Adventure Park Insider Spring 2020 Issue

TRENDING # rescue_devices # waiver_advice # digital_advertising # park_spy # media_relations # and_more

Adventure Park Insider Tree Health How to recognize signs of trouble, plus simple tools and advice to help nip it in the bud.

SPRING 2020

Challenge by Choice Adventure-based counseling offers a novel perspective on aerial trekking courses.

Happy Guides, Happy Guests

Inside: Expanded New Products

INTRODUCING NEW

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The COVID-19 virus situation has evolved so quickly, it’s impossible to say where things will stand by the time you open this issue of Adventure Park Insider. As we write this we are in crisis as a country and we will be changed from it. However, one thing is certain: it will pass, and life will go on. And, the aerial adventure industry should be ready to provide the public with the best place to be following a period of isolation—the outdoors!

We’ve been covering developments online at adventureparkinsider.com. There, several experts have shared advice that can help you weather this storm and focus on business continuity. Take a look if you haven’t already.

Some things to consider, in no order of importance: MARKETING AND MESSAGING We all have to think about business continuity and about next season, which will happen. Yes, it is appropriate to continue marketing your business, but with careful thought to the right tone and message. Be honest and upfront about your situation, and be gracious. Lay off the pushy stuff, and allow your audience to support you in a way that also gives them value. This isn’t business as usual, but you’re still a business. Get creative, be human, and you’ll find a few good marketing opportunities.

FINANCES AND BUSINESS Employees’ lost wages may be the biggest impact on your business. If there is government outreach or help, it may not fully take care of your team. Be prepared and communicate what you can do for staff now.

Don’t avoid maintenance (sustaining) capital spending, because you will be open again (i.e., don’t forsake your assets). Communicate often with stakeholders and lenders so they are aware of your business’s status and cash flow.

Make lenders aware of what you need and the importance for you to have the ability to keep moving forward.

Interest rates are at an all time low, which makes a line of credit a smart place to start. Experts also recommend tapping any and all government programs, grants, etc.

STAFF AND LEADERSHIP This is a crazy time. Be forthcoming with your staff so they know how their work will be affected. Also, keep your door open for staff at all times, if it wasn’t already. Everyone has a lot of questions, and while leaders may not have all the answers, simply being a good listener is meaningful.

Once this passes, which it will, things will have changed and we’ll all need to adjust. However, our industry will thrive again because, if nothing else, the experience of fun and adventure will be even more important to everyone.

The Editors

Adventure Course Operators & Builders –

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3 Spring  2020

How to Deal With a Pandemic

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VOL. 6 | NO. 2 | SPRING 2020

CONTENTS ON THE COVER The guides at Historic Banning Mills, Ga., display the can-do spirit that will energize guests this season, once the COVID-19 pandemic passes. This issue is chock full of ideas to apply to that bright future.

Photo courtesy of Historic Banning Mills Special thanks to the Adventure Park Insider Edit Squad: Bahman Azarm, Outdoor Ventures Jamie Barrow, Vail Resorts Paul Cummings, Strategic Adventures Micah Henderson, Vertical Solutions Consulting Keith Jacobs, Experiential Systems Lee Kerfoot, Kerfoot Canopy Tour Lori Pingle, ZipZone/Adventure Development Team

3 Letter from the Editors How to Deal With a Pandemic 6 Park Briefs ACCT Conference, Growth Expectations, Alliance Collaborative, and more A Staff Report

4 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

18 Advanced Rescue Devices in Aerial Courses Equipment developed for fire rescue suits pay-to-play parks well.

By Ben Haase

What Would You Say?

Get Ready: 10 Tips for Guides

12

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38 Park Spy “Can I bring my cell phone up with me?”

By Sarah Borodaeff

59 New Products Goods and equipment to enhance the guest experience and improve operations, from a pole repair kit to the Swincar e-Spider.

By Sarah Borodaeff

Know how to respond before the press calls—or shows up on site. By Skip King

40 Your Digital Audience Identify your target first to deliver an effective message on the right platform.

By Gregg Blanchard 48 A Higher Calling An N.C. adventure-based counseling operation can teach everyone a thing or two.

By Jennifer Rowan

24 Don’t Waver with Waivers When crafted properly, waivers can be a valuable tool for adventure operations.

By Cameron N. Annas

52 K eeping Employees Happy Genuine concern for employees’ well-being can keep them smiling and productive.

By Paul Thallner

30 Bolted Connections The nuts and bolts of nuts and bolts.

By D. Mark Doman, P.E.

56 Employee Recordkeeping What to document, how to record it, how to keep it, and for how long.

By Bob Curley

EDITORIAL OFFICE P.O. Box 644 • Woodbury, CT 06798 Tel. 203.263.0888 / Fax 203.266.0452 Website: www.adventureparkinsider.com Publisher Olivia Rowan­—olivia@adventureparkinsider.com Editor Rick Kahl—rick@adventureparkinsider.com Senior Editor Dave Meeker—dave@adventureparkinsider.com Associate Editor Sarah Wojcik—sarahW@adventureparkinsider.com Digital Editor / Project Manager Sarah Borodaeff—sarah@adventureparkinsider.com Graphic Design Consultant Joerg Dressler—joerg@dressler-design.com Production Manager Donna Jacobs—donna@adventureparkinsider.com Marketing and Subscriptions Intern Zac Mercauto—zac@adventureparkinsider.com

CONTRIBUTORS Cameron Annas Scott D. Baker Katie Brinton Bob Curley Skip King

Moira McCarthy Peter Oliver Paul Thallner Morgan Tilton Dave Zook

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR Paul Cummings ADVERTISING/MARKETING OFFICE 70 Pond Street • Natick, MA 01760 Tel. 508.655.6408 / Fax 508.655.6409 Advertising Director Sharon Walsh—sharon@adventureparkinsider.com Marketing Manager Sarah Borodaeff—sarah@adventureparkinsider.com

Top strategies for newbies and veterans.

By Jennifer Rowan

62 Support Your Trees A brief guide to recognizing, preventing, and/ or mitigating human and environmental threats to your trees.

By Timothy Slape 66 DIY Tree Care Tools and tips for keeping your trees healthy.

By Katie Hogan and Katherine Taylor WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Head to adventureparkinsider.com for ongoing coverage of the impacts on the aerial adventure industry from the coronavirus, along with our article archive, State of the Industry Report, and more.

CIRCULATION / SUBSCRIPTIONS 70 Pond Street • Natick, MA 01760 Tel. 508.655.6409 / Fax 508.655.6409 subscriptions@adventureparkinsider.com Circulation Manager Sarah Borodaeff—sarah@adventureparkinsider.com A subscription to Adventure Park Insider is COMPLIMENTARY to adventure park industry professionals. Visit our website, www. adventurepark­insider.com, and click on “Subscribe” to get on our list to receive the publication and online content.

ADVENTURE PARK INSIDER — Vol. 6, No. 2, Spring 2020, is published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, by Beardsley Publishing Corp., 70 Pond Street, Natick, MA 01760-4438. Periodicals Postage pending at Framingham, MA 01701-9998. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Beardsley Publishing, P.O. Box 644, Woodbury, CT 06798.

Copyright 2020 Beardsley Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.

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PARK BRIEFS ACCT 2020: Rising Concerns & Optimism More than 1,100 members of the challenge course and adventure park industry gathered in Raleigh, N.C., for the 30th Annual Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) Conference, Feb. 5-9. The event revealed rising concerns over the state of insurance rates and the slowing growth in attendance at both traditional and recreational operations, juxtaposed against expansions and the rise of new parks and courses, with builders touting plenty of new projects.

The opening Tech Talks looked to a future in which in-

NEWS FROM AROUND THE AERIAL ADVENTURE INDUSTRY

terest in aerial adventure remains strong; experiential learning has great value and relevance; participation in ethnic communities broadens the industry and personal horizons; and mixed-reality technology enhances the aerial experience—sooner than one might imagine and in ways still being explored.

The 120-plus workshops and seminars spanned the usual range, from facilitation concepts and techniques to tree health and tips for operating adventure parks.

The trade show presented several new products, as well as the evolution of many others.

The buzz in the hall focused on the rapidly changing insurance landscape and, at least among PVMs, on the new Alliance Collaborative, which sprang into existence

just a few days before the ACCT Conference opened.

At the ACCT annual meeting, the association’s Professional Vendor Members chose three persons for the board of directors. Carson Rivers of Challenge Towers was voted back onto the board for a three-year term, and was subsequently elected chair of the board.

Keith Jacobs of Experiential Systems was also elected for a three-year term and was voted vice-chair. Billy Simpson was elected to fill a one-year term for the seat previously held by current ACCT policy director Scott Andrews.

The 2021 ACCT Conference and Expo will be held in Spokane, Wash., Jan. 26-31.•

Top Left: (L to R) John Hines, Wildwood Adventure Partners; Paul Cummings, Strategic Adventures; and API’s Sarah Borodaeff hang out at the Adventure Park Insider booth. Top Center: Attendees flocked to the exhibit hall for conversations with supplier partners like The Flybook’s Casey Dixon. Top Right: Josh Tod, left, and Erik Marter loosen up before taking the mic at the ACCT Olympics. Bottom Left: Many sessions were standing-room-only. Bottom Right: Micah Henderson, left, accepts the Critical Link Award from previous winner, Michelle Hepler.

•

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What Can Operators Do Differently To Achieve Growth?

The Adventure Park Insider State of the Industry Report launched four years ago. Since then, the visitation change year-over-year for responding operations has been relatively flat. While some operations have reported as much as a 30 percent increase in visitation, others have reported an equally significant decrease.

This is not a dire warning for the industry, though. The industry has continued to grow and, while the dramatic growth of the past 10 years has slowed, new operations continue to open, while others have reached and are maintaining numbers close to max capacity.

When we compare those visit trends to the projected

visitation, though, there is an obvious discrepancy. In all four years of this survey, operators have, on average, anticipated double-digit growth in visitation for the coming year. Operators have tempered their expectations in more recent surveys, but respondents still anticipated (prior to the arrival of the coronavirus) an average year-over-year increase of 10 percent in 2020.

To attract new and return visitors, operators continue to focus on diversifying their offerings and reaching a broader audience. Even so, recent history suggests these efforts are unlikely to produce the levels of growth many respondents expect. To achieve ambitious visitation increases, the trends would indicate the need to do something different. Operators may need to look outside the industry and/or survey guests more precisely to unlock the secrets to renewed growth.

What, exactly, will look different for each operation depends on a variety of factors. However, operators

VISITATION TRENDS Year-OverYear Change

Anticipated Growth

5%

14%

2018

-2%

13%

2019

1%

10%

2017

are encouraged to look at other similar businesses and other sectors of the industry for ideas. According to research by Phocuswright, the tours and activities sector of the travel industry is the third-largest after flights and accommodations, and was forecasted, preCOVID-19, to reach as high as $183 billion in market

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size in 2020. This would indicate that there are a lot of successful models out there to explore.

The Adventure Guild. Now, these companies aim to expand membership in a more formal way.

grow. We are just one more voice in the room to help our industry be the best it can be,” he said.

Additionally, operations are encouraged to expand post-visit surveys to include questions on how the overall experience could be improved through the addition or modification of activities or amenities, guest service, or even something more out-of-the-box.

While the primary candidates for membership are vendors, suppliers, and builders, the Alliance is open to all interested parties. The group launched a survey in early March to discover the range of services, and the different levels of membership, that industry participants would find attractive.

An example of another potential benefit: Prior to formation of the Alliance, the founding members created a means to share employees. That included crafting a list of minimum training requirements. When one company needed an extra hand (or four) on a project, those employees could be loaned by other members and either hired as part-time employees, or the work was subcontracted between two entities.

The 2020 State of the Industry Report is now available for purchase. Learn more at www.adventureparkinsider. com/state-of-the-industry-report.•

The Alliance Aims For a Revolution The Alliance Collaborative, a new nonprofit launched in February, intends to revolutionize the challenge course industry. How? By helping vendors, builders, and other members streamline business operations, develop shared resources, and leverage buying power that will bring cost savings and better efficiencies.

8 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

The Alliance grew out of an informal arrangement among Challenge Works Inc., Experiential Resources Inc., Experiential Systems Inc., Rope Works Inc., and

“Our goal is to use things like a group purchasing program, standardized documents and forms, and professional development workshops to improve operations at all of our member companies,” said Alliance general manager Bill Weaver.

A Unique Mission In its survey, the Alliance asked about the types of certifications and training that prospective members might value. That sounds vaguely overlapping with some ACCT programs, but Weaver denies that. “It will either be unique and different training, or we won’t offer it,” he said. “If there are certifications that are available that our vendors want—for heavy equipment operators, for instance—that’s where we’ll focus our energy.”

“We are very committed to seeing ACCT flourish and

Work in Progress Already, the Collaborative has put “a lot of time and energy” into developing a resource library, with access to templates and documents for inhouse inspections, vendor inspection reports, and contracts, Weaver said.

That process is ongoing.

Another aim of the survey was to clarify membership levels and the dues structure. Once the package of benefits is settled, and the survey suggests the level of interest in different types of memberships, the group will set prices for dues.

Visit www.thealliancecollaborative.com for more info. • >> continued

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Operation Accreditation Appears Imminent...Again Operation accreditation, which has been in development for several years now, is oh-so-close to becoming a reality. At press time, it was undergoing a final legal review before receiving a final look from the ACCT board of directors. ACCT executive director Shawn Tierney hoped it would be possible to launch the program on or about May 1, coronavirus permitting.

“We have a landing page on the website and lots of documents prepared already. There’s good support for the program, and we have a lot of the details ironed out,” Tierney said.

At the same time, he noted that five or six operators have expressed interest in applying for the program, and predicted that there could be as many as 15 to 20 who apply for the program. It’s possible that “a handful” of those will gain accreditation this year.

10 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

“Hopefully, we can double that number of applications in year two,” he added. “It will come down to cost, in the end.” •

Standards Harmonization Continues At the ACCT Conference in Raleigh, N.C., in early February, one of the Pre-Conference seminars focused on explaining ASTM and its F24 Committee, including the F2959 Task Group that develops standards for aerial adventures. A good portion of that session was spent on explaining the “standards harmonization process,” which ACCT, ASTM, and PRCA launched more than a year ago.

Session co-leader Jeff Borba of Precisioneering, who has played a prominent role in the F2959 Task Group, noted that “lots of folks are curious about the harmonization process,” and observed, “Several suppliers are here to understand how it will affect them going forward.”

