Safety
Often we think of the word "medical" and associate it with physical health. However, it's important that we strive to consider mental health when thinking about medical well-being. Within the Critical Incident Stress Management team, we have explored a concept called "Psychological First Aid," which is exactly what it sounds like: first aid for mental and emotional well-being. Check out the link below for details and Psychological First Aid tips as we continue to move forward through the pandemic.
How to Build a "Psychological First Aid Kit"
Recently, my superstar husband directed me to a podcast that is hosted by former Park Service personnel (both National and State). There are many excellent episodes that you can listen to regarding a wide variety of topics, but I found "A Park Ranger's Role in Customer Service" to be especially relevant as we enter into another busy season that's guaranteed to keep everyone working hard. It emphasizes that we are not the only state experiencing an influx of visitors as more and more people discover the beauty and open spaces that public lands have to offer. This particular episode also had me reminiscing on several interactions I had with park visitors when I may not have been as understanding as I should have been. It was a gentle reminder that we should strive to be kind to others at all times, because park visitors (and other employees, too!) may have much more stress or negativity in their lives than we are aware of. Check out the Park Leaders podcast below to listen!
Park Leaders podcast - Customer Service
Maintenance
This 3 part series on turf management from Productive Parks has a lot of information to offer. The paragraph below gives a great introduction!
"In the parks and recreation industry, turf management is a major component. The word “turf” encompasses plant materials like trees and shrubs, as well as grass, golf greens etc. When considering turf maintenance, you must think about where certain turf is located and how it is used. For example, a picnic area might have a lot of traffic. Therefore it might need more intensive and more frequent maintenance than areas with less activity. This three-part series will cover many aspects of turf management."
Part one: Soil Care
Part two: Turf Selection, Planting, & Maintenance
Part three: Specialized Areas & Modern Technology
Natural Resources
Special thanks to Ranger Shawna Staup for her contribution to this section!
The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive non-native insect from Asia. It was first seen in the U.S.A. at a stone yard in Pennsylvania and has rapidly spread to surrounding States, including MD. The 1st-3rd Instar starts to appear around Late April- Mid July and black with white spots. The 4th Instar can appear July-September and begins to display its red color in addition to the black with white spots. The Adult phase for the Spotted Lanternfly begins around July and continues through to December. It has black spots on its wings with black, white and red wing colors and a yellow and black abdomen. Eggs Masses can appear on many types of trees, especially fruit trees and tree-of-heaven, around October through December. If you see a Spotted Lanternfly in any of its phases: Snap It! Catch It! Freeze It! Send It! and Report It to dontbug.md@Maryland.gov!
If you are interested in some educational materials, such as flyers, pens, info sheets, etc., to help spread the word, you can contact Kimberly Rice from the Maryland Department of Agriculture at kimberly.rice@maryland.gov.
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