ADVERTISEMENT
Earning a Living at Treasure Island02-23-07 | News



Earning a Living at Treasure Island

By Erik Skindrud, regional editor






This broad turf area was the former site of hotel rooms that were demolished to make way for future attractions. The backhoe is being used to build the rollercoaster that opened last spring. The turf here had just received its last mow of the season, a few days before Thanksgiving.


Randal Christman is a valuable employee. He?EUR??,,????'?????<

The 80-acre park sits in the resort center of Wisconsin Dells, Wis.?EUR??,,????'?????<

Christman spends most of the year working solo or with two or three part-time staff members who help mow close to 30 acres of turfgrass every week during the warm months. One break in routine comes each spring, when a dozen members of the on-site hotel?EUR??,,????'?????<






Groundskeeper Randal Christman spends plenty of time with his Stihl string trimmers. It takes three days to mow and trim during the warm summer months. The goal is to complete the job by Friday to have the grounds in top condition for weekend visitors.


?EUR??,,????'?????<

It takes a week to two weeks for the willing crew to plant the season?EUR??,,????'?????<

img
 




The pre-emergent herbicide Preen goes a long way to keeping these planter areas clear through the summer. Still, Christman and others spend time on their knees to hand-pull weeds. The Christmas-tree-like dwarf spruce by Christman reliably survives the northern winters.


Winter Busy, Spring Busier

Christman and his crew call spring the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The construction is designed to draw business, but it sometimes gets in the way of the landscaping crew, as it rushes to finish its own list of cold-season tasks. After the lawn mowers take their last pass around the grounds?EUR??,,????'?????<

?EUR??,,????'?????<






Fall and winter are construction time at Treasure Island resort. The concrete walkway that ran here was ripped up to let contractors access underground utilities. A new pathway was laid down and landscaping restored before visitors returned in May.


The deadline in spring means that careful planning to maximize the use of autumn time is especially important. The 80-acre grounds are populated with willow, ash, oak and maple trees, making fall leaf cleanup a demanding task.

One innovative method is to use a large Sullair air compressor to blow leaves from under trees and shrubs into piles. The large compressor is towed on a trailer behind a truck, with its power giving a significant advantage over backpack blowers, Christman explained.

?EUR??,,????'?????<






A pole saw helps lop branches from a flowering crabapple tree. Note the water slides and pools in the background. Another big autumn task is winterization of the park?EUR??,,????'?????<


Other items laid down the previous spring need to be removed each fall as well. Before the snow flies, the crew removes old, faded mulch from planting beds, leaving the geotextile weed barriers exposed until spring. (Each April, the beds are filled again with fresh mulch?EUR??,,????'?????<

Also each fall, the crew spends about a week straight to prune trees and tear out old annual flowers. With all the trees on site, the job isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

The busy task often calls for an extra pair of hands. Often they belong to director of maintenance Eugene Morse, who?EUR??,,????'?????<

?EUR??,,????'?????<






Christman mows with his faithful Ransome 36-inch walk-behind at Treasure Island Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. ?EUR??,,????'?????<


Spring: More Cleanup

If fall is marked by one overriding concern?EUR??,,????'?????<

?EUR??,,????'?????<

When things are looking cleaner, the crew spends several days treating the grounds with Preen pre-emergent herbicide granules. The team spends another day spraying the walkways and adjacent areas with Roundup?EUR??,,????'?????<






A Stihl hedge trimmer keeps spirea shrubs under control. Autumn (this photo was taken in November) is a time to take care of trimming and pruning chores. The park is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day?EUR??,,????'?????<


Around the same time, park management plans for annual color plantings?EUR??,,????'?????<

With the housekeeping staff?EUR??,,????'?????<






Another area where a concrete path has been removed for construction. The worker to the left of the ash trunk is connecting new fiber optic cable. Yellow twig dogwood, lilac and spirea are among the plants that will refill this area in the spring. (The generator at right provides temporary power for contractors.)


Summer is Mow Time

With flowers in the ground, the busy summer routine commences. Christman spends about three days a week mowing. He?EUR??,,????'?????<

As temperatures rise, the irrigation system becomes more important.

Wisconsin gets rain, but drought isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

?EUR??,,????'?????<

With many more miles of lawn to mow, of course. Christman and his workers take care of the job with a pair of Ransomes mowers?EUR??,,????'?????<

A final challenge?EUR??,,????'?????<

?EUR??,,????'?????<

More information on Treasure Island: www.wisdellstreasureisland.com.


img