here with a 1stHons Level 8 BAgSc (including a stage III scholarship) in Horticulture, Landscape and Sportsturf Management from University College Dublin, graduating in 2008. Previously working in Sportsturf as a Deputy Golf Course superintendent at a private members club, which had formal gardens, grass and synthetic tennis courts along with thousands of trees to maintain, John has also worked in landscaping and has done some part time work with the Irish Sportsturf Research Institute in Wicklow. He is hoping to go back and finish his Masters in Environmental Sustainably when time permits.

John Parnell (left), is Trinity’s Craft Gardener Team Leader and Tony Dalton the Campus Maintenance Manager at Trinity. Photo courtesy Trinity College 

The more I spoke to the team about their work at Trinity, the more I realised how much is involved in maintaining the 46 acre site main campus. All of the sites combined measure over 115 acres. My perception of maintaining just a few pitches and lawns quickly disappeared. The team must liaise regularly with the Sports department as they look after all of the fixtures (bookings) on the sports grounds. Maintenance works have to be carefully scheduled in line with the activities booked by Sports Department and other college events. Communication is key between all departments of the college not just E&F for the successful running of the campus and its numerous projects.

On site there is a fibre sand based rugby pitch, a grass hockey and soccer pitch (which, in summer, changes to a cricket outfield and running track to BHAA standard around the perimeter), three artificial tennis courts, a croquet lawn, and hundreds of trees, most of which are mature. There are also 8 sedum roofs, a green wall, a briese soleil (wall), 4 indoor atriums (inc. trees), roof gardens, wildflower meadows along with lots of shrubs, herbaceous planting and the tree collection for the team to maintain and develop. This along with the cleaning and litter maintenance of the Campus keeps the team very busy.

The tennis courts. Photo Alan Mahon

As if that wasn’t enough, there are fifteen off campus sites. These include the college’s 34 acre Sports Grounds in Santry, 3 miles north of the college. The Sports Grounds have undergone significant developments and now boast modern, fit for purpose, state of the art facilities, including three floodlit 3G synthetic pitches, an international standard water-based hockey pitch, soccer pitch, rugby pitch, and a sand based GAA pitch. There are wild meadows in development on site and the site also contains close to 3 hectares of woodland, which has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).

Estates and Facilities is also charged with managing Trinity Centre sites at two hospitals, St. James’s Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital, along with Islandbridge Boat club, Dartry (student residences and Botanic Gardens). The Trinity Botanic gardens serve as a teaching and research facility for the Trinity College Botany Department. They are maintained by the Botany Department. It is home to a living collection of approximately 4000 species, and houses the Irish Threatened Plant Seedbank.

In 2017 Trinity College Dublin purchased the 17 acre Iveagh Grounds site in Crumlin, from Beverage giants Diageo. Iveagh grounds contains, a sand based GAA/soccer pitch, soil based rugby pitch, an old pitch and putt course, a bowls green, tennis court, an artificial hockey pitch, training areas and a large club house.

There is not enough space to cover everything that Campus Maintenance team do in all the above mentioned facilities so, instead, I will concentrate on the work at Trinity College Dublin main campus for now.

Sports pitches

The hockey, cricket, rugby and soccer pitches lie on one of the oldest sites in Dublin. The land was originally part of the mudflats of the River Liffey. This land was reclaimed where, eventually, All Hallows Priory was built. Even today the flow of the Liffey influences the drainage of some of the pitches. Over the last few years heavy topdressing of College Park has taken place, in line with increased aeration (bi monthly) and overseeding with high quality species. The last 3 years has seen circa 250 – 300 tonnes of sand per year applied. It is also overseeded and vertidrained at the same time. College Park also usually plays host to the Summer Series Concerts, which is a 7 day event and involves covering the Soccer pitch with protective matting and erecting a stage. The Trinity Ball, which is Europe’s largest outdoor party, takes place on site and involves the use of the croquet lawn along with other formal lawns. There are numerous large stage tents erected on site for this event. Logistically being a city centre site, along with the restricted movement around campus, provides a unique challenge to the department. 

The soccer and cricket pitches. Photo Alan Mahon

The soil under the pitches is naturally rich in Potassium and Phosphorus so the fertiliser applied will have no K or P – usually 46:0:0. The soil PH ranges from 7.8 – 7.9. Soil tests are carried out every year while tissue analysis is done in the alternating years. The soil tests help form the base fertilizer programmes for the sports pitches, liquid feeding, PGR’s are applied as required upon site inspection by John and the External Service Contractor (Sportsworks) who currently hold the contract for the maintenance of College Park.

The pavilion. Photo Alan Mahon

The cricket crease has recently undergone full remediation works, which included removing the top layer of rootzone, importing of Binders Ongar loam with 50mm being layered down, levelling compacting and growing in. The remedial works were performed in conjunction with The Trinity Sport, Cricket Leinster and consultant, GM by Choice. It will be a few years before the wicket fully settles down after the remediation works but it is currently in good condition and playing well. The Square was overseeded with MM50 , while the outfield is currently being overseeded with 40% Slender creeping red fescue (Cezanne) 30% Rye grass (Monroe) and 30% Poa pratensis ( Sombrero). The outfield is maintained at 25mm during the winter with height being brought down to 10-12mm for summer use. Wicket preparation for games follows the guidance from GM by Choice and is a 10-12 day prep as recommended by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). A grass running track is provided from April to September around the perimeter of the pitches and is maintained to Business Houses Athletic Association (BHAA) standards. Trinity teams take part in numerous sporting activities at senior and other levels.