Co-presenter Jamie Barrow, director of operations training and risk management for Vail Resorts’ summer programs and also a member of the F2959 Task Group, noted that the harmonization group first looked for instances of different requirements within the standards.

There are just five such differences between the ACCT and ASTM standards, and most are relatively minor.

The second goal was to pinpoint areas “not addressed

in the other standard,” Barrow said. He acknowledged that such instances will not necessarily be added to one or the other standard, as some stem from philosophical differences between the standards. He summarized those philosophical differences by saying, “ASTM is about removing or eliminating risk; ACCT is about controlling risk.”

In addition, Barrow noted that the ACCT standard is narrower and more specific in some instances, such as ride analysis, since it was developed specifically for aerial adventures, and not developed from ASTM’s broader F24 Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices. “There are advantages and disadvantages to each,” he said.

“But we agree we can work together and make each one better,” he noted. ASTM now asks ACCT to review proposed changes to the ASTM F2959 standards, and ACCT asks the same of ASTM for its ANSI/ACCT 03-2019 standards. The two organizations are gaining representation on one another’s review boards.

“In the end, you have to find the right balance of risk and mitigation,” he concluded. —Rick Kahl

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MEDIA RELATIONS

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? After a serious incident, the media will want answers—and you need to be prepared.

BY SKIP KING OK, so you’ve had a serious incident.

Local media wants to talk. Maybe they called. Maybe they just showed up, cameras ready. What to do?

Here’s what you SHOULDN’T do: go into that situation unprepared. If you don’t already know what the press is going to ask—and why—and if you don’t already know how they’re likely to play the story—and why—you’ve already got two strikes against you. Try to avoid swinging at junk.

Here’s the truth: Reporters don’t care about the wonderful things you do.

They don’t care about your investment.

They don’t care about the kids—those wonderful kids—that you teach to love and embrace challenge in the outdoors.

They don’t care about the jobs.

The Battle for Eyeballs

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Well, that last part is only partly correct.

They do care about jobs—their own jobs, and the jobs of their friends and colleagues back in the newsroom. Fact is, much of the news media, especially local, is struggling these days. So, every ear or eyeball a media outlet can garner, be it in print, online, or broadcast, is incredibly valuable.

Here’s a frightening stat for you: Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on Facebook, and more than half of those folks use Facebook as a news source.

This is why every news item you read online has links to share that news to Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms.

Desperate for eyeballs, conventional

media outlets now use social media platforms as a distribution tool, in hopes that you’ll share and click through stories shared by “friends.”

The goal is to generate more views and clicks on their content. The outlet may get only a fraction of a penny for each click, but considering that many newsrooms are less than half the size they were a generation ago, those fractions become pretty important.

So what makes people want to click through? Punchy headlines. Sensational tales that tug on heartstrings. People are simply more likely to click on stories that either play to base instincts or support existing biases.

Challenge course incidents can trip both triggers. Stories of serious injuries—regardless of source—often play to base instincts, and many people think that screaming down a zip line is just plain nuts to start with.

If It Bleeds, It Leads The decades-old news media mantra—“if it bleeds, it leads”—is simple to understand: Bad news is of greater interest to the masses than good news, so the first story on a newscast or on the front page of a newspaper is almost always about something tragic, violent, destructive, etc.

Sad to say, when we learn of people getting hurt doing something that we personally think is stupid, it can reinforce our own sense of superiority.

Need evidence? Look no further than the number of views the countless “fail” videos on YouTube garner. As a species,

we humans may have replaced public executions and gladiatorial combat with horror flicks and the NFL. One could argue the latter are more civilized, but they prove that humans maintain a taste for the tawdry.

So, understand this: When the media shows up to cover a serious incident, their goal is to make that story as appealing as possible, to as big an audience as possible. Odds are good that you’re not going to be pleased with the result, even if you handle it flawlessly.

It’s when you don’t handle it flawlessly that things can get really ugly—and, potentially, expensive. If you say the wrong thing, or don’t say the right thing, you can come off as callous, cold, uncaring, and even negligent, even if you did everything else right.

The Key is Preparation Successfully managing interviews—especially difficult ones—is really a matter of preparation. You want to walk into an interview knowing: 1. what you’re going to be asked 2. how you’re going to answer 3. what you HAVE to say 4. how you want to be quoted 5. how long the interview is going to last 6. what questions you can reasonably punt.

The last two are actually fairly straightforward. YOU determine how long you can make yourself available to the reporter. It’s called “setting the clock.” I always recommend setting at no more than five minutes to start. In a breaking

MEDIA RELATIONS news event, you probably won’t have much more than five minutes’ worth of information anyway. If you like the way things are going, though, you can always give reporters a little more time. But if you set the clock too long and don’t like the tone of things, it’s tough to back out.

As for questions you can decline: Saying “no comment” in response is always interpreted by reporters (and their audiences) as an admission of guilt. But if you set some ground rules—I call them “Cans and Can’ts”—prior to answering the first question, you can actually remove a fair number of questions from the table before they’re asked.

caused this to happen. We want to know the answer as much as you do, but we won’t know until the engineering analysis is complete. That’ll likely take a while, and I’m not going to speculate.”

Similarly, you are under no obligation to discuss specific employees and their actions. Just as smart organizations are circumspect about offering references to other potential employers, it’s generally best to limit discussion of employees to their tenure and not get into any subjective information about their performance.

There’s a lot more to this concept, but that’s the idea. Just remember this: if you take any lines of questions off the table, you must have a solid reason for doing so—one that passes the straightface test.

Here’s an example: Say that your incident involved an equipment failure. Realistically, it can take days—even weeks or months—for Must-Air Points reasonable forensic analysis on that piece of gear to produce concrete Now, let’s return to those first four results. It is NOT unreasonable to tell preparation keys. a reporter, “I’ll tell you what I can, but I API 2020 SPRING_HCH.pdf 3/18/2020 10:25:05 AMWhen I media-train people, it’s an eightcan’t answer any questions 1about what

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CMY

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hour process at minimum. Much of that time is focused on items 1-4 in the preparation list. Learning to anticipate questions helps you craft good, tight, straightforward answers that don’t open the door to bad follow-ups. It helps us to avoid being surprised—and it’s when we’re surprised that we’re most likely to have something damaging tumble from our lips. If we do a good job of anticipating questions, we can prepare good answers even for the questions we’d rather not be asked.

Say what you want to say. There are also certain things we want to make sure the reporter hears—stuff that we want in the story. They’re called “MustAir Points,” because they’re the things we want to make sure make it through the edit. In a bad news situation, we always designate one of these Must Airs (three is the target, four at most) as an expression of concern and compassion. Generally, an expression of your commitment to the well-being of your guests is a second Must Air. The challenge is that those are both

MEDIA RELATIONS

misTAKES made by the spokesperson.

heavily prone to cliché. For example, nobody will believe, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.” Nor will they be moved if you say, “Safety is our top priority.” Be genuine and avoid canned expressions.

Many spokespeople—especially untrained ones—walk into interviews essentially ready to wing it, reeling out answers and hoping they’ll be quoted in a way that they like.

Notice that these are Must-Air Points as opposed to so-called “talking points.”

Many people enter interviews with talking points, but in breaking news situations talking points are a fool’s errand—and a waste of time. Talking points are things you’d like to get in if you can. In a bad news situation, you likely can’t. Talking points are optional.

Must-Air Points are essential.

Plan to Be Quotable Which brings us to the quotes—and, specifically, misquotes. Having been involved in this line of work for 30 years now, I can tell you this: misquotes (and selective editing to take things out of context) do occasionally happen, but the truth is that most misquotes are actually

But what the spokesperson likes and what the reporter needs are often two different things. Understand this: if you rattle on in response to a question, you increase the odds that something attention-grabbing will fall out of your mouth. It may be colorful and interesting from the reporter’s point of view, but it doesn’t help you. It might even hurt you.

Plan what you say. You want your quote to be colorful and interesting and in support of your goals for the interview.

This is why planning how we want to be quoted is so important. It’s something of an art, and it’s an involved piece of media training. At the very least, rehearse your statement(s) until your words flow smoothly. Ask others to critique you.

There’s Training for That Our industry understands the value of training staff to ensure the safety and enjoyment of our guests, which ultimately leads to business success.

One incident could derail that success if it isn’t handled properly with the media, though, so you might want to add media training to your training budget.

Plan to do this training for more than one person, so you have backup if your regular spokesperson is out in the woods somewhere. Incidents tend not to respect vacation or work schedules.

If you understand how reporters actually work and why they ask what they do, you can learn to anticipate their questions and be ready for them. The process succeeds just as well with goodnews stories as with bad ones, so you’ll likely get a better result the next time a reporter calls you to ask about the fun stuff you offer.

Contact Skip King at sking@reputationstrategies.com, (207) 318-7067.

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RESCUE

ADVANCED RESCUE DEVICES IN AERIAL COURSES The newest devices for removing participants from a zip line or aerial course can simplify, smooth, and speed the process.

BY BEN HAASE, ROPES PARK EQUIPMENT

After finishing a difficult course on a sunny day last summer, I glanced up and saw someone being “rescued” from an element about 30 feet high. Having worked with almost all types of rescue gear, I was curious to observe the rescuer. It was not pretty: He fumbled with his lifter and descender, took way too much time, and after all that, lowered the participant in erratic spurts to the ground.

As the popularity of aerial courses, especially pay-to-play venues, has grown over the past few years, so have the options for rescue gear. From manual systems that combine several traditional devices in a prepackaged unit to sophisticated—but simple—mechanical devices with controlled descent capabilities, options abound.

devices covered can be used for both, and rescue is the more inclusive term.

The latest rescue devices to be introduced to our industry have been used for many years in the fire rescue industry. They were developed for use in high-rise buildings, where they are housed in one of those small closets with a “break glass in the event of a fire” sign. The devices are designed to be simple to operate, and the operating instructions aim to minimize human error. Now, these mechanical rescue devices are being used in all types of aerial adventure operations.

To understand the rescue systems that are available in our industry at large, let’s examine what is out there.

CUT-AWAY TECHNIQUE

18 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

All of these systems require somewhat similar techniques, but the mechanical devices, because of their simplicity and inherently increased safety, are much better suited to aerial adventure courses.

Whether on an experiential or a recreational course, participants who need to be lowered safely to the ground generally need an “assist” rather than a “rescue.” Most people who require assistance are still mobile, conscious, and not in a life-threatening scenario.

Even so, in this article we will use the term “rescue,” since the techniques and

This is a traditional rescue method that

requires the use of a cutting implement to disconnect an individual that has fallen and weighted their belay lanyard.

This method is often used when no lifting mechanism is on hand to unweight the individual.

How it works. Once a rescuer connects the individual to the rope of a secured non-motorized descender, such as a Petzl I’D, and as the rescue belay lanyard is pulled tight and under stress, the original lanyard must be cut before the person can be lowered to the ground.

There’s always a risk of making a mistake while performing a cut-away, and the pressure to not make a potentially fatal mistake can lead to making a mistake. The mere fact that a sharp cutting implement is being used near loaded lines, where an inadvertent cut could allow someone to fall, is in itself a problem. Because of its safety concerns,

Options abound for descent systems. Left to Right: The Petzl JAG Pulley System; the Petzl Spatha Knife for cut-aways; The Kong KES 1 advanced mechanical descender; The MARK Elephant Hub advanced mechanical descender with wheel.

RESCUE every effort should be made to eliminate the use of this technique in an aerial course.

PULLEY SYSTEMS These are often a combination of haul and lowering devices, sometimes integrated and at other times two separate pieces of equipment that must be used together as a rescue device. A Petzl JAG Rescue Kit, for example, combines ropes and pulleys to create a 4:1 lifting advantage, attached to an I’D descender.

How it works. The pulley system, with its mechanical advantage, is used to lift (haul) the person to unweight and disconnect his or her lanyard from the original belay line, and the rescuer uses the lowering device (descender) to manually lower the person to the ground.

These systems are widely used in the adventure world, but they require fitness and strength—lifting a person is not an easy task, even with a 4:1

mechanical advantage. Some pulley systems are built to provide a 6:1 advantage, but even that requires a fair amount of strength to lift someone.

Additionally, since the rescuer manually controls the lowering device, the lowering speed can be erratic and may exceed the 2 m/sec maximum allowed per EN standards. Mastering these systems not only requires a thorough initial training, but the method needs regular practice so no mistakes are made when an actual rescue is needed. Also, most “kits” are not designed to be used with shorter lanyards, such as those used on zip lines that require hand braking. In such situations, use of a separate, smaller pulley-system with a separate descender would be needed for a smooth and efficient rescue.

ADVANCED MECHANICAL RESCUE DEVICES Originating out of the fire rescue industry, pre-manufactured mechanical devices such as the Mark Elephant Hub combine an integrated mechan-

ical advantage with controlled speed descending to greatly simplify rescue techniques. These integrated systems make it easier to quickly lift and lower those in need, and with much less risk than other devices or methods. Their all-in-one simplicity makes them easy to learn to use and greatly reduces the chances of human error.

The one disadvantage to these devices?

They’re heavier than other systems, weighing as much as 10 pounds, depending on the length of rope on the unit.

How it works. Once attached properly, one end of the device is connected to the primary lifeline (i.e., the zip cable or the lifeline of an aerial course) and the other to the clip-in point of the harness of the person needing rescue. The rescuer can then haul the person using the integrated wheel on the device, disconnect the person’s original belay from the lifeline, and then lower the person to the ground, almost handsfree. The unit’s internal braking system lowers the person at a controlled speed

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RESCUE of about 0.8 m/sec., approximately the same speed as standard auto-belay devices such as the TruBlue or Perfect Descent.

These units have several other advantages: • They can be used in a sideways fashion by tilting and connecting an integrated hook on the lifeline. This allows the unit to function very close to the lifeline, to accommodate short zip line lanyards.

• They are rated for two people, so the device can be inverted and used for tandem rescues. The end that would normally be attached to the person being rescued is now attached to lifeline, and the unit attached to the rescuer.

This allows the rescuer to use the wheel to lower him/herself to the participant, connect the participant to the unit, and the two descend safely to the ground.

22 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

• They can be used to quickly evacuate participants from platforms on a course in a weather emergency. Since the

rope can travel at a controlled speed through the device in both directions, rope on either/both sides can be used for lowering, in a yo-yo fashion.

