Conservation & Ecology
Professionals who say that they don't have the time to carry out environmental work on their site need to have a look at themselves and their time management
I
started my greenkeeping career in 1994, in my homeland of Ireland, at Fota Island Golf Club in Cork, working under Steve Byrne, now of The Wisley. From there, I moved to
do the grow-in of The Old Head of Kinsale, County Cork, before finally landing on these shores to do another grow-in at Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent, working under Duncan Kelso, and where I became Head Greenkeeper in 2001. These workplace experiences have led me to where I am today and to all my turf, land and environmental management beliefs and programmes; and, for that, I am very grateful. In 2005, I took up my current position of Course Manager at North Foreland Golf Club on the north-east Kent coastline. North Foreland is a cliff top chalkland course where the wind and firm conditions are a true test of golf. The site is a classic piece of chalkland with native grasses (fescues) and free draining soils. The chalk allows for play 365 days of the year, with not a single drainage pipe on the course! The long, wispy Fescue rough sways in the sea breeze making it a sight to behold, whilst creating valuable habitat for flora and fauna, along with giving aesthetic appeal and definition.
I firmly believe that both golf and
nature can work together for all parties to benefit.
When I arrived at North Foreland, the site had large unmanaged areas which had been untouched for many decades, resulting in a haven for scrub and general encroachment from trees, especially the less desirable species. These areas needed addressing and so the team set up and implemented an Environmental Policy and annual programmes of work.
The first objective was to eradicate the dense ground ivy that had taken hold and formed a vast blanket over fifteen hectares. Intensive scarification, using a flail, commenced with all cuttings being removed. The native grasses then started to colonise these areas again as the seed bed bank was opened up to the light and air. Annual scarifying and collection continued for three years, before being relaxed to a three to five year rotational autumn treatment on the various plots. The results have been immense with not only native grasses returning, but flora populations increasing every year. Man Orchids, Pyramid Orchids, Kidney Vetch and Scabious have all flourished, with the first recording of Lizard Orchids on the site, in 2010, being particularly exciting.
The south-east corner of England is
renowned for being the driest part of the country and, therefore, we needed to be proactive in regard to the valuable resource of water. Drawing off the mains
for many years, with bills mounting and being at the mercy of the water board, the club decided to take action. A plan was drawn up for the construction of a reservoir and a bore hole to be dug on site. The addition of these two invaluable pieces in the jigsaw has allowed the course to be self sufficient with its irrigation requirements. Not only that but, what was once a ‘dumping ground’, is now a haven for an abundance of aquatic life. The water’s surface is alive in the summer months with Black Tailed Skimmers, Small Red Eyed Damselflies, Red Vein Darters and many more. This is yet another classic example of how both the game of golf and environment can work together. The opportunity to manage our own
irrigation needs has seen the programme of wetting agent application increase two fold - along with the budget! Yet, the expense is easily justified, as the savings on irrigation water and labour far exceeds it. What is more, the playing surface quality excels with better rooting and an improved soil profile. The wetting agent prevents run off and makes sure the target areas retain any moisture, thereby limiting any wastage and reducing the strain on our resources. We are also involved with Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator initiative aimed at halting the decline of our native bumblebees and other crucial pollinating
‘Home made’ owl box
Operation Pollinator in action JUNE/JULY 2013 PC 43
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148