There is a fine pavilion on the eastern side of the pitches, which contain the dressing rooms. The pavilion is styled on the cricket pavilion at Lords in England. This pavilion is very eco-friendly. It has solar panels installed for heating and the Pavilion also collects rainwater. In 2019 Trinity College was awarded, for the second time, the Green Flag for environmental management and enhancement. Part of the award was based on the college’s publication of a Pollinator Plan for Trinity in 2017, which commits to reducing pesticide use on campus as well as providing habitat and food for pollinators on Trinity properties. 

Covid-19

E&F staff have continued to provide their essential service to the estate during the pandemic as the estate is also a research and residential campus.  A new method of delivering this service was developed by E&F by risk assessing and revision of their standard operating procedures in line with the Government Guidelines. The estates has benefited from the decrease in footfall, the horticulture flourished,  birds can be heard for all their glory, swifts nesting in the eaves of the Museum Building, the resident squirrels walking among the residents and Trinity’s resident fox (Sam) became a celebrity.

Trinity’s resident fox, Sam, has become a wildlife celebrity. Photo courtesy Trinity College

Trees

There are 432 trees growing on the main campus comprising a wide mix of species brought together from many parts of the world. The trees give character to the college. Some are more than one hundred years old, including two Oriental Planes in New Square, which were planted between 1840 and 1870. 

The two Oriental Planes in New Square, planted between 1840 and 1870. Photo Alan Mahon

On the morning of June 2nd 2018, at around 3:00am, disaster struck when one of its much loved trees unexpectedly fell. It was one of the two Oregon maples, which were growing in Library Square and believed to have been planted in 1845 from the first batch of seeds brought back from America by David Douglas (which the Douglas-fir tree is named after) in 1827. Many a graduation photo was taken under this tree. It caught everyone by surprise and when examined it was discovered that the heart wood moisture content of the maple was around 30%, when it should have been at least 90%. This led to serious concerns to the state of the other trees in the college resulting in the second maple in Library Square having to be felled at the same time as its partner as it was found that the cable braces were what was holding some of the main limbs in place. Another Oregon maple growing in New Square was removed within days of the first maple falling. However that tree had already been planned for removal due to a heart wood fungal infection and decay. On foot of this, a seven year research project on the heart wood moisture content of the trees at Trinity began. To date it has been discovered that most of the trees have suffered from reduced moisture content, possibly due to the affects of climate change. This is very worrying, not only for the welfare of the trees, but also to human safety as it can lead to sudden branch drop. The two Oregon maples were replaced in March 2020 by two Gingko biloba trees.

The 175 year old Oregan maple which unexpectedly fell in June 2018. Photo Alan Mahon

Trinity’s main Campus lies on a site of archaeological interest and any work on the ground that involves digging past a depth of 300mm must be supervised by an archaeologist. The reason for this is that the remains of the All Hallows Priory and burial grounds lie directly under the west end of the campus. In 1948 two birch trees were planted, each one in the centre of the two lawns inside the College Green entrance. Both share the same genetic make up and were planted on the same day. 73 years later, one of the trees is much bigger than the other. The reason for this is that the smaller tree is restricted in growth as it is planted over the rubble from the remains of the ancient priory. The taller tree had more fertile ground to grow in and therefore has thrived much better than its sister on the other side of the path. You can see this for yourself should you get the opportunity to visit Trinity College. 

One of the two Ginko Biloba trees being planted to replace the fallen Oregan maples. Photo courtesy Trinity College

The vast majority of trees are deciduous bringing a multitude of challenges, particularly leaf collection and removal during autumn and early winter. Conifers never performed well in the past due to early pollution levels in the city, however as air quality has improved so too have the growth rates on conifers/mosses and lichens on trees, as shown by two studies conducted in the 1990’s and 2018. The team are introducing more conifers now as part of their replacement programme.  A new compound has been constructed which allows for collection of leaves by a grab truck, which is then taken off to a green waste recycling facility. Last year around 120 tonnes of leaves and green waste were collected and recycled during the winter months. 

E&F have changed over nearly entirely to battery operated equipment and vehicles where possible, this has helped to reduce noise levels and pollution around campus. If petrol or two stroke must be used then ASPEN fuel, which has reduced emissions, fuels the machines.

All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

Trinity College is committed to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan as well as its own Campus Pollinator Plan. In February 2020 13,850 people took part in a poll overseen by the environmental sustainability advisor and run by the One Step Closer campaign, including those from the college community, asking should the lawns at the College Green entrance to the college be turned into a wild flower meadow. A staggering 12,496 (around 90%) of those that responded were in favour of the idea. The conversion began last summer with the removal of the lawn and was replaced with an Irish wild flora turf mix.

Lifting the turf at the College Green entrance to make way for a wild flower meadow. Photo courtesy Trinity College

By the end of summer, 2020, some annuals began to flower and it is hoped that by this summer some biannual and perennial flowers will make an appearance, along with the seeded annuals coming back up again. Other lawn areas around the college have also been designated wild flower areas.

I now have a different perspective of Trinity College Dublin. When restrictions are lifted and the public can wander around the college grounds again, I look forward to visiting the place. I will look at the pitches, trees and wild meadow areas with a bit more knowledge and appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes. The work they and their staff do to create a wonderful place to relax can sometimes be underestimated. 

Some of the wild flora established as part of the Campus Pollinator Plan. Photo courtesy Trinity College

Allett have officially launched the '2021 Allett Creative Lawn Stripes Competition' as of yesterday, 31st March 2021.

Last year saw photos submitted from over 10 different countries with the top 6 entries coming from; UK, America, Australia and Sweden.

Judged by Edgbaston head groundsman Gary Barwell, last year's competition was won by Andrew Wain of Euridge Manor with his tribute to the NHS.

Allett are asking people to not rush sending entries in, they want photos to keep being taken all summer, with the best ones to be submitted in August. A spokesperson said, "Keep an eye on our social media channels for hints and tips throughout the summer. Good luck!"

For more info click here.