• The integrated wheel can turn the Advanced mechanical rescue devices equipped with a unit into a lift, and wheel are easy to use, so they require less training. Phoallow a course to to courtesy of Aerial Adventure Academy. be easily accessible by someone confidence that the rescuer emits, feel needing climbing assistance. Some assured that they are in good hands, units even have an attachment nut with an establishment that trains and within their handle for attaching a cordequips its staff well. And personally, I less drill, making the wheel turn faster feel good that the new devices can help and making lifting easier. decrease mistakes that lead to accidents. That’s something we should all If the rescuer I described in the befeel good about. ginning of this article had used an advanced rescue device, the rescue Regardless of the equipment used, would have gone more quickly and though, all rescue methods entail risk. smoothly—and not just for the rescuer.

It’s important to train well and adhere Participants, when they see a mechanto all relevant precautions for whatever ical device being used and feel the system or systems you use.

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RISK MANAGEMENT

DON’T WAVER WITH WAIVERS Six questions (and answers) to help ensure your waivers are as useful and precise as possible.

BY CAMERON N. ANNAS, GRANITE INSURANCE “Waivers aren’t worth the paper they’re written on!” We have all heard someone say this. Are they correct? Are waivers useless? The answer is no. In fact, a waiver is a very useful and valid legal document—IF it is created and used properly.

Unfortunately, many operators get their waivers online and simply put their company’s name on the document. In this case, the waivers probably are useless. To be effective, each waiver must be carefully designed for your company, its operations, and the state(s) you are operating in.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common waiver questions that are asked, and the important principles behind each question.

1. ARE THERE ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES TO DIGITAL WAIVERS OVER PRINT?

24 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

We often get the question, “Will our insurance company allow us to transition to digital waivers?” Yes! In fact, your insurance company would prefer that you switch to digital waivers. They have the following risk management advantages over paper waivers: Retention: Digital waivers are easier to retain for the time period required in your state. Since they’re stored electronically in the cloud, they are also not subject to being lost or destroyed by fire, flood, etc.

Validity: Digital waivers can be traced back to the computer and IP address where they were signed. If you have

cameras in your check-in area, the time the waiver was signed plus video footage can verify it was the participant specifically who signed the waiver.

• Is the waiver in violation of any state laws?

Languages: Waiver systems can translate the text to appear in multiple languages. This is important because not all of your guests speak English, nor should they be expected to comprehend a waiver in English. This is a legal argument waiting to happen.

• Does the waiver properly notify the participant of the risks that are assumed in these types of activities?

Font size: Waiver systems allow the participant to increase the font size as needed. We cannot expect everyone to have good enough eyesight to read the tiny font on some of the printed waivers.

2. DO WAIVERS HOLD UP IN COURT? If the waiver is valid and the injury happened due to an “assumed risk,” the liability waiver should protect your organization. Of course, a whole article could be written on whether a liability waiver is enforceable or not, but let’s focus on the main issues regarding three (3) key areas: Is the waiver valid?

• Was it signed by the actual participant referenced in the waiver?

• If for a minor, was it signed by his or her parent or legal guardian? (Not just someone watching the kid for the day, or even his or her grandma.)

What risks are assumed?

• Are the risks reasonable to the activity? For example, a tower collapsing is not a reasonable risk to assume.

However, a bug bite or trolley pinching your fingers is.

What are the state/jurisdiction requirements?

• States are very different in what they require for a liability waiver (or assumption of risk) document to be enforceable, so it’s absolutely critical to work with an attorney who knows the

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Not Enforceable Strict Standards Apply Moderate Standards Lenient Standards Insufficient Information to Classify

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recreational and amusement law within your state. It’s worth the money.

3. CAN YOU USE WAIVERS TO COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR GUESTS? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES? Yes, you can use waivers to collect demographic information, but you have a duty of care to protect this information. Medical information should never be collected on a waiver, as you would then be subject to protecting that information under HIPAA rules and guidelines.

For contact information, everything is fair game. However, you are now collecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII), which requires an extra degree of protection, plus notification requirements if a security breach were to occur. Data breaches are very com-

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mon, and cost an average of $40 per possible data-record breached in notification costs (notification is required by federal law). Note: If you keep personal information, you should look into cyber liability insurance.

4. HOW LONG ARE WAIVERS VALID FOR? If your waiver does not specifically state the time period for which it is applicable, this ambiguity can hurt you in court. For example, in a court case involving a minor who was injured on his second visit to a trampoline park, it was ruled that the waiver signed by his mother on the first visit did not apply to the incident, since the waiver did not state the time period for which it was applicable.

It is highly recommended that a waiver be signed each time someone visits your facility. This eliminates a lot of potential errors: losing the first waiver, the expiration of the time period, changes to your “assumption of risk” list due to activities changing, etc.

5. SHOULD YOU RECORD A GUEST’S WEIGHT ON THEIR WAIVER? If you didn’t post your adventures on Instagram, did they even happen? The same is true for guests and their weight.

If you are not documenting their weight somewhere, from a legal perspective, it can be assumed you never weighed them. Documentation is key. What better place to store this information than on their waiver? Of course, digital waivers are a huge advantage here, because this sensitive information is protected in a more secure environment.

6. CAN YOU USE A WAIVER FOR A GUEST WHO WANTS TO OPT IN OR OPT OUT OF A COMPANY POLICY, SUCH AS THE REQUIREMENT FOR CLOSED-TOED SHOES OR HELMETS? Waivers are a great place to do this, but make sure it is in a separate section— and even has its own initial and signature requirements. The legal aspect of this document should not be confused with the participant requirements.

Keeping these in two different sections

will reduce the “legal argument” that the participant thought they were agreeing to something else (i.e., only the foregoing of helmets instead of the waiver section).

When addressing such things as helmets, closed-toed shoes, etc., make sure it is clear that you strongly advise the participants that they SHOULD use these things, but they do have the option to forego, and they also acknowledge that this increases the chance of injury and/or death. The statement about the increased risk of injury or death should have at least an initial section beside it so guests can acknowledge that statement fully.

Risk management is a topic you should discuss with your insurance adviser and attorney on a regular basis. Don’t let this slide and cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars due to a simple mistake.

Cameron Annas is the Adventure & Entertainment National Practice Leader for Granite Insurance.

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28 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

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BOLTED CONNECTIONS The all-important nuts and bolts of nuts and bolts— and how to use them properly.

BY D. MARK DOMAN, P.E., DOMAN ENGINEERING There are bolted connections throughout many aerial adventure operations, and it’s important to understand the mechanics involved.

Tightening a bolt too much or too little—that is, applying too much or too little torque—significantly affects how well the bolt will do its job, and for how long it will do it.

Nuts and bolts can be manufactured and specified to various standards and measures: metric (made to the ISO 898-1 standard) and ASTM structural fasteners, for example. This discussion focuses on SAE J429 fasteners, i.e., the

familiar Grade 2, 5 and 8 fasteners, measured in inches, but the principles are the same for all.

Figure 1: Basic bolted joint with fastener in tension.

Bolted Connections, Clamping Force and Friction

Torqueing a nut stretches a bolt, creating a clamping force so that friction can hold a bolted joint together. The bolt acts like a very stiff spring. Friction, created by the clamping force that results from tightening a nut on a bolt, holds the joint together. The thread on a nut and a bolt is an inclined plane, so rotating the nut moves the nut up the plane. That stretches the bolt and

creates the clamping force. This also increases the friction between the parts being connected, and that friction holds the parts together.

Torque

Torque is a measure of the effort it takes to twist something, like a nut or bolt or bottlecap. Numerically, it is the product of a force and the distance

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MAINTENANCE (moment arm) it acts through to create the twist (see Figure 2, below). For a given force, the longer the moment arm, the greater the torque.

Foot-pounds (ft-lb) are the commonly-used units to measure torque, but inch-pounds (in-lb) and newton-meters (Nm) are also used. Converting from one to another is only a matter of multiplying by conversion factors.

Consider these examples: • A one hundred pound force (100 lb.)

acting to twist a nut from the end of a one foot (1 ft.) wrench applies a torque of one hundred foot-pounds: 100 lb. x 1 ft. = 100 ft-lb.

• Thirty-six pounds applied to a nut with a four-inch-long wrench produces a torque of 144 inch-pounds (36 lb. x 4 in. = 144 in-lb). To convert this figure to ftlb, divide the inches by 12. This can be expressed as 36 lb. x 4/12 ft. = 12 ft-lb.

Steel Bolts

Steel has an elastic range in which it acts like a spring. In this range, the steel returns to its original shape when a load is removed. The more a bolt is stretched, the harder it pulls back to return to its original length. This spring action is what holds connected parts together.

For steel in general, this spring action is described with a stress-strain diagram (Figure 3, next page). The essential points are these:

Figure 2: Torque and clamping force (ex. Smartbolts).

Strain (stretch). The horizontal axis is a measure of stretch. It is the elongation divided by the original length.

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Stress (load). The vertical axis is stress, which is a measure of load. Its units are pounds per square inch (psi), like pressure.

Tensile stress. For a bolt in tension, its tensile stress is the load (pounds) divided by its cross-sectional area (square inches, or sq in).

Yield Point. In the elastic range—the range where the bolt acts like a spring— we can stretch a bolt by turning the nut or by pulling apart a joint. The upper limit of a bolt’s elastic range is the yield point—Point 2. If we exceed the yield point, the bolt will be permanently stretched. This is why it’s very important to follow the torque recommendations of suppliers and manufacturers.

Stress Area. This is the area at the root of the threads. For the ¼-20 Grade 5 fastener, the stress area is 0.032 sq in.

Proof Load. This is the load that we can safely put on the bolt without exceeding its yield point. The proof load is set by the manufacturer, and is typically 85-95

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MAINTENANCE percent of the yield point. For example, for a ¼-20 SAE Grade 5 bolt, or any grade 5 bolt, the minimum proof stress is 85,000 psi.

The proof load for this fastener is the proof stress (85,000 psi) multiplied by the stress area (0.032 sq in), from which we get the tabulated value of 2,700 lb.

Ultimate Tensile Strength. If we exceed the yield point of the bolt—by overtightening its nut, or by putting too much load on the joint—we pass the “kink” in the stress-strain graph, Point 2 of Figure 3. Beyond this point, as we tighten a nut, far less force (torque on the wrench) is required than in the elastic range. This is what we feel when we overtighten a nut and suddenly, it takes far less effort to turn it than it did moments earlier. This new range, between points 2 and 3 in Figure 3, is the “plastic range” of the stress-strain graph. In this range, the bolt is permanently deformed, and breakage is usually next.

Figure 3: Stress-Strain Diagram. As steel bolts stretch, they act like a spring to hold connected parts together. The spring action increases up to the yield point.

This is the bolt’s elastic range (between points 1 and 2). Beyond that load, the bolt becomes permanently stretched, and can begin to weaken. Beyond a certain point, the bolt can fracture (point 4). This is the bolt’s plastic range.

The maximum strength of a material is called its Ultimate Tensile Strength, Point 3 in the stress-strain graph, Figure 3. Beyond this point, the load-carrying ability of the material falls off until it ultimately fails at Point 4.

This helps explain the recommendation against reusing bolts. It is possible that

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the elastic limit of the bolt has been exceeded and the bolt has been weakened, even though it has not yet failed.

Torque Specs and K-Factors

The more a nut is tightened, the more the bolt is stretched. That increases the clamping force and the friction in the joint, reducing the tendency for the

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friction in the threads and between the faces and the bearing surfaces.

joint to loosen—until the bolt stretches beyond its elastic range and clamping force is lost.

So, how much tightening is best? A good compromise is 75 percent of the bolt’s proof load. To determine when that load is achieved, we most often use a torque wrench. But that’s not the end of the story, because the clamping force for a given torque depends on the

We generally use torque wrenches to ensure that a joint is tight, but not too tight. The Torque Requirement is usually estimated with the following formula:

T=kdF Torque (T) is the product of clamp load (F), the diameter of the bolt (d) and a “k-factor” (k).

The clamp load (F)—generally used to keep the joint tight, but not over-stress the bolt—is 75 percent of the bolt’s proof load, which is 65 to 70 percent of its yield strength.

The k-factor is an experimentally derived “nut-factor” that accounts for the torque that is lost due to friction between the nut and the bolt, and the nut face and the surface being clamped. In fact, barely 10 percent of the torque on a nut goes to creating clamping force.

A nut factor of k = 0.2 is commonly used, but the Fastenal Bolted Joint Design paper gives a summary of values for a number of bolt conditions:

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K Factors “Bolted Joint Design” Fastenal Bolt Condition

k

Non-plated, black finish (dry)

0.25

Zinc-plated

0.20

Lubricated

0.14

Cadmium-plated

0.13

Here is how a recommended torque could be calculated for our ¼-20 Grade 5 bolt: T=kdF k = 0.15 (a commonly used value

for lubricated fasteners) d = ¼ in (0.25 in) F = 75% of 2700 lb (the proof load

of this fastener) T = 0.15 · 0.25 in · 0.75 · 2700 lb

= 76 in lb …or, because there

are 12 inches in a foot: T = 6.3 ft lb …which is commonly

found in torque specifications

for this fastener.

For reliable clamping forces, it is generally wise to lubricate fasteners before setting their torques.

Platfo

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Mark Doman is a professional engineer with Doman Engineering, a consulting engineering company he established after stints with the State of Michigan, roller coaster manufacturer Arrow Dynamics, and snowmaker SMI.

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PARK SPY THE QUESTION: I want to take some pictures when I come there.

Can I bring my cell phone out with me?

Pics or it didn’t happen. We called parks across the country to see if they’re OK with guests having mobile devices with them while participating in the activity. In our social-media-centric society, guests immortalizing the experience through photos and sharing them afterward is ubiquitous. It can also be a distraction, and there’s risk of devices getting damaged or lost.

We present seven of the spy missions here. Check out all the Park Spy missions online at www.adventureparkinsider.com and use them as training tools with your team! Have a question our Park Spy should ask? Send your question to Sarah Borodaeff (sarah@adventureparkinsider.com) and if we use it, you’re immune for that issue!

38 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

PARK #1, FL First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Yeah, absolutely. You’re welcome to bring whatever you want up there, but it’s at your own risk.

We actually do take still photos while you’re up there, like the guides will take the photos. Those are available for viewing and purchase at the end of the tour.

API: So I can bring my cell phone with me on the course?

Staff: Like I said, you’re allowed to bring whatever you want, but it’s at your own risk.

