Palm Springs Ballfields Receive Renovation From Project EverGreen and SFMA

Project EverGreen, members of the Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) and the City of Palm Spring Parks and Recreation Department teamed up on Monday, January 13, 2025 at Demuth Park in Palm Springs, California to give the baseball fields at the city’s largest and most frequently used a $40,000 makeover. The park is one of more than a dozen the city of Palm Springs manages for this city of 45,000 residents.

More than 75 professional volunteers joined forces to deliver a professionally renovated baseball field for aspiring youth athletes and neighborhood residents. More than 130,000 sq. ft. of turf and infield playing surfaces were renovated, providing athletes of all ages and the community with a safer, more accessible ballfield and recreation space they can call their own.

This incredible effort included expert sports field managers from across the nation, in town for the Sports Field Management Association annual conference. In less than four hours, the ballfield was completely transformed, showcasing the power of collaboration and expertise.

“Transformations like these aren’t achieved by one person or group alone, it takes a community effort,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “In Palm Springs, we’ve seen firsthand how well-maintained athletic fields and recreation spaces can strengthen the social fabric, offering a safe and welcoming environment for people to compete, exercise, and connect outdoors.”

Project EverGreen works with under-resourced communities to renovate, maintain, and make more accessible healthy playing fields, as well as to improve the environmental health of public green spaces. Green spaces, such as ball fields, act as the lungs of a city. The 130,000 square feet of turf at Demuth Park’s baseball fields is responsible for sequestering nearly 65 thousand pounds of carbon from the air annually which produces nearly 98,000 cubic yards of clean air annually for the community using the park and neighboring the park.

Nicholas Gonzalez, director of parks and recreation for the City of Palm Springs, said the city is beyond grateful that Project EverGreen beautified our baseball fields at Demuth Park.

“I want to thank Project EverGreen and the Sports Field Management Association, who gave their time, talent and resources to transform our park,” said Gonzalez. “This gift is meaningful to our community who will continue to enjoy this space and create lasting memories with family and friends.”

The Palm Springs Demuth Park project, the fifth collaboration between SFMA and Project EverGreen (Phoenix ’19, West Palm Beach ’20, Savannah ’22 and Daytona Beach ’23), included the following scope of work:

• Establishing the radius on the baseball fields at 60 feet from the front of the pitching rubbers.
• Removing all grass and/or topsoil from inside the 60-foot radius.
• Removing any existing infield mix from beyond the 60-foot radius.
• Supply and install infield mix and/or topsoil to establish the infield skin surface and infield perimeter.
• Supply and install Bermuda sod overseeded with Perennial Ryegrass to establish the 60-foot radius.
• Supply, install and grade infield mix to cut high areas and fill low areas.
• Supply and install new pitching rubbers, home plates and base sets at the required distances, alignment and elevations.
• Supply and install mound clay to reinforce the home plate batter’s boxes and pitching areas.
• Supply and spread 1 ton of conditioner on each infield.
• Groom ready for play.
• Irrigation repairs will include installing or adjusting heads for the 60-foot radius and/or new heads for the remainder of the turf area in the outfields.

SFMA supported the renovation project by asking its members – professional sport turf managers — to assist with the planning and hands-on renovation work.

“It has become an annual tradition for our members to help rejuvenate a sports field in the community hosting our SFMA conference and we’re excited to be a part of this year’s transformative project at Demuth Park,” shared Sun Roesslein, Certified Sports Field Manager and SFMA past president. “Our team of dedicated sports field managers brings unparalleled expertise to this project, and we’re honored to contribute our skills to give back to the Palm Springs community. Project EverGreen embodies SFMA’s steadfast commitment to ensure safe sports fields are available for people of all ages to practice, play, and compete.”

In-kind donors to the project include:

• Arborjet | Ecologel
• Barenbrug
• Bulldog Field Equipment
• Ecologel
• FJ Dynamics
• Great Western Sports Field
• Hunter Industries
• Pioneer Products
• Profile Products
• ProPeat
• Rain Bird
• Site One
• Sports Field Solutions
• West Coast Turf

Since 2008, Project EverGreen has renovated more than 100 community parks and restored 200 million square feet of healthy turf across the country.