Day One - Botanical Gardens
8:00 - 8:30am Registration and Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00am Welcome and Introductions
FRPA and Port St. Lucie Staff
9:00 - 10:00am The Port District - Big Project…..Big Planning
Kelly Boatwright, Parks Administrator - Projects, Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation and Jennifer Davis, Interim Director, Port St. Lucie Community Redevelopment Agency
What happens when a Parks and Recreation Department teams up with their Community Redevelopment Agency to help the City put the “Port” in Port St. Lucie? Learn how the vision for a riverfront destination along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River was developed and is coming to life, creating recreational and business opportunities while developing a sense of place for this very unique area of the City.
10:15 - 11:15am Session I: The Port Project - Project Site Tour
Kelly Boatwright, Parks Administrator - Projects, Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation and Jennifer Davis, Interim Director, Port St. Lucie Community Redevelopment Agency
Check out how the City is putting the “Port” in Port St. Lucie! Your guides will take you on a walking tour of this very dynamic project site. You will see how this riverfront destination along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River is starting to come to life! You will see the “WoW’ playground currently under construction, historic homes being renovated, a lookout hill where patrons will see all that is offered on a newly envisioned event lawn and much more!
Session II: So You Want to Build a Botanical Garden?
Brad Keen, Assistant Director, Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department
Learn how the City of Port St. Lucie developed a public garden, the administrative, budgeting and staffing challenges, and the recruitment and development of a volunteer “Friends” group that programs and operates the facility.
11:20am - 12:20pm Session I: Botanical Gardens Walking Tour - Friends of the Botanical Gardens Docent
Facilitated by the Friends of Botanical Gardens
Session II: Artificial Turf v. Natural Grass
Daryl Boyd, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, Wellington Parks and Recreation and Ryan Hagopian, Athletics Programs Manager, Wellington Parks and Recreation
On its surface (see what I did there), artificial turf is an appealing option when building new or renovating existing fields. Less maintenance, fewer rainouts, more tournament revenue! But is that real life?
12:20pm - 1:00pm Lunch
1:00 - 2:00pm Session I: Pesticide Resistance
Grantly Ricketts, County Extension Director Commercial
Horticulture Agent, UF/IFAS Extension
Pesticide resistance occurs when a pest population changes from one that is sensitive to an active ingredient to one that is no longer sensitive. This genetic difference is passed on to the next generations. The most important consequence is the loss of a good product.
Session II: Greenways & Trails: Concept to Implementation
Mike Middlebrook, Assistant Director, St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department
St. Lucie County embarked on the ambitious greenways and trails (GW&T) masterplan in 2001, with limited funding, resources, and staff. Today, after more than 20 years later, the County and its local partners are set to receive $30M in investment/ infrastructure from the FDOT SUN Trail network grants program. In the current FDOT work plan alone, St. Lucie County holds the title of most programmed funds of all Counties in the State of Florida. This wasn’t by mistake and the City of Port St. Lucie helped lay the foundation. Come learn what we’ve learned about our audience, user groups, public outreach efforts, and how popular GW&T are for facilitating community-wide active and passive recreation.
2:05 - 3:05pm Roundtable Discussion: Homelessness
3:10 - 4:10pm Best Management Practices - Sports Turf and Ballfields
George LaCosta, Director, Park Operations, Palm Beach Co Parks
and Recreation and Dirck Aumiller, Parks District Manager, Palm Beach Co Parks and Recreation
Session will discuss routine maintenance program, daily safety checks, monthly inspections, annual renovation improvements, rain out procedure, quarterly inspections, turf and other field issues, improvement procedures (fence, irrigation etc.).
4:10 - 4:30pm Wrap Up Day One - instruction for next day
5:30 - 8:30pm River Nights Dinner (on your own)
River Nights Dinner and live music social – Held at Veterans Park at
Rivergate, 2200 S.E. Veterans Memorial Parkway, PSL, FL 34952. There’s no need for pre-registration as River Nights is a first-come, first-served event.
Day Two - Saints Golf Course
8:00 - 8:30am Sign in and Breakfast
8:30 - 9:30am City Owned Versus Privately Owned Golf Course
Keith Bradshaw. Administrator – The Saints Golf Course, Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department
This meeting will cover various topics to explain the differences between operating a city owned golf course in comparison to a privately owned golf course. Topics will include goals/objectives, marketing, operations, volunteers, maintenance, financials, organization, procedures, equipment, and facilities.
9:30 - 10:30am Intentional Playground and Fitness Design, Maintenance and Management
Mike Kendrick, Deputy Director- Parks, Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department
Active spaces have benefits for overall community health. But how do you get the design right to preserve your investment? The answer is intentional design: anticipating maintenance, hazard prevention, and maximum play and fitness value. In this session we share tips on maintenance strategies that start in the design phase.
10:45 - 11:45am Conservation in Parks
11:45am - 12:15pm Wrap up and snacks for the road
FRPA and Port St. Lucie Staff
***Sessions are subject to change***