API: OK, and like, how would you recommend carrying it along with me if I wanted to do that?

Staff: I don’t recommend carrying it along with you at all. (chuckles) API: OK. Staff: Like I said, we do take photos while you’re up there, and we do have GoPros available for rent, if you’re looking for video.

API: OK. How much are those for rent?

Staff: The GoPros are $25 plus tax.

API: Gotcha. Thank you very much.

Staff: It’s a lot cheaper than replacing a phone. (chuckles again) API: Yup. Thanks again.

Staff: You’re welcome. Bye. Score: 5 Comment: Whatever I want? I doubt it. But good job upselling and trying to get me not to bring my phone. The condescending chuckles weren’t necessary, though.

PARK #2, HI First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Yeah. It’s all at your own risk. But people take them up all the time. We also sell phone lanyards for $10.

API: OK. So, the phone lanyard would probably be the best to carry it, I would assume?

Staff: Yeah, most secure for sure. But if you have, like, a fanny pack or zip pockets, that’s good, too.

API: OK, thank you very much.

Staff: You’re welcome! Bye. API: Yup. Bye. Score: 8 Comment: Fair warning that the risk is on me, and offered a solution/upsell that may reduce the risk. Nice work.

PARK #3, MO Answering phone: Automated machine. Chose reservations.

First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Um, we usually don’t allow people to take phones or cameras on the course with them, but our guides do take pictures of you the entire time while you’re on the course. Just because if you lose that stuff, we won’t be able to get it back for you.

API: Gotcha. So, it sounds like the best option is to probably have a guide take photos of me with their

camera out there?

Staff: The guides take cameras with them and take pictures of you guys. Every single tour they take pictures, then at the end of the tour they are shown in the gift shop and available for purchase.

API: OK, thank you very much.

Staff: Yeah. No problem.

Score: 5 Comment: “We usually don’t” doesn’t sound like a clear policy. Either you do allow it at the guest’s risk, or you don’t.

PARK #4, WI Answering phone: Automated machine. Chose operator.

First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Uh, yeah. So, we actually offer a photo package, but you’re just interested in getting your own?

API: I was just checking to see what the options were and if I could bring my phone for photos.

Staff: Oh, yeah. You’re absolutely free to do that. I just recommend being very careful with that because we don’t want you dropping your phone when you’re high up or anything. You’re absolutely welcome to take your own photos.

API: OK, and how would you recommend I carry it exactly?

Staff: So, if you’re on a platform or something when you’re not moving around, that would be an easier time to get photos of the zip or what your view is. I

Score: 7 Comment: Pretty well handled. Wish she would have provided a bit more info on the photo package, though.

PARK #5, TX Answering phone: Automated machine. Chose customer service.

First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Yeah, absolutely. It’s just at your own risk. So, make sure you bring something to hold it in or carry in while you’re out there.

API: OK, excellent. Thank you very much.

Staff: No problem. Have a nice day.

Score: 6 Comment: Could she have offered more advice or upsold something? Sure. But she politely answered my question, and that’s good enough.

PARK #6, VT First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: When are you going to go out on the tour? Are you booked already?

API: My family is planning to go. I’m kind of looking online, doing some preliminary research.

Staff: OK, are you planning on going this week? What are you thinking and how many people are in your party?

API: I was just wondering if I could bring my cell phone on the course to take photos?

Staff: I’m not answering your question, and I understand that. What I need to ask you is when are you thinking of coming? Are you thinking of coming this weekend, coming tomorrow, what do you have in mind? Then I will talk to you about photos and all that good stuff. Is that OK?

API: I’m not sure. We’re coming at the beginning of summer but I don’t know the date.

Staff: OK. So, basically, you can take your cell phone out with you, alright? We do not suggest it. The reason we do not suggest it is because, especially in the summer, things get pushed out of your pockets, OK, and, um, they tend to, uh, get lost. Umm, people do take their cell phones out, our guides do take their cell phones out, but what you need to understand is that we are not going to be able to stop and get your cell phone if it gets into trouble. OK? API: OK. Staff: So, that’s why we don’t suggest you bring it, but you’re welcome to if you want to, alright? Um, zip pocket cargo pants are a possibility.

API: Got it.

Staff: OK? Umm. It needs to be in a pocket. When you’re sitting in that harness, OK, you’re sitting and zipping. When you’re sitting, things tend to get pushed out of your pocket. How many times have you pulled a phone out of your pocket when you sat on the couch?

How many times have you pulled a wallet out of your pocket when you sat in a car? You know? How many times have you lost it in the seat? You know? That’s kind of the way it is. If that makes sense to you.

API: Sure, I think it does.

Staff: Yeah. So, the guides take pictures. Ummm, is it pictures you want to take? Is that what you’re getting at there?

API: Yes. I’m seeing if it’s OK to bring my cell phone so I can take photos during the adventure.

Staff: You cannot take photos while you’re zipping.

OK? You cannot do that.

API: Roger that.

Staff: Because of our braking system. You can take pictures from the platforms while you’re standing still.

Um, you can take pictures from being on the platforms looking down once you’re clipped in, but as far as being able to take photos while you’re zipping, the only way you can do that is if you have a GoPro that you can borrow from somebody. We do have helmets that, um, have the bracket on the helmet. You could easily snap the GoPro in there. All you have to make sure of is that you have the clip to clip it in.

API: OK. Thank you.

Staff: You’re welcome!

You have a great day.

Score: 1 Comment: Combative and condescending throughout. How about you answer my question and THEN try to get me to book?

This kind of pushy approach makes people want to hang up—and many would have— but the spy gave her the chance to recover, which she didn’t.

PARK #7, OR First contact: Female.

API: Stated question.

Staff: Absolutely. We do zip over water so a good secure pocket, maybe a zip-up pocket is best. There are even zip lines that are tensioned tighter so there is not a lot of bounce to record while you’re zipping. If you’re confident holding your phone, that is completely fine.

API: How would you guys recommend carrying my phone along with me?

Staff: You know those waterproof phone casings that you can put around your neck? Those are really handy because you can just lift it up and record while it’s secure on your neck. Then, if it does fall it is waterproof.

We sell those here, and they are only like $5 or $10.

Just a zipper pocket can work and when you stop you can take pictures. We have a backpack we carry with us, and you can plop it in there if you want it for when we are stopped and don’t want to carry it while you zip.

API: That’s excellent. Thank you very much.

Staff: Yeah. You’re welcome. Have a good day!

API: You, too. Bye. Score: 10 Comment: This is how it’s done. She was friendly, answered the questions, and provided options, including an upsell to a phone case for easy carrying.

Identity revealed: High Life Adventures

Debrief: A picture is worth a thousand words, so staff should be prepared to provide guests with easy options for capturing their experience, either through photo services or by making it easy for them to take their own photos.

Allowing mobile devices on-course helps ease the guest experience, as long as it’s clear that it’s the guest’s responsibility if something happens to the device. If it’s a hard no, that’s OK, too. Just be prepared to explain why, and have other options for guests to memorialize their experience through photo systems or the like. After all, you want guests to be able to bring digital photos home so they can share them on social media.

Remember: The experience doesn’t end when guests take off their harnesses. Make sure that your customer service staff are ready to answer questions about how guests can relive the experience after they get home.

WAIT, THERE’S MORE! We present seven spy missions here.

Check out all eight missions at adventureparkinsider.com.

39 Spring 2020

would just be very careful taking it out of your pocket or putting it back in. Like I said, I don’t want you dropping anything, especially a cell phone.

API: OK. Staff: When you’re going down the line, though, that’s probably not going to work well. You’re moving and you don’t want to be dropping that. If you have a GoPro or anything like that, we do have GoPro mounts on our helmets. If you had one of those you could get some cool footage with that.

API: What about your photo packages?

Staff: We have a photo system, so you can purchase photos and videos after the tour.

API: OK. Again, thank you very much.

Staff: Yeah, have a nice day!

MARKETING PART I OF III: DIGITAL ADVERTISING

YOUR DIGITAL AUDIENCE Where and how should you spend your marketing dollars?

BY GREGG BLANCHARD, INNTOPIA Digital marketing is always changing.

Less than a decade ago, brand Facebook pages—now ubiquitous among adventure parks—didn’t even exist.

Google+ and Vine, once legitimate ways to reach audiences (and ones that marketers spent significant time trying to capitalize on), disappeared nearly as quickly as they arrived. Reaching the inbox in 2020 is vastly different from email best practices in 2010 or even 2015. And it’s important for businesses to keep up with the changes.

This constant evolution is especially true in digital advertising. Digital ad platforms a decade ago were primarily leveraged only by major brands such as Expedia and Nike and Walmart. Today, self-service interfaces give anyone access to the powerful targeting our modern internet-centric lives provide.

But just having access to these platforms isn’t enough. You can’t just do advertising—you have to do it right. You have to target the right audience on the right platform with the right message if you want to get your money’s worth.

cess to various audiences, delivers your ads to them, and shows you the results.

Messages This is the actual advertisement. It could be text, an image, a video, or some blend of all three.

The success of a campaign depends on the right combination of these three elements. Here, we’re going to start with identifying the people you’re trying to reach and the ways you can reach them. We’ll cover platforms and messages in future articles.

AUDIENCES You may have a perfectly crafted message on the most powerful platform, but if the audience there isn’t interested in what you have to say, you might as well flush that slice of your marketing budget right down the toilet.

Audiences can be sliced and diced in a hundred ways, but we’ll focus on four key methods used to target potential customers: intent, demographics, your database, and lookalikes.

40 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

Before we begin, let’s quickly review the three elements required for any digital advertising campaign.

Platforms An ad platform is a system that has ac-

Example #1 Light Interaction Let’s say someone visits your website but leaves without purchasing. While the reasons this person left will vary—distracted by a cat video, can’t afford your rates, etc.—relative to other anonymous internet users out there, this user had enough adventure-park-related intent to visit your website in the first place.

That behavior alone makes this person, and others who do the same, a valuable audience to consider targeting.

Messaging people who have interacted with you is called “retargeting.” It’s the reason why, after spending a few minutes shopping for hiking boots during lunch, you may see ads for hiking boots for weeks afterward.

Example #2 Heavy Interaction Now imagine that someone not only visited your site, but clicked “book now,” searched for rates on your calendar, or perhaps even made it to the checkout screen before leaving your site. While targeting people who simply visit your site might yield a larger audience, the group that gets closer to actually purchasing is much more valuable.

THREE ELEMENTS

Audiences Selecting an audience is the way you target potential customers. This is the group of people you want to see your ads.

folks might be. Instead of starting from zero and convincing someone to stop thinking about whatever he or she was thinking about and consider visiting your adventure park, intent means you’re already on that person’s mind.

There are dozens of actions someone could take to show intent, but let’s dig into three common types.

Intent Intent, in a marketing sense, is simply some form of behavior that suggests a person is closer to buying than most

Retargeting this group may sound complicated to implement, but it usually isn’t. We’ll talk more about this in the

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Keep in mind, because you may have no previous relationship with these people, demographic-based audiences are typically not as effective as intent-based audiences. Like starting a friendship, it takes time before someone knows, trusts, and is interested in your brand.

next article when we discuss the ad platforms you may consider.

Example #3 Non-Interaction Other people may signal intent without ever making it to your site. Sometimes, you can capitalize on the digital footprint they leave in other places. Here’s why.

Let’s say you run a ropes course near Salt Lake City. If someone searches Google for “Salt Lake City ropes courses,” this person has signaled intent. He or she is already sold on the idea of visiting a ropes course near Salt Lake City. He or she may have even circled a day on the calendar to go, and now simply needs to choose a place. This, of course, is an extremely valuable audience to get in front of. Advertising platforms like Google Ads know this, and you may be able to reach this audience. But because this audience is also valuable to others, it can also be one of the most expensive audiences to target.

Demographics/Interests Intent is one thing, but how do you get people thinking about your adventure park in the first place? After all, if nobody knows you exist, they probably aren’t going to take the time to search you out.

Demographic and interest-based targeting is a method that has become more powerful now that so much of our lives and data are collected in our social profiles. Facebook, for example, knows a lot about its users: gender, age, lives in Minneapolis, loves riding bikes, listens to Beach Boys, and a hundred other insights. With demographic and interest-based targeting, any of that information can be used to target an ad at people who match chosen characteristics.

For Example: For most adventure parks, location plays an important role. Some platforms, such as Facebook, allow you to draw a virtual radius around a zip code and target everyone within that radius. By combining location-based demographics with targeting based on age (youth, families, etc.) and interests (outdoors, hiking, etc.), you can create a more focused audience that has a greater chance of including a meaningful number of future customers.

Database What many adventure parks may not realize is that the value of your email database goes beyond just being able to send your messages to their inboxes.

You can reach them in other places, too. >> continued

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Modern ad platforms, especially social platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, have email addresses for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people. By uploading your list of customer emails to these platforms, their technology can match those emails to users in their system and create a custom audience based on those matches.

This audience can then be used to target your past customers through something other than email.

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Email will likely be the most effective channel by a good margin, but this is still a great way to reach inactive email subscribers, say, or reach past guests from multiple angles when the message is important.

For Example: You don’t need to target your entire database when using this method.

Uploading certain segments, such as a list of families or groups, can help you better match the message to the audience once you get to that step.

Keep in mind, though, that platforms set a minimum size for an audience, so you can’t get too narrow. Typically, a list of 1,000 people is enough to meet the minimum.

Lookalikes Similar to database targeting, lookalike audiences start with a list of customers in your database that you consider close to ideal. They’re the type of customer you wish you could replicate— and that’s exactly the idea here. When you upload this list of your customers to an advertising platform, that

platform uses advanced technology to identify the patterns, trends, and common attributes within that group. These platforms then look for other people in their systems who have similar combinations of attributes as those of your ideal customer.

Think of lookalike audiences as an automated, data-driven version of demographic targeting. Instead of trying to figure out the patterns on your own and then using your best judgment to target that audience, lookalike technology figures out those patterns for you and automatically finds people in its database who match.

Like demographic targeting, you’ll typically be starting the relationship with these people from scratch, so 10,000 people in a lookalike audience will almost always be much less valuable than 10,000 people in a database or intent-based audience. But it’s a relatively good way to turn up some likely new customers and help you expand your audience. >> continued

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MARKETING For Example: Let’s say the list of ideal customers you pull from your database all have these attributes: • ages 25-35 • have 1-2 kids • live near Anaheim, Calif.

