The Park Maintenance Institute has developed Shop Talk as a safe space for professionals to share ideas openly, provide insights, and draw upon the collective knowledge and experience of our industry.
Shop Talk - Playground Surfacing Considerations and Comparisons
There is a need to educate playground owners of important safety considerations and highlight seasonal maintenance tasks for each type of surfacing, including accessibility when planning the project, that should be put into place for routine and periodic safety inspections.
For this session of Shop Talk, we invited Kevin Umbreit, VP and District Sales Representative from Recreation Resource USA, to share his expertise regarding resilient playground safety surfaces. Attendees will learn about the pros/cons of each type of surface, costs, and ongoing maintenance issues.
Participants will:
1. Learn about each type of playground surface
2. Learn about costs associated with each type of playground surface
3. Be provided with details about why it is important to maintain your playground surfaces
21 Apr 2021
Shop Talk - Proper Tree Pruning for Health, Structure and Form
Trees are long-lived woody plants that provide so much to our communities and park settings. Proper tree maintenance and pruning in our landscapes can improve safety, reduce storm damage, prevent the spread of decay, and extend the life of the tree. Without an understanding of tree biology and proper pruning, trees are often severely damaged, leading to unsafe, decaying trees.
For this Shop Talk, we have invited an expert from Penn State University Extension to introduce us to the fundamentals of tree pruning. We will learn pruning theory, terminology, pruning cuts, and plant biological response. This session will focus on pruning objectives, timing, applying cuts, improving structure and safety, common pruning mistakes, important tools and techniques for working safely.
Learning objectives for this session are:
1. to gain an understanding of woody plant response to pruning/wound closure/sprouting/compartmentalization of decay.
2. to learn the 3 types of pruning cuts, how they are applied, and their impact.
3. to learn how tree structure can be improved through proper pruning.
4. to learn about tree pruning tools and safe use.
7 Apr 2021
Shop Talk - Overview of iMapInvasives
For this session of Shop Talk, we invited administrators of the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program to provide an overview of this unique and resourceful platform. Our presenters will cover topics including data entry (using both the online interface, mobile app, and Survey123), creation of email alerts, and custom reports. This event with highlight the power and utility of knowledge at our fingertips. We will be shown how to query for data in the database, and will be encouraged to set up our own free iMapInvasives account at the conclusion of the training so we can become part of the solution to an increasing challenge that we all face in our communities and surrounding natural environments.
Our learning objectives for this session are:
1. to become more aware of the importance of knowing about and looking for invasive species within our park boundaries and open spaces
2. to gain a better understanding for the value of reporting our findings of invasive species to a publicly-accessible online platform such as iMapInvasive.
3. to learn how to make use of the many functions and tools available within the iMapInvasive database and mobile application.
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