Our Tool Shed is a resource library designed for professionals working within all aspects of park maintenance. We continually research best maintenance practices from all industries to gather videos, articles, templates, and websites and store them in one place for our subscribers. We spend the time to sift through the noise and provide you with valuable information when you need it, so you can focus on developing solutions. If there is something you need but cannot find, reach out and share your specific needs.
Benefits of Natural Grass Fields
Sports Turf Managers Association
The following technical resource provides a detailed look into the benefits and cost effectiveness of maintaining natural grass fields.
Sample Comprehensive Park Maintenance Plan
Cranberry Township Public Works Grounds Maintenance Division
The Public Works management team of Cranberry Township has devoted careful consideration to developing a plan for the ongoing care and protection of thesubstantial assets that are our parks and grounds.
Sample Comprehensive Outdoor Athletic Field Development & Operation Plan
The Park District of Oak Park, IL
The over-arching goal of the process is to produce a living document that will serve as a comprehensive plan for the Park District to use in outlining priorities and timelines for field improvements, improve field usability and, where possible, increase field asset capacity over a 10 year period.
Sports Turf Alternatives Assessment: Cost Analysis Preliminary Results
Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute
The section presented here covers information on costs (installation, maintenance, replacementand disposal) associated with synthetic and natural turf options.
Guidelines on the use of Synthetic Turf within the City Park System
City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department
This is not meant to be an endorsement of synthetic turf use, just a look toward thefuture to address its potential use.
Turf Management for Municipal Athletic Fields
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
A resource guide and planning tool for environmentally responsible turf management.
Sweet Smelling Toilet Installation
US Dept of Agriculture Forest Service
The SST (odor-free vaulttoilet) concept covers all facets of a toiletbuilding’s design, construction materials,maintenance, and location. This Tech Tip is intended to reacquaint architects, engineers, landscape architects, and others involved in the design, construction, or placement of toiletbuildings with the basic principles of SSTtechnology.
Explore Pennsylvania Trails
Pennsylvania DCNR
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Trail Finder
2020 Community Conservation Partnerships Program Grants
Pennsylvania DCNR
DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC) assists local governments and recreation and conservation organizations with funding for projects related to: Parks, Recreation, and Conservation
2020 Trail Grants
Pennsylvania DCNR
DCNR's goal is to have a trail within 15 minutes of every Pennsylvania citizen. DCNR's Bureau of Recreation and Conservation provides grants to support the enhancement and expansion of non-motorized and motorized trails to meet this goal.
Recreational Trails Program
US Dept. of Transportation
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides funds to the States to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses.
Trail Management Tools
US Forest Service
The Forest Service incorporates several standardized trail management concepts and tools in the administration and management of over 150,000 miles of National Forest System trails. These tools help ensure that each trail is designed, constructed, and maintained to provide the desired user experience and meet the management intent for the trail.
The Dirty Dozen of Playground Safety
NRPA
The Top 12 Safety Hazards in America’s Playgrounds
Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb
US Environmental Protection Agency
EPA status report on the use of recycled tire crumbs for playing fields and play areas
Green Jobs Training
US Environmental Protection Agency
A Catalog of Training Opportunities forGreen Infrastructure Technologies
