Job Summary

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Maintains woody, perennial, and annual plants and beds to ensure their healthy, safe, and attractive condition including weeding, mulching, pruning, transplanting, fertilizing, and removal of any dead, diseased, or declining plant stock. Inspects campus landscapes for issues, hazards, and risks and works with supervisor to determine solutions.
• Operates standard nursery and grounds keeping equipment, including trucks, tractors, skid-steers, roto-tillers, edgers, pruners, sheers, mowers, etc.
• Performs installation, maintenance, and upkeep of native landscapes, including ability to distinguish between desirable species and unwanted weed growth. Understands the steps required to establish and maintain these increasingly prevalent styles of landscapes.
• Applies knowledge on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) landscapes - those that are intertwined with LEED building systems, including roof stormwater retention basins, low-mow native areas, no-mow native areas, green-roofs, etc.
• Performs installation and maintenance of stormwater retention swales (bioswales, raingardens, etc.).
• Applies intricate knowledge and expertise of all shrub and perennial species, including pruning and maintenance requirements (i.e., fine gardening skills).
• Performs pest and disease identification, including application of best practices for safe eradication.
• Identifies weeds, including noxious and common weeds, as well as invasive species.
• Identifies and diagnoses problems in the landscape.
• Provides emergency response for grounds related campus emergencies, including weather emergencies, snow removal, and all other duties as assigned.

General Responsibilities

• Propagates, maintains, and nurtures young plant stock. Monitors nursery and greenhouse stock for pests and diseases. Applies chemicals as necessary.
• Installs landscape designs by planting a variety of materials (trees, shrubs, flowers, etc.) in accordance with blueprints, drawings, sketches, or design specifications.
• Prunes and shapes trees, shrubs, and other plants for most desirable appearance using pruners, limb saws, hedge shears, and loppers. Waters, fertilizes, and mulches plants.
• Operates loader and mixer to prepare soil mixes and amendments. Operates multiple types of garden machinery and performs basic preventive maintenance.
• Assists supervisor with implementing seasonal projects by coordinating tasks of other helpers. Helps supervisor with planning work schedules.
• Monitors plant stock for pests and diseases. Applies appropriate treatments when necessary including pesticide, fungicide, miticide, etc. Maintains records of chemical usage.
• Performs grounds maintenance work including weeding, seeding, mowing, snow removal, and other seasonal tasks.