We offer many courses to teach parks workers how to tend green spaces, ensuring these areas are kept beautiful and serene for years to come.
About the Courses
These courses support municipalities and park operators across Saskatchewan or anyone in search of parks and open spaces professional development opportunities. Courses can be taken in any order as there are no pre-requisite requirements.
Who Should Attend?
- Municipal staff who perform outdoor maintenance
- Park employees/volunteers
- Golf course staff/volunteers
- Municipal leaders, councillors and individuals interested in park maintenance best practices
- Individuals in a supervisory role for parks and grounds
Hosting Opportunities
Contact us at any time, if you are interested in hosting a Parks and Open Spaces Training Course. SPRA works with a team of trained instructors and customized delivery opportunities for all five of the courses and can be arranged across the province.
Saskatchewan Parks Worker Course
If you’re interested in the parks system and what it takes to maintain it, the Saskatchewan Parks Worker Course is for you. Focused on the horticultural requirements for a successful park system, the Saskatchewan Parks Worker Course provides an overview of a typical parks system and its maintenance practices.
This course provides an in-depth review of:
- Soil health
- Plant biology
- Turf
- Pest and weed management
- Equipment maintenance
- Parks design
- Public relations and safety
This is a four-day course that includes classroom learning, outdoor tours and an exam component. The Saskatchewan Parks Worker Course is delivered annually at the SPRA Spring Training Symposium, held in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
Tree Identification
This course is focused on providing participants with the tools needed to identify trees in the landscape. This includes a review of the roles of trees and shrubs in the landscape, discussion about the form of trees and the form of leaves, as well as a review of the most common trees in Saskatchewan and their associated characteristics. This is a one-day course and includes outdoor components.
Tree Planting, Site Selection and Basic Maintenance
This course provides participants with the information they need to plant trees appropriately. The course starts by discussing the value and selection of trees and continues by discussing considerations as well as guidelines for planting trees and the different types of nursery stock. This course concludes by reviewing the basic maintenance needs of a tree following planting, such as staking, watering and fertilizing. Tree maintenance beyond and planting process is not discussed. This is a two-day course and includes outdoor components.
Tree Pests and Diseases
This course provides a basic level of knowledge to participants about the pests and diseases that may affect the trees in our communities. The course begins by discussing general concepts around pests and diseases and integrated pest management. It concludes by reviewing a large number of specific pests, diseases and environmental factors that may affect your trees. This is a two-day course and may involve an outdoor component at the discretion of the instructor.
Basic Overview of Landscape Design
This course is focused on all aspects that should be taken into consideration when designing a landscape. Information gained in this course can be applied to all types of landscapes, including private, residential, municipal, and parks, however the primary audience includes municipalities and park operators. The course discusses factors that will affect design, key considerations in landscape design, new use of hardscapes and softscapes, how to choose plant material and determine its placement, in addition to a number of other considerations. This is a two-day course. Participants should be prepared for viewing the landscape outdoors, weather permitting.
More information
To learn more about these courses, contact:
Andrew Exelby
Parks and Open Spaces Consultant
(306) 780-9262
aexelby@spra.sk.ca
