Covering a lot of ground

Staff writer

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link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Eastern New Mexico University Grounds Services Manager Dent McGill trims rose bushes Wednesday in the greenhouse at the physical plant.

With more than 150 acres of turf to care for, Eastern New Mexico University’s grounds services department has their work cut out for them.

The department, which is part of the university’s physical plant, is responsible for maintaining a clean and aesthetically pleasing campus for students and faculty year round.

Grounds Services Manager Dent McGill said the department’s 12-man crew strives to keep the campus green while finding ways to conserve water.

“The first thing people see is the grounds, it’s a big first impression deal,” McGill said.

McGill said the grounds crew has installed xeriscape rockbeds around the campus to help cut back on water use.

McGill said 2015 is the first year the grounds crew has grown their own flowers for the spring graduation ceremony in a recently completed greenhouse in the physical plant complex.

The crew also maintains 32 concrete planters filled with flowers around campus.

McGill said the crew works well together and stays proactive about campus maintenance to keep the university looking pristine.

“If it doesn’t look the way people want, we’ll hear about it,” McGill said of the crew’s drive to keep the campus green.

The department trims the campus’ trees and bushes during the spring and summer and clears snow and ice during the winter.

The department uses an array of mowers, golf carts, shredders, and tractors to keep up with the day to day maintenance that the campus requires.

McGill said the department stays busy throughout the year maintaining the university’s soccer and football fields.

McGill said the spring semester is the busiest time of the year for the department, with soccer, baseball, and softball seasons in addition to annual campus events like mud volleyball.

Before each sports season the department re-seeds each field and prepares the grounds for the players and fans.

Irrigation specialist Michael Trujillo said the department assigns two to three crew members to field preparations before each game.

He said the crew stays through the games and cleans the premises after the game as well.

The department lends its resources at the physical plant to other departments, according McGill.

He said his crew will often help set up tables and chairs for events and assists in campus projects.

“The managers and the guys work well together, everyone wants to be here,” McGill said.

McGill said during heavy snows, like Portales experienced in January, the physical plant’s other departments pitch in to help clear roadways and sidewalks to keep the campus safe.

Trujillo said he helps apply pesticides during the summer months to keep bug populations to a minimum on campus.

Trujillo said he enjoys that the job brings a new challenge everyday.

“There’s never a dull moment, there’s always something new or unexpected,” Trujillo said.