If you upload this list to Facebook, the lookalike audience it generates is likely going to include many other young families in Orange County. This is a simple example, but if you think about filtering through a complex list of customers using hundreds of datapoints, you’ll realize it can uncover thousands of potential guests that manual targeting may be missing.

NO SINGLE ANSWER It’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all answer for targeting. The dynamics of your market, the presence of competition, and the size of your margins will all play a huge role in how much potential there is for your adventure park to capitalize on digital advertising. Google Search Ads, for example, will be more expensive when there are more companies vying for the same keywords. Being the only adventure park in town may make that platform a better fit than a ropes course in a market with 30 other courses.

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It’s important to note that some adventure parks may never see a return on investment (ROI) from even the most intent-heavy audiences. Or maybe the ROI is slim enough that it’s just not worth it compared to other ways to spend those marketing dollars. This is common and totally OK. Some may see great returns from every type of audience. This is typically rarer, but doable.

In each case, however, an audience alone is never enough. It requires smart distribution with a strong message. In part II of this series, that’s exactly what we’ll cover.

Gregg Blanchard is vice president of marketing for Inntopia, a CRM and e-commerce provider for the resort and recreation industries.

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One great example of an ABC-specific course is at the Crossnore School & Children’s Home foster care facility in Winston-Salem, N.C. Kids can navigate 18 elements, a zip line, free fall, swing, and a four-lane climbing wall, all designed with ABC in mind.

A HIGHER CALLING

By Jennifer Rowan

According to Crossnore counselor Andrew Florence, the idea is to help disadvantaged kids grow, experience, and achieve. “We like to think of them as ‘at-hope’ kids,” says Florence. “The tools they learn through our adventure-based counseling provide them with the hope, confidence, and self-efficacy they need to move forward.”

THE ABCS OF ABC AT CROSSNORE Crossnore, which has campuses in Hendersonville and Crossnore as well as Winston-Salem, is a mission-oriented residential foster home that provides a safe environment where children can live, learn, and prosper. The school offers a variety of programs to kids ages 1 to 21, including residential group living, community foster care, a young adult transitional program, outpatient mental health services, and day treatment.

A few years ago, as part of its extensive roster of services, Crossnore wanted to integrate adventure-based counseling into its program. A high ropes course, in

A new ropes course in North Carolina is helping foster kids,

48 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

and staff, through adventure-based counseling.

Ropes courses and challenge courses have long been used as a tool in adventure-based counseling (ABC).

Now, the advent of courses that are thoughtfully built to specifically serve this niche is making ABC a staple among mental health programs.

These courses may even have a thing or two to teach experiential and recreational operations more broadly.

The roots of ABC date back to the advent of Outward Bound, which is based on the concept that overcoming intense challenges in a natural setting

builds individual confidence and selfworth, as well as a greater awareness of human interdependence as part of a group. ABC, specifically, aims to boost participants’ self-concept by enhancing self-confidence and trust in others— which are especially valuable outcomes for challenged youth.

Above: The aerial facility at Crossnore School & Children’s Home is a great example of an ABC-specific course.

Right: A child explores balance.

particular, helps kids face and manage fear, which is useful in retraining their brains on how to face stress—a feeling many of the kids at Crossnore are all too familiar with. The school had an existing high ropes course that had been laying dormant on its Winston-Salem campus, so the framework was already there to do something great.

“Thanks to a generous donor and help from the folks at [North Carolina-based adventure park designer] Beanstalk Builders, we were able to build a completely new ropes course on that same site, using the same towers and surrounding trees,” says Florence.

progression, and we provide participants with choices at every junction.”

This challenge-by-choice design allows users to determine their own level of comfort, while still providing enough challenge to make them feel successful and empowered.

And while choice is a primary goal, there are other special considerations with this group. One example: suicidal ideation, which Florence says is a concern. To protect kids from reckless

The extensive course was completed in October 2018, and since then, Crossnore has been putting ABC to work in an atmosphere that’s designed for success. Florence says the potential is limitless. “Our goal is to use the course to promote self-efficacy, self worth, and agency among the children, as well as build a strong team of staffers,” he says.

CHALLENGE BY CHOICE The new course offers myriad learning opportunities. For one, it gives kids in Crossnore’s programs the chance to make their own choices—something they haven’t been able to do much of in their lives. “All of their decisions have been made by others, including caregivers, judges, and social workers,” says Florence. “By providing ABC, our goal is to give them agency to make their own choices.”

“The ability to move around the course is paramount,” says Isaac Hoff, director of operations at Beanstalk. “We built the Crossnore project with an eye toward

Top: A challenge-by-choice design, created by Beanstalk Builders, allows participants to choose activities based on their level of comfort. Above: The new ropes course incorporates towers and trees used in a prior build.

49 Spring 2020

To that end, Beanstalk Builders was tasked with a unique installation where choice is part of the equation. Unlike a typical linear design, the Crossnore project enables participants to make a choice at the end of each element— they can continue on to a more challenging element, or turn toward something that’s similar or even easier.

Above left: A non-linear design gives participants choices at every junction. Above right: The ISC SmartSnap system requires 100 percent attachment at all times, which is needed for a high risk clientele.

behavior, the choice of belay system was extremely important. That led the school to choose the ISC SmartSnap.

This smart belay requires 100 percent attachment at all times, as the user can only unlock one connector after the second connector is fully locked in.

EMPOWER, DON’T SCARE

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When Florence and Beanstalk came together to design the course, there was a fair bit of discussion on the level of challenge. “We decided that the goal was to empower, not scare, and to focus on accomplishment rather than challenge,” says Hoff.

participant to complete even a single element and experience some measure of success.

FROM THE GROUND UP The topography of the park also allows for considerable ground involvement, which is one of the keys to the ABC program at Crossnore. Florence describes situations where children are sent through the course while foster parents, therapists, and other caregivers watch and encourage from the ground. This interaction allows children to feel fully supported while having the opportunity to be the masters of their own destiny.

The end result is a course that still has its challenges, but with emphasis on positive outcomes. Overall, the elements are fairly long from end to end—the shortest is 16 feet, and the longest, 55. The longer elements allow users more time to gain confidence and mastery so that they’re ready to face the next challenge.

To encourage active ground work, Beanstalk created a sizable deck and gear-up area. This base of operations has a clip-in practice spot and plenty of space for support staff and family.

There’s also a small set of stairs before the course where users can again practice the clip-in before they get started.

There are also standalone elements, such as the climbing lanes, swing, free fall, and zip lines, which allow each

The design also allows for kids to work together as a group, whether on the ground or in the air. Such peer attach-

ment is important for kids in foster care who may lack a sense of belonging. “Kids have to find new groups to exist within and find their place,” says Florence. “A day on the ropes course accelerates that process as the kids work together toward the same goal.”

To address the fair amount of childhood obesity among kids in the program, Florence says those who exceed the 250-pound weight limit for the course stay on the ground, but are still given important roles. “By getting these kids involved on the ground, we show them that they can play a valuable role toward the collective success of the group,” he adds.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE Crossnore has a very small caregiver-to-child ratio, so there are a lot of staff members and adults in general, given that foster and adoptive parents, therapists, and social workers may all be involved. As important as the ropes course is to the children, the challenge course has also become a tool to establish unity among the staff. The staff participates on the ropes course

Above left: The goal of these features is to empower, not scare. Above right: Ground space was an important feature to consider, to allow caregivers to watch and encourage from the ground, and have children feel supported while also exploring independence.

“Through our course, we’re able to build morale, foster trust, and create effective teams of caretakers,” says Florence.

Crossnore may also open up the course to outside businesses and groups down the road. The teambuilding opportunities there have been tapped by corporations in the past—the old ropes course at Crossnore was used by the likes of Wells Fargo and Reynolds for just this purpose.

“When the girl came to the zip line, she was terrified. But with perseverance, bravery, agency, and support, she did it. At the bottom she grinned and said, ‘If I can do that, I can do anything.’”

“These types of shared experiences allow our staff to build relationships that are more meaningful.”

This introduction to ABC may help with Florence’s ultimate goal—for the program to progress to a point where all the kids participate with the staff.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT While the ropes course at Crossnore has been operational for less than 18 months, Florence anticipates great things for the organization’s ABC program. He already sees transformations in both the staff and the children who

go through the ropes course. He points to the experience of two older siblings—a boy and a girl—who, as part of a larger sibling group, really didn’t get a lot of attention.

“We had the mother and the therapist below as the children negotiated some of the elements, but they were encouraged to make their own decisions as they went through,” says Florence.

“When the girl came to the zip line, she was terrified. But with perseverance, bravery, agency, and support, she did it.

At the bottom she grinned and said, ‘If I can do that, I can do anything.’”

From disenfranchised children to people who are in recovery from substance use disorders, ABC is finding a place in therapeutic programs at Crossnore and across the country.

“The children in our program are brave, strong, vulnerable, resilient, and unique—and we don’t want to change that,” says Florence. “What we do want to accomplish is to lay the groundwork for more self efficacy; to show them they’re capable of more than they may realize.”

51 Spring 2020

together to encourage communication that goes deeper than a simple “hello” in the hallway.

KEEPING EMPLOYEES HAPPY When it comes to your business, a little happiness

52 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

may go a long way.

Since the dawn of work, managers, directors, and presidents have wrestled with employment’s most perplexing paradox: “How is it possible that after everything I’ve done for my employees (e.g., hiring, training, and paying them), they could be unhappy?”

being recognized for doing a good job.

When employees get that, they achieve a certain level of satisfaction.

From a boss’s perspective, it makes sense. Not everyone who applies gets the job, so the boss sees employees as the lucky few who’ve been given the opportunity to join the team. Employees, on the other hand, see their jobs in a much more fluid and personal way.

A job, for many, represents a pathway to financial security, upward mobility, identity expression, and, yes, happiness.

nobody gets hurt. But, is that the best attitude for the long-term success of your business?

That’s a lot of pressure on a boss that just wants to pay people to help them run a park, resort, or attraction.

Bosses tend to avoid journeying into the emotional and subjective aspects of work, which they tend to see as a slippery slope and a battle they can’t win. They’d rather focus on operational execution, safety, and revenue—all things that can be controlled. And that works for many employees whose baseline expectation from employment is

It’s like both parties have an implicit agreement not to screw up each other’s lives. Let’s both do our thing, and

HAPPINESS: HARD TO DEFINE According to a number of recent studies, it’s pays to pay attention to workplace happiness. “Happy employees are a great asset to a company,” says Matthew Spaur, founder of Marketing the Social Good and member of the Teal Team collective on organizational development. “They are more engaged, productive, innovative, and they stick around longer.”

According to Forbes magazine, happy employees are up to 20 percent more productive than unhappy ones. Similarly, happy salespeople increase sales by 37 percent. Finally, it points to the stock prices of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” which rose

By Paul Thallner, High Peaks Group

14 percent per year from 1998 to 2005, while companies not on the list only reported a 6 percent increase. Companies around the world are making substantial investments in workplace culture in order to keep employees “happy.”

The research into workplace happiness, however, is not conclusive. Harvard Business Review, in response to the “fad” of workplace happiness, published a fascinating article in 2015 that presents some alternative perspectives on workplace happiness. The authors point out that “happiness” is poorly defined, hard to measure, and that focusing too closely on it can harm the business.

Should “happiness” even be something that a business provides (or promises) when it simply cannot predict or control the inner workings of its employees?

Julia Markish, engagement expert and founder of culture consultancy Orca, encourages careful thinking when it comes to happiness efforts.

“Happiness in and of itself will not help your company achieve its mission, nor will it help your employees unleash their potential,” she says. “At best, it

will be correlated to other positive outcomes. At worst, it will take your precious focus and energy off of the goals and metrics that are truly important.”

So, what’s really at play here, and what really keeps people happy at work? Here are a few simple and pragmatic ways to think about workplace happiness: YOUR ROLE AS A LEADER First, you’re not totally on the hook for your employees’ happiness. Travis Marsh, workplace culture expert and co-founder and CEO of Tapinta.com, says nothing will lead to someone being more unhappy than if they believe it’s solely their manager’s responsibility to take care of their happiness. “We all need to realize creating happiness at work is a joint responsibility,” says Marsh.

RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING Before people become your employees, they are sizing you up. They have to decide to commit to you based on what they believe you have to offer, and they consider a lot of variables.

Making the interview experience positive has a major benefit to you and the employee: It’s the first opportunity to build trust. While you want to make a good first impression, which is definitely important, it has to be authentic and honest. How many stories have you heard (or experienced first hand) where a worker has a great interview experience only to find the workplace completely different from what they expected? When that happens, trust is immediately broken and nearly impossible to get back. Start with accurate

boxes. By providing employees with opportunities to excel at a variety of tasks, from operations to guest services, they will feel more fulfilled. And when they inevitably hit the limit of their competence, you can be there to offer coaching, support, advice, and additional learning opportunities.

FINALLY...YOU There’s an old saying, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

Researchers have, of course, proven this by studying the human brain. Emotions are contagious. When you as the boss enter the room, whatever vibe you bring resonates with everyone around you.

So, if you’re tense, the room becomes tense. If you’re relaxed, the room becomes relaxed.

Recent studies show that investing time and effort into maximizing employee happiness is worth the work and can lead to engaged, productive workers who stick around. Trust and genuine concern for employees’ well-being are great ways to help foster a postive workplace culture and show good leadership. Photos: Zoar Outdoor

job postings, friendly and authentic interview questions, and sharing a clear picture of the workplace with all of your recruits.

The most important thing you can do to improve the chances that your employees are happy is to show genuine concern for their well-being. Showing genuine concern—researched extensively by Real World Group—is the leadership act most highly correlated with employee engagement, a key driver of happiness.

It’s not always possible to chart a clear, upward trajectory for your employees, especially for seasonal or hourly workers. Often, dissatisfaction or unhappiness gets pinned to “there’s no upward mobility here.” A great way to stay away from that negative spiral is to provide work that challenges the employee and provides learning opportunities.

Intentionally adding appropriately personal questions to your one-on-one meetings, remembering important non-work events and activities, and impromptu check-ins are all strategies you can begin practicing today. Many executive coaches help specifically with this aspect of leadership.

RETENTION

According to Mercer research, today’s employees are looking for workplace flexibility, a commitment to health and well-being, and working with a purpose.

