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Story in Brief

The Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Department is the largest park system in the state. The department boasts 35 parks with seven more under construction, 8,000 acres of parks total, 2,871 acres of passive parks and 123 acres of athletic fields. The department employs 157 personnel who require educational training in athletic field management, turf care, pest management, water quality, tree care and soil fertility. Gwinnett County Cooperative Extension has designed an annual education program for Gwinnett County Park employees to be implemented at the department's quarterly meetings. Extension has also created a quarterly newsletter for the parks' employees that include timely articles on subjects such as turf care, athletic field management, tree care and pest management. As a result of the training, County Parks Department employees “have implemented better safety measures when using pesticides such as wearing protective clothing, having less spills, and reducing the usage of pesticides by practicing integrated pest management techniques,” according to the Director of Parks Maintenance.