GROUNDSKEEPER
Education/training
Typically, groundskeepers must have a high school diploma (or the equivalent) and a driver's license, and should be able to demonstrate literacy and good interpersonal skills. The best education is the one you get by observing more experienced workers on the job and by getting your hands dirty. You will learn skills like planting, cultivating, and pruning trees, and fertilizing lawns, trees, and shrubs, as well as how to operate equipment. Inexpensive courses in gardening and horticulture are often available at nurseries and greenhouses, and will provide a solid background for your career.
Hello, Sports Fans!
One major segment of the groundskeeping industry is tending to the very particular needs of athletic fields, especially those used by professional athletes. This includes the grounds that football, baseball, golf, and tennis are played on. The grass or turf must be perfectly maintained and properly drained through the use of tractors, aerators, fertilizers, and insecticides. Astroturf must be vacuumed and disinfected. Groundskeepers who care for athletic fields keep natural and artificial turf fields in top condition, mark out boundaries, and paint turf with team logos and names before events take place. Workers who maintain golf courses are called greenskeepers. They do many of the same things other groundskeepers do, but they may also relocate the holes on putting greens and repair and paint ball washers, benches, and tee markers. Imagine the satisfaction of seeing your handiwork on television while your favorite team plays on the field you have tended with such care!
Many high school and two-year vocational/technical school graduates as well as retirees are entering this field, according to the PLCAA. The American Society of Landscape Architects' (ASLA) National Certification Program offers exams and certification for landscape professionals.
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