While its employees can’t “work from home,” the aerial adventure industry checks the well-being and purpose

And if you ain’t happy, ain’t nobody going to be happy. Before you try any “happiness initiative,” you should take some time to look inward. Are you happy yourself? How is your happiness impacting your behaviors, and how are your behaviors impacting your employees? It can be a grind, and developing good skills around resilience will help build some capability to listen to your employees, show genuine concern, and make the employee experience pleasant for everyone.

Your employees are a critical part of your business’ success. Keeping them engaged and satisfied isn’t everything you have to do in a day, but directing some of your energy in a very tactical way to your employees’ experience will certainly put you in a position to retain your best talent, keep guests safe, and grow your business.

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Focus on creating conditions that maximize employee happiness: a physically and psychologically safe work environment; reasonable pay and benefits; and letting people do work they like and are good at.

GET READY: 10 TIPS FOR GUIDE TEAMS Trainers share their top strategies for both new and seasoned guides to help make this the best season ever.

Whether you have a staff of returning veterans or you’re welcoming an army of new guides, staff training plays a critical role in the success of your business. To help your adventure park or challenge course team deliver the best possible experience, Adventure Park Insider asked trainers from across the country to weigh in with their best practices for preparing staff for the busy season.

Ed. note: While the impacts of the coronavirus are difficult to predict, it’s likely that both guides and guests will want to keep interpersonal contact to a minimum. This may well encourage trainers and operators to alter procedures and practices, including some of those outlined in this article. But the underlying principles for the exercises and advice still apply. The challenge in some cases will be to find new means to accomplish the goal. To that end, the ideas here may help spur the type of fresh thinking the unfolding environment will require.

What we wound up with is a list full of great ideas, timely reminders, and common-sense practices that will serve both staff and guests well into the future.

2. FINDING COMPLEMENTARY STRENGTHS FROM WITHIN

1. PLAY TOGETHER, SPREAD JOY TOGETHER Taking guests through a challenge course or adventure park is a hands-on experience that involves heavy staff involvement and interaction. To ensure that your guides are spreading the love, Aerial Adventure Academy director Steve Carne recommends pre-season staff bonding.

54 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

By Jennifer Rowan

“Help your new and veteran staff bond and get to know each other,” says Carne. “Staff trust and staff morale can have a huge impact on the customer experience, and we know that happy guides make happy customers. We like to spend some time early on in our staff training and retraining helping our staff make connections. This can take the form of traditional ice-breaker activities or paired climbs where new employees

get some time on course with an experienced employee.”

When it comes to training staff, Bee Lacey, lead trainer at Bonsai, takes an innovative approach—she taps each employee’s existing strengths to benefit the team as a whole.

“Provided it’s appropriate, we pair staff with different skill sets, which often leads to learning for both parties,” Lacey says. “For example, a gregarious guide capable of keeping the attention of a group paired with someone who is fantastic at one-on-one coaching often results in improved skills for both.

“I encourage the trainees to watch other staffers/trainees and identify techniques they may be able to use in their own programming. When staff members learn positive practices from each other that help them succeed, it builds trust—and that’s a win for staff and guests alike.”

Conversely, Lacey cautions that this practice can also lead to the transfer of bad habits. To avoid this, she emphasizes the importance of carefully considering who you pair up.

3. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT While it’s all well and good to describe the many scenarios that can crop up on a daily basis during the busy season, nothing beats immersing staff in potential scenarios for hands-on experience.

Carne says, “We have found that the single most important factor for preparing new staff is to practice scenarios.

We can have the best written manuals, the newest equipment, and the most competent staff, but none of that matters if they don’t take the time to practice.

“As with all parks, we train and practice our technical equipment and assist techniques, but we also practice less frequently thought-of scenarios, such as difficult customer service situations, park evacuations, and key software failure.”

Taking it a step further, Carne says he encourages veteran staff to come up with worst-case scenarios themselves since they’re on the front line and they’ve seen the problems and near misses firsthand. This practice encourages even the most veteran staff to look at the park with fresh eyes and, by considering those near misses, staff can be better prepared for any number of potential problems.

4. THE FEAR FACTOR When it comes to handling fear—and there’s plenty of that when introducing guests to adventure and challenge courses—Bonsai’s Lacey tries to ensure that even the most hardened staffers can tap into the emotion.

5. REMEMBERING WHEN To help staff better connect with firsttime guests, Aerial Adventure Academy’s Carne believes in reminding staff what it’s like to be a new participant.

“It’s easy for those who have worked at a park for years to forget what the first climbing experience was like,” Carne says. “We want all of our employees to understand how new, confusing, and even scary the experience can be for many first-time participants.”

To help staffers, Carne will add a new element to the park, take his staff to a different park to climb, or send staff through a few lines of their course blind-folded. Afterward, Carne gathers

relates to the individual is a valuable piece of information.”

As an example, Shahani’s favorite question is, “Where were you before you were here?” By learning the sequence of events or choices that led them to the park, Shahani “seeks to learn what their interests or worries are while simultaneously listening to and observing their tone, terms, body language, and expression. This data helps me shape their experience by highlighting things that interest them, and it provides me with information about the best way to give them instructions—some people will respond better to questions (‘Will you please stand over here?’), while others want to be told what to do (‘Hey! Walk this way!’).”

OPPOSITE PAGE: Encourage staff to get to know each other early in the training process. Photo courtesy of Signature Research.

ABOVE: Trainees learn new techniques by watching (left) and by doing (right). Photos courtesy of Aerial Adventure Academy.

staff for a reflective discussion that reinforces the lessons learned.

After everyone has shared, Lacey asks the group to identify any trends in these experiences to underscore important concepts or techniques that the team can file away for future use. By bringing the fear home, Lacey says, “The lesson is more likely to stick with them long after I leave.”

For example, learning names is important, but Shahani tells staff to go beyond that. “I want to know where people are from, what their lives look like, and what their reality is outside of the park or tour. Anything I can learn that helps me phrase or frame instructions or interpretive programming in a way that

6. CONNECTING WITH GUESTS Catering to guests with wildly different needs, concerns, and backgrounds can be difficult, which is why Rohan Shahani, director of training at Challenge Works, Inc., trains staffers to learn as much as they can about their guests.

7. LESSONS LEARNED A great way to guide staffers in the new season is to use lessons learned from the past. Sydney Iverson, program manager at Northwest Teambuilding, a Signature Company, says, “Last season, we began implementing electronic forms for our accident, incident, and close-call reporting, as well as end-of-program debriefs. With all this data compiled in one place, I am now able to share trends and notes from last season to give staff the motivation behind policy and procedure changes.”

8. ANTICIPATING STAFF BURNOUT When it comes to handling guests on a challenge course, day in and day out, >> continued on page 69

55 Spring 2020

“Whenever I introduce the topic of coping with a guest’s fear,” says Lacey, “I ask my group to close their eyes and think of a specific time when they experienced fear or anxiety related to an activity or situation. I ask them to identify someone in that recollection who stands out, whether as a positive or negative influence, and to share a few words that describe that person’s actions or demeanor.”

EMPLOYEE RECORDKEEPING Documentation is essential to protect the well-being

By Bob Curley

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of your guests, staff, and your company itself.

It’s the kind of story adventure park operators dread: A 10-year-old boy slips out of a poorly secured zip line harness and falls 20 feet, suffering serious injuries. A review of security footage shows the leg straps on his harness weren’t buckled before getting on the line. The guide tells investigators she was clipping two riders into their harnesses at one time to speed up operations. Needless to say, the family of the victim is suing the park.

KNOW THE LAW

Accidents happen, and this example underscores the vital need for proper and thorough employee training. But even training isn’t a sufficient defense in court if parks don’t keep careful records of their training programs and relevant employee documentation. Recordkeeping can make the difference between an efficient operation and catastrophic legal trouble, especially for companies operating in a high-risk environment like aerial adventure parks.

There are a host of important regulations of which to be aware. These include Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) regulations, which, as most employers know, require employers to keep all personnel or employment records for one year. If an employee is involuntarily terminated, his or her personnel records must be retained for one year from the date of termination.

Employee recordkeeping can generally be broken down into two categories: what’s required by federal, state, and local law; and what’s really, really smart for park operators to do, regardless of what the law requires. It’s important for employers to understand what they’re required to document, what they should document, and how long it all needs to be kept on file.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

(FLSA), payroll records must be kept for at least three years, and employers must keep all documentation used to justify paying different wages to workers of different genders—including wage rates, job evaluations, seniority and merit systems, and collective bargaining agreements—for at least two years. Pension records and written seniority or merit-system documentation also must be retained for at least one year post-termination, according to the FLSA. Georgia-based attorney and consultant John M. Jakovenko, who also teaches HR courses, says he sees several common errors when conducting HR audits, most of which stem from just not understanding the law.

Below: The 1Risk Learning Management System (LMS) has a variety of tracking functions and other resources for staff and employers.

Above: The employer view for 1Risk LMS helps track training needs for staff on an easy-to-reference calendar.

Right: The LMS employer dashboard provides managers with lots of data, all in one place.

Another common culprit, says Jakovenko, The Immigration Control and Reform Act, which requires that I-9 files—certifying someone can legally work in the U.S.—should be kept separate from personnel files.

“The rule of thumb is to keep anything [employees] sign,” advises Jakovenko.

“Keeping anything other than that in a personnel file is extraneous and can open you up to claims of discrimination, under some circumstances.”

WRITE IT DOWN Employee background checks, drugtesting results, training documentation, and incident reports may or may not be required to be retained by law. (Note: ANSI/ACCT and ASTM standards require significant documentation, and these standards have been adopted by many states.) Required or not, the need to carefully gather, organize, and store this information becomes obvious when something goes wrong, such as an accident involving park visitors or workers.

“Generally speaking, in HR we say, ‘if it isn’t written down, it never happened,’” says Adam R. Calli, a human resources consultant and principal of Arc Human Capital, LLC. “This means if there have been safety violations of any kind, and associated disciplinary action, we need a record of this. We must show that the shortcomings were addressed.”

It’s not just a matter of discipline and accountability, which certainly have their place, Calli says. “It’s also a matter of retraining to ensure mistakes aren’t made again, or if [a staff member has] a lackadaisical attitude toward safety, that people are made to know that this isn’t acceptable.”

Start at the beginning. According to Calli, staff documentation should start during the onboarding process. In addition to conducting background and reference checks, companies should demonstrate that new hires were informed of expectations around safety, communications, and guest experience.

Worker safety. When problems such as injuries, employee errors, or equipment failures do occur, he says, an investigation should be conducted—and documented—enabling the organization to get to the root causes and eliminate them.

“Records that show a thorough investigation was conducted by a qualified investigator will be valuable to demonstrate that an organization takes its commitment to employee and guest

safety seriously,” says Calli.

At GoApe, which runs 16 adventure parks in 13 states, every incident— from a scrape requiring a band-aid to major injuries and equipment problems—are immediately documented, says operations director Bryan Millea.

Each incident report includes details on who delivered the safety briefing to the guests, the training received by the employee(s) involved, and how recently a manager reviewed the employees.

TRACK YOUR TRAINING Documenting training is equally as important as documenting specific incidents, says Charles Mickley, business relationship director for 1Risk, a risk-management data solutions provider. Without legitimate documentation that training was received, operators may find themselves in a challenging situation should an incident occur.

“We have found that most operations do a very good job of training staff, but not such a good job tracking the training,” says Mickley. “The need to keep track of training information is especially acute at companies that have many seasonal workers and high turnover, such as adventure parks and ski resorts.”

The burden of proof for operators is even higher when incidents involve staff with certification and licensing requirements, such as heavy equipment

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One example: size matters. “The key to understanding what is to be kept in a personnel file is to understand which laws apply to the organization, based on their size,” says Jakovenko. “For example, companies with 15 or more employees have to conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which states that medical items must be kept separate from personnel files.”

operators, first aid, aerial equipment inspectors, and certifications from the Association for Challenge Course Technology. Make sure you can document certifications and licenses and that these are current.

Training records, both those that precede an incident as part of normal operations and those which follow an incident as part of the company’s response, should include sign-in sheets for training sessions as well as the content of the training (such as slides, handouts, student post-tests, etc.) and the credentials of the trainer, says Calli.

GO DIGITAL Fortunately, an increasing number of technology-based solutions are available to bring all of your human-resources recordkeeping under a single digital roof.

Solutions such as Ultimate Software’s PeopleDoc and Bamboo HR are designed specifically for paperless HR recordkeeping, while other products, like iSolved, combine payroll and HR recordkeeping functions.

Deanna Baumgardner, president of HR consulting firm Employers Advantage, LLC, says such products help companies meet the dual challenge of “what to keep and what not to keep.”

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A sometimes-overlooked aspect of recordkeeping is when it’s appropriate to discard unneeded records. Keeping post-termination documents longer than the period required by law, for example, can hurt companies in an audit.

“If you keep those records five or seven years, the auditor is going to look at them,” says Baumgardner. “A digital record-keeping program, on the other hand, can delete such documents automatically and also ping supervisors to shred any paper copies.”

Baumgardner, who sits on the parks and recreation committee in her hometown of Huntersville, N.C., says automated systems can be especially valuable in keeping track of certification and training documents, such as those required of lifeguards, childcare workers, and challenge course employees.

Merit is a platform that specializes in organizing and tracking verified digital licenses, accreditations, accomplishments and more for staff.

Tracking individual employees. 1Risk began beta-testing one such new software tool—Learning Management System (LMS)—at eight outdoor resort properties last fall. LMS will be the mechanism for the media display of the training documents as well as a tracking tool for who took it, when, how many times, how long it took them, and whether the employee passed or failed, says Mickley. The software also can be used to notify employees about required training and when it needs to be completed.

While some companies simply keep a spreadsheet on employee training compliance, Mickley says that the detailed data retained by 1Risk can be reported in response to workplace incidents to demonstrate that employees were trained in the specific policies and procedures involved. “Whether it was the operation’s fault or the guest’s fault, you can show that the employee was trained and passed the exam,” he says.

Merit, a company known for providing verified digital licenses in the skydiving industry, recently set its sights on the adventure park industry. Director of business development Dylan Avatar says digital licenses and accreditations can be integrated into companies’ HR recordkeeping systems and referenced in post-incident investigations. These licenses can ensure that companies are hiring qualified people in the first place, which is meaningful. “They are not like a paper li-

cense that can be forged,” says Avatar.

DOCUMENT EVALUATIONS Having a well-documented employee evaluation process also can head off legal problems in the future.

“If employees don’t receive [evaluations], it’s easy to argue that they weren’t receiving direction, or that the standards expected at the company regarding guest experience, efficient operations, or safety weren’t being reinforced,” says Calli.

