Grounds and Landscaping Operations

Grounds & Landscaping

About Us

The Grounds & Landscaping Operations team consistently maintains a safe, clean, sustainable, and attractive setting for which our institution has become renowned. As an active urban campus, we carefully consider each site's aesthetics, function, and ecological conditions to create a welcoming and accessible landscaped environment for the campus community. Our vision is to transform the campus into a living arboretum where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are grown and maintained for public engagement, education, and conservation. By adding sustainable species to our collection, we aim to enhance the beauty of our historic campus for future generations while promoting long-term environmental stewardship.

Our Impact

Grounds Maintenance
Grounds Maintenance is responsible for overseeing over 574 acres of land. Their tasks include mowing, edging, leaf and debris removal, mulching, weeding, planting, pruning, and contributing to special landscape projects. Additionally, the tree crew conducts tree removal and limb pruning to maintain campus safety and the health of the trees.

Landscaping & Nursery
The Landscaping and Nursery group is responsible for planting and maintaining flower beds by regularly weeding, mulching, and pruning. This helps to add color accents to our campus. They plant trees, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals, and perennials. Additionally, the group maintains a holding area and greenhouses at the FSU Nursery, where new plant materials and transplants are cultivated.

Irrigation
The Irrigation group maintains and installs pipes, sprinklers, valves, and controllers. Using smart sensors, they adjust based on rainfall and evapotranspiration rates and determine irrigation timings so as not to interfere with daily campus activities. Additionally, they demonstrate sustainability by reusing irrigation parts and salvaging old controllers for smart systems.

Pruning & Arboriculture
The Pruning and Arboriculture group cultivates and maintains trees and shrubs on campus. Tree removal and limb pruning is a critical function of this crew, tasked with maintaining campus safety and the health of the trees.