Rural Ontario’s school grounds and municipal Sports fields will finally have their time in the spotlight, thanks to a University of Guelph-based project.
Starting in 2009, the province government banned the use of cosmetic pesticides, which has meant some big changes in the way grounds-keepers can manage school and municipal Sports fields, and public outreach so far has focused on the impact of that ban on residential lawns and urban Sports fields.
The turfgrass outreach project (TOP) focuses on support to rural turfgrass managers across southern Ontario, providing them with workshops, training programs and an online knowledge centre to help schools and organizations maintain safe and high quality Sports fields without the use of pesticides.
“While urban areas have often had municipal bans in place for a while, in many cases rural communities have had to adapt very quickly to managing turf without cosmetic pesticides, and the education and outreach to deal with that just isn’t in place in rural communities like it has been in urban centres,” said TOP project manager Dr. Eric Lyons.
In response, TOP pulls expertise from the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, the University’s Ontario Agricultural College and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to create accessible educational opportunities for rural turfgrass managers.
Other partners and supporters include the Sports Turf Association and Dr. Helen Hambly Odame from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
The project also aims to foster stronger networks of rural turfgrass managers from different departments, organizations and areas.
“Whether you are a facilities supervisor, janitor, volunteer, or anyone else who has an interested in keeping rural Sports fields in good playing condition without pesticides we would like to hear from you,” said TOP Project Coordinator Angela Saunders.
“The more we understand about who the turfgrass manager is and what their needs are, the better we can create programs that provide training for sustainable rural Sports fields management.”
For more information about TOP contact Saunders, at turfgrassoutreach@uoguelph.ca or (519) 824 4120 extension 52251.