It’s also valuable to recognize staff members that are doing it right—and keep records of it. “Employees who receive commendations for consistent proper operations—be it in a performance appraisal, or just in the course of normal operations—should receive reward and recognition,” advises Calli.

“For both individuals and teams, the company can show that positive steps were taken to reinforce appropriate/ desired behaviors.”

Though recordkeeping might seem like a burden at times, it’s well worth the time and effort to document your employees carefully. In some cases, it’s the law. In others, it’s just good sense. In all cases, it demonstrates the care and attention you have given to your staff. In the event of an incident or a complaint, having proof of your inspections, training, and evaluations is invaluable.

NEW PRODUCTS _______________________________ A collection of new products aimed at enhancing the guest experience, streamlining operations, and more.

BY SARAH BORODAEFF

edelrid KAA The KAA from Edelrid is a prefabricated haul system with multiple uses,

such as lifting a person in a rescue situation or for tensioning. The compact system is available in 0.8 m and 1.5 m lengths, and offers a 4:1 or 5:1 lifting ratio, depending on positioning, with an efficiency of 91 percent. A swivel at each end prevents the system from twisting under load. The flat-webbing design includes an adjustable hand lever on the draw cord for increased leverage, and it can also be used as a lowering lever. The preassembled kit is equipped with an integrated RFID chip for Edelrid’s Gear Pilot app, which digitally tracks maintenance, inspection, and documentation of the gear. The KAA is certified to EN354 standards. www.edelrid.com

HIBBS hallmark accident insurance Hibbs Hallmark, in partnership

with Berkley Accident and Health, now offers operators the opportunity to provide participant accident insurance, which provides benefits that may help participants who are injured during activities pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses not covered by primary health insurance, out-of-network costs, co-pays, and other costs associated with a covered accident. This policy, added to an operator’s insurance plan, covers all registered participants of the policyholder while the guests are participating in the policyholder’s supervised and sponsored activities. Unlike liability coverage, it pays regardless of negligence. www.hibbshallmark.com

Challenge access fresh challenge gear spray Fresh Challenge Gear Spray

from Challenge Access is designed to help keep gear clean without degrading the fibers.

The plant-based spray combines clove, lemon, and cinnamon essential oils along with eucalyptus leaf oils to create an antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial spray for harnesses and other non-metal gear. www.challengeaccess.com

Adventure designs & training pole repair to damage in poles caused by woodpeckers, insects, ground rot, top rot, or cracking. The bonding polymer is made of natural organic compounds which, when applied properly, restores the strength and integrity of the pole and prevents further decay. www.adventure-designs.com >> continued

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A new pole-repair system from Adventure Designs & Training provides a permanent solution

KANOPEO ZIPEYE The ZipEye from Kanopeo is a wireless safety system designed to reduce the

risk of collisions on zip lines. The system features two gates, one at the start and one at the terminus of the cable. When a trolley passes by the “start” gate, the gate locks, preventing any other trolleys from passing the gate until it receives a signal that the first trolley has passed through the “stop” gate at the other end.

The system is solar-powered and can be installed on cables up to 400 m (about 1,300 ft.) in length. The system is currently compatible with the Saferoller trolley and will be integrated with other trolley systems in the future. www.kanopeo.com

koala removable connecting ferrule The Removable Connecting Ferrule from Koala can be used to connect two wire-

rope lifelines on horizontal activities or zip lines. The ferrule consists of two removable, interlocking parts that allow operators to change or adjust the two wire ropes independently of one another, creating more flexibility in wire rope maintenance and repair. The Removable Connecting Ferrule is compatible with 12 mm or ½ in. wire rope. www.koala-equipment.com

Eldorado fractal climbing panels Eldorado Climbing’s new Fractal Climbing Panels are the result of a unique collaboration with artist James Davis, who uses the Lichtenberg wood burning technique. He applies a conductive material to the surface of 42-in. X 42-in. birch panels, and then sends an electrical current across the surface. The resulting burn on the surface creates a one-of-a-kind design that resembles lightning bolts or trees. Each 38-lb panel has a durable, climbable coating, with 25 t-nuts in place for route setting. The panels can be easily installed in both indoor and outdoor sheltered spaces for a unique, one-of-a-kind climbing feature. www.eldowalls.com

KONG PPE inspection system 60 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

Kong has partnered with Italian software developer Exteryo to create the

Exteryo Safety 4.0 PPE inspection system. This app-based system uses near-field communication (NFC)-enabled tags to record PPE inspection reports. Similar to RFID, NFC reads tags on each piece of gear as a unique “access key” to product data and inspection reports stored in the cloud.

Unlike RFID, though, NFC tags can be read by most smartphones or a low-cost NFC reader connected to a computer. All new Kong harnesses, lanyards, and helmets are being delivered with NFC tags. Tags can also be added to existing equipment. The app is available in a free version and in a feature-enhanced subscription version. kenny@kongusa.com

clic-it clic’n’zip The CLiC’n’ZiP from CLiC-iT integrates a trolley with the CLiC-iT Y-Lanyard.

Designed for aerial adventure courses with integrated zip lines, the CLiC’n’ZiP features the same smart belay lanyard technology as other CLiC-iT products. The integrated trolley allows for the seamless transition to a zip line feature without the need for additional equipment. The CLiC’n’ZiP can be used on existing courses. www.clic-it.eu

adventure sports innovation swincar The Swincar e-Spider is an electric, off-road vehicle that can provide a

unique experience, such as backcountry tours on larger properties. Made of machined aluminum and aluminum tubing, the Swincar features four spider-like arms that move independently of one another, allowing the vehicle to tackle rough and uneven terrain. The pendulum seat keeps the driver level while all four wheels stay in contact with the ground.

The 1000-watt brushless wheel motors deliver a maximum torque of 86 Nm (63 lb-ft) at 5 RPM. Drivers control speed using a foot pedal or steering-wheel controls to reach the maximum speed of 35 km/h (about 23 mph). A swivel arm can be added for ease of accessibility, including guest transfer to and from a wheelchair. www.adventuresportsinnovation.com

Signature dyno auto belay The DYNO Auto Belay is an automatic friction descent controller. It uses a du-

al-action braking system with an additional descent brake as a backup, providing a controlled descent in the event of primary brake failure. Its anodized aluminum housing and drum make the unit lightweight at just 26.5 lb. The unit is sealed and weatherproof, and can be operated in temperatures from -31º to 113º F. It has a min-max working load of 22 to 330 pounds, and three lanyard lengths to choose from: 26, 39, and 59 feet. The DYNO is compatible with EN341:2011 Class A, ANSI/ ASSE Z359.4-2007, and CSA Z359.2.3-99 standards. www.nature-outfitters.com

Adventure Suppliers ture operations by eliminating the need to work with multiple contacts from different product suppliers when outfitting a retail operation. The company has curated a wide range of high-quality items that are proven to sell, and can guide you through making choices, taking the guessing game out of choosing what to include on your shelves. www.adventuresuppliers.com

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Adventure Suppliers offers a unique service for retail shops at outdoor adven-

SUPPORT YOUR TREES How to recognize, prevent, and mitigate tree health issues and reduce risk related to them.

62 [www.adventureparkinsider.com]

BY TIMOTHY SLAPE ISA Certified Arborist

Aerial adventure operators should take care of all trees utilized in their operations. That includes any tree located where staff and guests frequent—not just trees that support structures. It is important to recognize the risk each incorporated tree presents, and be able to identify damage and decline.

There is inherent risk in using a tree as a structural support for recreational activity. Trees, like all living things, have a lifecycle. They respond to changes in their environment, such as construction damage or stress, recreational usage, extreme weather and other natural events, and react biologically to wounds, damage, and other stressors.

These stresses can increase the risk associated with a tree. By recognizing damage and decline early, and employing mitigation strategies when possible, you can reduce risk and extend the useful life of the trees in your park.

BASIC TREE BIOLOGY Knowing the basics of a tree’s structure, and the functions of each part, makes it easier to identify damage and decay.

From bottom to top, a tree’s structure is made up of a relatively shallow yet broad root system, the root flare, the trunk, and the canopy. Each of these parts has multiple functions in tree structure and biology.

Roots support the tree. There are larger buttress roots and small, fine roots.

Roots spread out around the base of the tree and are relatively shallow.

The majority of tree roots are found in the first few inches of soil. Trees need soil that is aerated and loose so that oxygen, water, and nutrients can move freely through the soil, making it easy for the tree to access them.

The root flare is the transition between the roots and the trunk where the tree tapers outward as it goes below the soil’s surface.

OPPOSITE PAGE Left: Oftentimes, the placement of park features and tools, such as this tweezle, create areas of compacted soil due to frequent foot traffic.

Right: Boardwalks are an option for mitigating compacted soil.

THIS PAGE Aerating the soil with a forced air device can be very effective in reestablishing a suitable soil for root growth and healthy trees.

RISK RATINGS

The canopy consists of the limbs, branches, twigs, and leaves.

Each of these parts provides both structural and biological processes to keep the tree alive and standing tall.

Trees grow from the tips and outsides, so new growth on the branches is from the tips of the twigs—aka the terminal bud—and the circumference of all parts is added on the outside, just under the bark (the outermost growth rings are the newest). The inside of mature trees is mainly non-living heartwood. This is very important to consider as we begin talking about damage and decline.

Trees limit the effects of damage through compartmentalization (called CODIT, shorthand for compartmentalization of decay in trees). For example, if a live branch is ripped off at its base, CODIT immediately begins to wall off the damage at the site of the wound in four directions: one is vertical, two is inward, three is lateral, and four is the new wood added annually after the injury.

However, CODIT is not perfect. Over time, a cavity will often form inside a damaged tree within wall four. The result can be a structural weakness, which in some cases (but certainly not all) will increase risk.

Let’s work from the roots up and discuss common causes of damage and mitigation strategies.

HUMAN IMPACTS Tree damage in aerial adventure operations most commonly occurs during the construction process and by human activity. Roots and the bark are typically the most impacted. Limbs can also be damaged. It is important to recognize that construction design—how the construction of a course is planned and executed—is a potential cause of damage.

Proper construction design will minimize the impact of building the facility.

ROOTS Tree roots are most commonly damaged in two ways: soil compaction and cutting. Adding too much soil or wood chips can also damage roots. It is important to consider all of these factors when building and/or operating an adventure park or challenge course on or near trees. Take all available steps to protect the roots!

The Issue: Soil Compaction Compacted soil severely restricts the movement of oxygen, water, and nutrients through the soil, and thus makes it difficult for trees to access what they need to survive.

Causes: Foot traffic and vehicles/machinery during the construction process. >>

The rating takes account of the location of the tree in question and the severity of the consequences of the defect. For example: A tree (not a support tree) with branches hanging over the corridor of a zip line has a moderate-sized dead branch directly over the zip line.

This branch will probably fall off the tree in the next year.

When it falls, though, the damage to the zip cable will be negligible, and the probability of the limb striking someone zipping on the cable is very unlikely because of the actual time spent under the dead limb. Therefore, the assessed risk is low.

However, put this same tree next to the briefing area, and it’s an entirely different story. That soon-to-fall moderately sized dead branch is now directly above where every guest receives instructions. The risk rating is elevated to high because the likelihood of the tree’s defect causing injury is much greater.

It’s wise to have a TRAQ arborist assess your trees, if possible, so you can address issues with riskier trees and know which trees to monitor closely.

63 Spring 2020

The trunk starts above the root flare.

The basic composition of the trunk from outside to inside is: bark, cambium, sapwood, and heartwood.

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) trains arborists to assess and rate trees through the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification program (TRAQ). Ratings (low, moderate, high, or extreme) are based on observed defects and possible consequences of a failure as a result of that defect.

SUPPORT YOUR TREES Mitigation: Make trails narrower to reduce the surface area where people walk; restrict where vehicles can drive, and use pads for construction vehicles to drive on; aerate the soil using hand tools or specialized machines; and build elevated walkways for pedestrian traffic.

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The Issue: Cutting Roots The roots of a mature tree can extend past the spread of the branches, and most roots are quite shallow. Cutting one large root on a tree can kill 15 to 25 percent of its roots. This will limit a tree’s ability to take up nutrients and support itself structurally.

Mitigation: Mulch under trees should be six inches deep or less. Rake back wood chips or soil that has been added too thickly or too close to the trunk. If deeper mulch is needed for padding below, say, auto belay landing areas or zip landings, make this deeper area as narrow as possible to minimize the affected area.

BARK The bark on trees serves to protect the sapwood and heartwood from the elements, as well as fend off organisms that feed off of wood.

Causes: Roots are most often cut, of course, when digging. At an aerial adventure operation, this can happen while trenching a utility or building a structure.

The Issue: Damaged or Removed Bark When bark is damaged or removed, it exposes the inside of the tree and the tree becomes more susceptible to disease and decay.

Mitigation: Pretty simple—if you have to dig, try to do it away from trees to avoid cutting roots. Obviously, DO NOT cut the roots of trees that support activities or structures. You can use air-powered tools to dig trenches without cutting roots.

Causes: • heavy equipment grazing the tree trunk • a worker’s feet being in the same place for a long time can damage some tree species’ bark • safety equipment, such as continuous belay shuttles, repeatedly traveling around a tree • people simply pulling the bark off • elements attached to trees

The Issue: Adding Soil or Wood Chips Too much added soil or wood chips can inhibit the tree’s ability to uptake oxygen, water, and nutrients. Plus, adding too much soil or wood chips directly to the base or trunk of a tree can introduce disease and decay.

Causes: Adding an excessive amount of wood chips or soil to the area around a tree.

Mitigation: • fence off a tree during the construction process • band the trunk with temporary boards • attach boards to limit belay equipment wearing away bark • rig construction materials properly to

avoid violent swings that can result in material damaging the tree.

DESIGN The Issue: Attached Structures That Constrict and/or Damage the Tree Since trees add circumference to the trunk from the outside, and nutrient transfer takes place in the sapwood on the outer inches of the tree, interruption of these biological processes can be very damaging.

Causes: Wrapped cables or compression. Trees can partially incorporate, i.e., grow around, construction materials within a season. This is similar to CODIT. In addition, the pressure points created from this type of construction can limit nutrient flow or create a dead spot where living tissue should be.

Another consequence of neglected wrapping is an enlarged area of tree above the attachment point. This is “response growth” and signifies an internal defect in the tree.

