Happy Friday, planet-partners. Over the past few weeks, The Corner has been using bandwith to discuss the fine job our Central Utilities crews do in promoting sustainability by keeping our infrastructure in fine working order. Today, let’s turn our attention to our Grounds department and what it’s like to maintain a bucolic campus in an urban environment. Even though UR is located in the city of Rochester, we are surrounded by an abundance of gifts from Mother Nature. We are bordered on one side by the Genesee River, and another part of our campus is located directly across from Genesee Valley Park (designed by the great landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead). Keeping up with such beautiful surroundings would be a mighty challenge for even the most dedicated of grounds departments. Fortunately, we’re proud to say that UR has one of the finest Grounds departments in the US. Each of the four seasons (we do have them here. Honest.) present a host opportunities for Dan Schied and his crew to grow, refresh, maintain, and renew our flora.
UR Grounds seeks out and utilizes the lastest in sustainable solutions, so that the campus looks great all year round. One example is that the department is now planting more drought tolerant plants. The goal is that one-third less water will be used to maintain the plantings. Another process is that grass is kept at three inches. This reduces evaporation and allows the ground to stay moist. These are just a couple of illustrations of being proactive in protecting the precious gift or planet has given us.