208 – Midwest Grows Green Technical Assistance Program: Improving Soil Health with Organics

Growing evidence indicates that dense organic matter materials can increase turfgrass field performance. In this session, Midwest Grows Green natural lawn care (NLC) technical assistance program (TAP) team members Ryan Anderson and Vytas Pabedinskas cover soil health principles and how to apply

210 – Mosquitoes, Ticks and Things that Itch: Protecting Public Health and Comfort in Natural Areas

This session will provide an overview of community mosquito control and highlight opportunities for park districts to become involved in protecting public health at parks and facilities. Mosquito biology, disease vectors, larval and adult mosquito control methods, green mosquito control products, and

212 – Time to Change? Developing a Destination Splash Park Versus Renovating Your Municipal Pool

Many municipalities are faced with the sobering reality regarding the development and operational costs of renovating and maintaining multiple municipal pools. A current trend in the market for municipalities and park districts with multiple pools is to create a destination splash park.

203 – Celebrating and Taking Care of Our Nature Preserves, Not Just an Ordinary Park!

Illinois nature preserves are more than just open spaces in the park system. These are special places protected from development in perpetuity by state law because of their irreplaceable natural features and biodiversity. In the age of invasive species and climate change,