Mitigation: Monitor and adjust hardware on a very frequent schedule determined by each individual tree’s growth.

Pay extra attention to species of trees that grow very rapidly.

Alternatively, use hardware that inserts into the tree, such as tree attachment bolts (TABs) or through bolts to support structures while providing space for tree growth.

THIS PAGE Sometimes it is necessary to fertilize trees or apply other chemicals in the soil to improve tree health, as is being done here.

Designing structures that rest away from the trunk, allowing for the tree to grow, will extend the longevity of the installation while minimizing ill effects to tree health. This is especially important when building in young or fast-growing tree species.

NATURAL IMPACTS Of course, trees are subjected to environmental elements and naturally occurring organisms. These can cause damage or stress, resulting in an unhealthy tree or elevated risk. Compared to manmade issues, some natural impacts are more difficult to see, and often the mitigation of these impacts will require the help of a professional arborist or plant healthcare professional.

Wind Wind can break tree limbs and leave them hanging above activities or congregation areas, increasing risk. Trees can also be uprooted during extreme wind events. You should remove the failed limb or tree, but remember, limbs and/or trees are very heavy and can be under extreme pressure. Hire a tree care professional anytime you feel out of your comfort zone.

Water Too much or too little water can negatively affect a tree’s health. Leaves will be the first indicator of an issue with water.

Signals can include: wilting, color change, early dropping, etc. It is important to pay attention to rainfall amounts and how the trees are responding to variances.

If you are experiencing a drought and your trees appear to be suffering, a good watering may be necessary, if possible. Use a slow release system if you can.

Too much water is difficult to mitigate.

Often, the best you can do is limit stress—hold off on building, for example—during and immediately after a flooding event.

Nutrients, Insects, Fungi, and More Trees can suffer from poor soil nutrition, insect infestations, fungi, and other diseases. All of these conditions are very common, but some can be hard to diagnose, and some may have no treatment options. It is most important to catch abnormalities early and seek the advice of an arborist or other plant healthcare professional.

Soil conditions can be determined via a soil test. Fertilize your trees only after conducting a soil test to determine what, if any, deficiencies exist.

The signs of fungi are fruiting bodies (mushrooms) on or around the tree.

Consult an arborist to determine the risk associated with fungi and all other infestations or disease.

NATURAL LIFECYCLE Trees, like all organisms, decline and die over time. Their decline can be very rapid or take decades.

A tree in decline will begin to shrink in height and canopy spread. The upper out branches and limbs will die and fall off. Leaves will shrink in size, and the tree may hollow. It is important to notice the change and then begin planning to either mitigate the risk associated with a declining tree or remove the operation from the tree.

Mitigations for a tree in decline include pruning, cabling, and bracing. Dead branches and limbs should be pruned each spring. Other defects, such as a crack in a limb union or a hollow limb that exceeds the operator’s risk tolerance, may require cabling or bracing to limit possible risk to guests and staff.

These techniques use either cable or threaded rods to support the tree.

An old gnarly tree can be a valuable aesthetic or educational piece of your operation. You do not need to remove a tree unless it poses a significant risk.

Ultimately, the park operator or owner needs to assess his or her tolerance for risk when it comes to tree defects. Consulting with a TRAQ certified arborist to help qualify the risk and outline possible mitigation techniques and strategies can aid that assessment.

Insect infestations are increasing with climate change and introduction of foreign species. Some of these impacts can be mitigated. For example, defoliating caterpillars can be trapped; it may take several seasons to eliminate them. Ash trees can be effectively treated against Emerald Ash Borer, though it’s costly and must be repeated every two years.

Also, practicing good arboriculture and employing proper pruning techniques will increase the overall health of your trees (see “DIY Tree Care,” p. 70). Understand your trees’ biology, and work with that to keep them healthy. With proper care and handling, your trees can live and support you for a long time.

Fungi are present in many trees and are a major culprit of rot. Good arboriculture practices and proper pruning are your best defense against fungus.

Timothy Slape is ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified and an ACCT Certified Challenge Course Inspector. Contact him at slape.timothy@gmail.com.

65 Spring 2020

OPPOSITE PAGE Left: Applying wood chips in heavy traffic areas is a good mitigation to prevent compacted soil.

Right: Plan for tree growth when designing systems. Otherwise, trees will ultimately include—or grow around—course materials such as hardware (shown here).

pruning saw

bypass loppers

bypass pruners

DIY TREE CARE Tools and tips to help keep your trees healthy between visits from the arborist.

Performing daily tree management in house can save money and address problems faster compared to regularly hiring an arborist. Of course, hiring an arborist for regular inspections and more complex tree management makes good sense.

But you can take care of the smaller stuff using some basic tools and techniques, and by learning what to watch for. Combined, these efforts will help promote long-term tree health and course safety.

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PRUNING TOOLS There are a handful of common tree-pruning tools that are good to have on hand to take care of small tasks.

These tasks include removing easy-toaccess dead wood, clearance pruning over the course, removing damaged branches, and removing vines or other obstructions that prevent you from being able to inspect the tree. The four pruning tools you should have include:

1. Bypass pruners: Great for removing vines from trees or pruning small twigs.

Avoid anvil-style pruners that make rough cuts.

2. Bypass loppers: Larger pruners used for trimming branches less than two inches in diameter.

3. Pole pruners: With seven feet or more of extension, these are the perfect tool for hard-to-reach branches.

Many include both a pole pruner and saw attachment, which can be extremely helpful for day-to-day tree maintenance.

4. Sharp pruning saws: The ultimate arborist tool, pruning saws have a curved blade and cut in both directions, providing increased cutting power through both live and dead wood.

These versatile saws can be used to cut medium-sized branches and can be safer and more effective than chainsaws, not to mention much lighter.

By Katie Hogan and Katherine Taylor, Tree Solutions, Inc.

Before you start using these tools to prune your course’s trees, though, it’s crucial to understand how to make proper pruning cuts. Proper cuts give trees the best chance of closing over wounds (see diagram on the next page).

Ask your arborist, or check out the University of Florida Landscape Plants website to learn how.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE Maintaining your equipment will both increase your crew’s efficiency and ensure diseases are not being passed between trees on your property.

It starts with disinfecting your tools.

If a drill, saw, or pruner is used on a potentially diseased tree and the tool is not disinfected between uses, the disease or pathogen can be spread to other trees—and even different parts of the same tree!

There are several ways to sanitize your equipment effectively. However, every-

Ideally, equipment should be soaked in a cleaning mixture for 10 minutes to be most effective, but this is not always practical. We recommend soaking tools at the beginning or end of the day, and then sterilizing with spray or liquid and clean rags between uses. Along with your disinfectant of choice, have five-gallon buckets and clean rags on hand as part of your equipment sanitizing toolkit, especially when installing hardware into trees.

Disinfectants The Best 1. Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol work immediately and do not require soaking or rinsing with water. A small bottle of 70- to 100-percent alcohol, along with a clean rag, will quickly disinfect tools on the fly. Putting the solution in a small spray bottle makes for easy application and reduces spills. These products are flammable, so the containers and rags should be stored properly.

2. Household cleaners such as Lysol, Listerine, and Pine-Sol are moderately safe and minimally corrosive to tools.

Lysol in a spray can, for example, helps to reach small grooves on drills and saws when sterilizing tools between trees or cuts. The drawback of household cleaners is that they can be costly, and not much research has been done to prove their effectiveness against plant pathogens.

Not the Best 3. Bleach diluted to a 10-percent solution is also widely used as a disinfectant.

To be effective, tools must be soaked for 30 minutes, and rinsed before use.

Bleach has its drawbacks, though. It can be corrosive to tools, it can damage clothes, and is dangerous if inhaled.

Plus, bleach is phytotoxic, and can cause more damage to plants compared to other disinfectants. We recommend sticking with less toxic disinfectants such as those mentioned above.

Tool Sharpening

NO COLLAR AND INCLUDED BARK

It’s very important to sharpen your tools regularly. A sharp pruner, saw, or drill bit cuts cleaner and easier, reducing unnecessary damage to the tree. Frequent sharpening also improves the lifespan of your tools. A dull drill bit, for example, is more likely to break while in use, causing damage to the tree and damage to your wallet to buy a replacement.

We recommend having multiple files on hand so you can easily incorporate this maintenance activity into your regime.

Files come in many shapes and sizes, so find the best tools for you based on your equipment.

INCLUDED BARK

PRUNING CUT

TREE INSPECTIONS There are a few simple items that will help your crew with daily inspections to spot and mitigate tree-related issues.

It’s important to be aware of the trees, especially after storm events. Conduct a walk-through of the property to identify any potential hazards. Mostly, inspection requires you to use your skills of observation.

1. Binoculars. Trees are big, and often we can’t identify hazards from the ground without the help of binoculars.

Crews should use these to do a “scan” from top to bottom of each tree being used in the course, as well as adjacent trees that could target the course.

Look for signs of damage—any broken branches that are suspended in the canopy, large cracks or cavities, off-colored foliage, and areas of heavy sap flow.

NO VISIBLE COLLAR IMAGINARY LINE

BRANCH BARK RIDGE

PRUNING CUT

VISIBLE COLLAR

REMOVE BRANCH HERE AT EDGE OF COLLAR

2. Camera. Photos can help you communicate tree issues to your arborist, and help track tree condition over time.

Photos help your arborist give you advice as situations arise, and help your arborist arrive prepared for any work he or she needs to do. If your trees are numbered or the course elements are named, take a photo of the tag before taking a photo of the tree problem. This will help you keep your photos in order.

3. Caution flagging. This is a simple thing to keep around in the event that a potential hazard is identified and requires more detailed assessment or action. Flag off entire areas beneath trees to redirect foot traffic until a

VISIBLE COLLAR

Proper pruning techniques must be learned before a blade touches a tree.

Illustrations by Edward F. Gilman, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, IFAS, University of Florida.

67 Spring 2020

one will have their own preferences depending on budget and staff. Below, we discuss a few options we recommend to keep your equipment clean and your trees healthy.

certified arborist can inspect the tree in more detail. Use flagging to mark wasp nests throughout your course, too.

TREE PROTECTION & SOILS Trees are extremely sensitive to ground disturbances, especially around their root systems. When soil is compacted, oxygen, water, and nutrients become less available to trees, which causes them to become stressed. Activities beneath the canopies of trees that may compact soil include heavy foot traffic, materials storage, and operating vehicles or heavy equipment.

The following tools can help prevent and repair compaction.

1. Wood chip mulch, a wheelbarrow and a mulching fork are three main tools you can use to protect soils. Add a 6-inchthick layer of coarse woodchip mulch over bare soil to improve soil conditions.

Wood chips are readily available from production arborist companies, and are generally free or very cheap. Have a mulch pile on site at all times, and be equipped to easily spread it beneath trees and along high-use trails.

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2. AlturnaMats or similar lightweight plastic mats protect fragile soils from compaction by vehicles or heavy materials during course construction or maintenance activities. These mats work by spreading pressure over a wider area.

Plywood can provide a similar function,

Above: Always have a sharpening tool, like this sharpening stick, on hand. Right: woodchip mulch can restore damaged soil. Far right: a mattock can help loosen compacted soil.

but is heavier and more difficult to move, and is less durable.

3. Mattocks can be helpful in de-compacting smaller areas of soil. Be careful not to wound any surface roots while using them, and do not over-till the soil.

PROFESSIONAL TOOLS Some of the tools that your arborist may use to assess and manage the trees on your course require a larger financial investment and/or knowledge for proper use. We don’t recommend that you try to use them yourself unless you have received training and have experience with them, but it’s useful to know that these exist and what they can do. Some important examples:

Arborists use a soil core tool to take soil samples for testing.

1. Increment borers are useful on challenge courses, especially to determine growth rates of trees. This will help decide which types of fittings or attachments should be used, and how much room for growth should be provided.

5. Sonic tomography measures the speed of sound waves traveling through a cross-section of the trunk to determine the density of the wood. This tool helps to identify how much decay versus sound wood may be present.

2. Soil cores are used to take soil samples so that an arborist can get a better sense of the soil texture, moisture, and organic material content on your site.

6. Micro-resistance drills use a very small drill bit to determine the density of wood by measuring the resistance as the needle is driven into the wood.

This tool also helps arborists assess the extent of decay in trees.

3. Soil compaction probes or penetrometers measure the pounds per square inch of soil. This accurately measures the degree of soil compaction.

4. Pneumatic air excavation equip-

ment. These powerful tools are used to decompact soil or install infrastructure without severing roots. These tools require advice from an expert and a skilled operator, as they can damage trees if not used correctly. The most common brands are Air-Spade and Air-Knife.

With these tools, a well-trained staff, and the support of a certified arborist, you’ll be well on your way to a long-lasting and healthy forested landscape.

>> Get Ready: 10 Tips for Guide Teams continued from page 55 staff burnout can often be an issue.

“Folks are often working long days in the elements, multiple days in a row, and they can become both physically and mentally exhausted,” says Iverson.

To combat this, Iverson “plans ahead for refresher days at the course, or even a barbecue or other event, to thank staff for all their hard work and check in with them about how things are going.”

9. HANDLING THE MASSES It’s all well and good to train staff on a quiet course, but the reality of the dayto-day operation can be much different, especially when guests arrive en masse.

To prepare staff, Aerial Adventure Academy’s Carne spends a good amount of time going over the basics of group management and engagement.

“Most parks out there have had the experience of multiple buses pulling up, a hundred kids filing out, and new guides standing watching the scene dumb-

“We have found that the single most important factor for preparing new staff is to practice scenarios.” founded,” Carne says. “We want to prepare our staff for this situation, so we teach all of our employees, from hosts to monitors, how to corral and engage large groups. This includes strategies like voice projection, mirrored clapping, and positioning to maximize attention.”

10. GAUGING YOUR GUESTS Since fear is often part and parcel of the adventure or challenge course experience for guests, Sonnie Gibson, operations manager at High Gravity Adventures, teaches staff how to identify guests who seem nervous or show signs of hesitation.

Gibson urges staff to monitor and

gauge their guests from the moment they explain the activities and then throughout each obstacle, challenge, and activity. “This helps staff plan ahead for how to best help guests through their fears,” Gibson explains.

“By continually assessing the guest’s fear level, you can help avoid fear-related surprises and delays,” he adds. “Our goal as recreation professionals is to help create the most fun and best experiences for our guests. If we are constantly observing how our guests are responding, we can help to tailor that experience for them to make it even better.”

And that, after all, is a fantastic goal for any park.

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