Many communities and schools take tremendous pride in providing their sports teams with high quality playing fields. Whether the surface is grass or turf, the vibrant lines and colorful logos that mark it help enhance the game experience for players, officials and spectators alike.Now that spring has officially arrived, it’s time to prepare athletic fields for the variety of seasonal sports that are played in warmer weather.

With the arrival of spring, the sound of chirping birds is joined by the sounds of outdoor construction, landscaping and tree maintenance. Regardless of the size and scope of the work, there are countless reasons for protecting the ground beneath a project as well as the equipment used to complete it.

Whether you are a contractor, landscaper or arborist, you are responsible for ensuring that your clients’ property is not damaged by equipment and workers. If the job calls for heavy machinery, ground protection is crucial not only for preventing ruts in grass and turf but for keeping equipment from getting stuck in the mud.

Spring is the season for repair and recovery when it comes to America’s roadways. Warmer temperatures and longer days are a welcome relief, but the harsh winter weather often takes a heavy toll on paved roads and parking lots.

Cracks and potholes caused by the freeze/thaw cycle seem to appear overnight. Plowing and salting can worsen the condition of already deteriorated roads, and street flooding from melting snow and spring rainstorms can further stress roads. The resulting damage is more than a mere annoyance for motorists, who spend on average an extra $523 annually to repair blown tires, broken axles and battered shock absorbers, according to the national transportation research firm TRIP.