Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/82830
ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOLADES VIA PRESS RELEASE VANCOUVER ISLAND CLUB RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS TREES AND EVIRONMENTALLY SENSIRTIVES AREAS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF UPLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL HONOUR a commitment to native wildlife habitat and significantly lessening their environmental footprint. Host course for Canadian Tour season- opener becomes first semi-private club on Island to achieve prestigious certification. The Canadian Tour's opening tournament host course is now a little 'greener' as the Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, B.C., has recently achieved designation as a 'Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary'. To achieve this certification, a golf course The organizing committee for the 50th Annual Western Canada Turfgrass Association Conference and Trade Show met for the second time on August 9th and members are already excited about the event planned to take place in Penticton March 3-5, 2013. "Much of the initial meeting was spent figuring out what we would like the conference to look like," said WCTA President Tab Buckner and Organizing Committee Chair. "It has to be dynamic while providing the educational, networking and quality trade show we've come to expect." The most recent meeting focussed on particulars of the education program, mainly narrowing down speaker selections and topics. A call for speaker submissions was circulated in June and according to Executive Director Jerry Rousseau, "We were pleasantly surprised at the number and quality of those wishing to bring their knowledge and expertise to our education Continued From Page 20 grass greens in the Midwest part of the United States we found that: • by using 3/8s and 0.5" inch tines on tighter spacing we displaced almost twice as much material and reduced heal time for the holes from 10+ days for 5/8s must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental stewardship in a number of areas that include: environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management. In achieving this certification, Uplands has demonstrated PLANNING BEGINS FOR 50TH ANNUAL SHOW IN PENTICTON program especially considering we had not used this approach in the past." Conference organization will become a high priority for WCTA staff in the coming months to ensure a well-run, valuable experience for delegates and suppliers alike in this landmark 50th Anniversary year. "Once we've roughed out the speaker program we can start nailing down the actual event schedule then we move into formulating our exhibitor package," Rousseau stated adding that, "Exhibitors should expect to hear from us by the end of September after which we'll be working on getting the delegate package sent." When asked if there was anything special in store, President Buckner said "we'll definitely be building on previous successes like the Fest-of-Ale, Monday Night Hockey Game and BCGSA Social but there are so many details still to take care of that we can't say much at this time." He did say, "the committee has a great attitude and is working well together so I would expect inch tines to less than 6 days for the smaller 3/8s and inch tines. • 5/8 tines on 2.5 spacing provides a displacement of 4.91% and 10+ days for heal time [Average] • 0.5" tines on 1.5 spacing provides a displacement of 8.73% and less than 6 days heal time [Average] 22 WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION "Uplands Golf Club members are proud of this achievement and enjoying an enriched golfing experience as a result of our commitment to sustainable and environmentally sensitive practices", said Brian Youell, Uplands Master Superintendent. "For example, our nest box initiative has been very successful and is providing a rich diversity of bird species that has enhanced our member and guests' experience. Uplands has preserved and enhanced native species while maintaining the uniqueness of the golfing experience in our parkland setting in the heart of Oak Bay". In addition to course upgrades, Uplands is known for a vast tree population. Since 2008, the course has used a tree management system that has revolutionized the way they monitor their trees. "We are the only golf course in Canada to use Arborvue Tree Management software," explained Youell. "It's a program that allows us to monitor our entire tree everyone attending this year's show will be really happy with the result." While it's fairly common knowledge that trade show attendance in nearly all industries has declined in recent years including turf and golf conferences, the WCTA shows remains a valuable education and networking resource for turf managers from all sectors. Last year at the Victoria show, WCTA staff began tracking attendance statistics more comprehensively than ever before. "Interestingly, only about 66% of delegates were WCTA members," said Rousseau, "which on the bright side means we're attracting a lot of non-members but it also means we're not seeing as many actual members at the show as we would hope. Understandably, larger shows can be attractive but unfortunately, I think a lot of people then miss out on what's happening locally which lately, can put you at a serious disadvantage." Backing up those comments, President Bucker added, "Conferences make up a • 3/8 tines on 1.25 spacing provides a displacement of 7.07% and less than 6 days heal time [Average] Science Research based on real world needs is helping us in the sports turf industry to provide better playing surfaces at less cost than just five short years ago. ONE OF UPLANDS' RESIDENT DEER WATCHES THE ACTION DURING THE 2012 TC-ISLAND SAVINGS OPEN FROM A SPOT BETWEEN THE 12TH AND 13TH FAIRWAYS population and develop plans to maintain and enhance their growth habits. Each tree has a tag that has an identification number with 22 different attributes. All the trees are geo-referenced on a digital map, allowing us to use a GPS unit to locate a specific tree and perform certain maintenance activities. The software can produce digital maps that can show the various species and their locations, develop pruning recommendation plans, and also keep track of our maintenance practices." By enhancing their wildlife assistance program and significantly lessening their environmental footprint, Uplands joins a handful of golf courses on the island including Cordova Bay, Fairwinds, Storey Creek and Crown Isle with this prestigious certification. large portion of the revenue for many associations including the WCTA and without our members supporting and attending the show, maintaining programs becomes extremely difficult and the whole industry starts to suffer." Of course it may be easier said than done to find it in the budget to further your turf management education but according to Research Chair Peter Sorokovksy, "There are many examples where I've saved thousands of dollars from what I've learned at the WCTA Conference and applied on my golf course, more than I've ever spent on attending and it's stuff you're not necessarily going to find out poking around on the internet." President Buckner agreed adding, "For me, a lot of benefit has come from the connections I've made at the show because it's difficult to network during the season." "On behalf of the 2013 Conference Organizing Committee, we hope to see you at our 2013 Conference and Trade Show." Maybe one of the most exciting science- research projects for us now and in the future is the injecting of oxygen through the gravel of our greens and athletic fields up into the root zone, enabling our plants to breath. IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / COURTESY INSIDE GOLF IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / COURTESY INSIDE GOLF