When I was a new Grounds Supervisor working at Alexandria Hospital in Virginia, I would take a monthly walk through campus and generate quite a lengthy punch list of ALL the work I needed to do. Truth be told, most of that work never got done. It rolled over, or simply fell out of my sphere of concern. I dont need to tell any of you how many concerns/problems we Grounds Managers see whether we are looking or not.

I don't need a list for what needs to be done NOW, or when someone important thinks it is IMPORTANT. What I do need a list for are the "big picture" things I want to accomplish each year.

Landscape Master Plan

I have worked at Drury University for four years now. During that time I have learned much about how grounds management is tied to enrollment, student life, facilities management, environmental/ecological performance, the greater Springfield community, etc. All of these aspects are considered and rearranged in my mind as I manage the campus grounds in an effort to maximize their performance in support of Drurys goals. I have a very clear image in my mind about what I want this campus to look like, and how it needs to be managed.

If I want this plan to be reviewed and adopted by campus decision makers, I need to get it out of my head and onto paper (so to speak). This will provide for the long-term stability that is essential to a sustainable landscape. Because Drury was founded in 1873, I will only play a part in the landscape, but my efforts could have long term implications. A ratified Landscape Master Plan would assure I am not redirecting, restarting, my landscape efforts unnecessarily. Adopting a Landscape Master Plan is a goal of mine for 2016.

SketchUp

One aspect of sustainability that I dont hear discussed much is making our positions and employment sustainable. I want my job to stick around. With shrinking personnel budgets, downsizing and outsourcing, our jobs are constantly under pressure to be justified. One way you show your worth is expanding your capabilities. One way I am eager to expand my capabilities is by creating marketable images for conveying design and renovations on campus. When undertaking a significant renovation, and especially when seeking funding for those renovations, a hand rendered image wont work. Our bosses and supporters can be strongly influenced by attractive, understandable graphics. SketchUp is one way that can be done, in-house, saving money and avoiding confusion.

SketchUp (freeware) or SketchUp Pro (for purchase) is a CAD type software program that allows you to draw a three dimension landscape site plan. While it is not specifically for landscape design (does not contain preloaded images and information for specific plants) it does allow for construction quality plans and design images that can be rendered to closely resemble the finished product. It also has the benefit of being electronic information and is therefore easily shared with stakeholders. DU Grounds has the ability to create high quality design, and we should have the ability to create high quality design graphics.

Social Media Reach

Although grounds accomplishments provide high visibility, it is still in a team's best interest to advertise their achievements and support of the organization. One of the ways to do this is through a social media program. Drury Grounds has had Twitter and Facebook accounts for just over a year now. Social media allows us to present an image that is, to a degree, what we want people to see. Not everyone who visits our campus sees all we do.

Social media lets us keep people up to date on our efforts even when our work is not in their immediate sphere. It also helps us expand our support base since people that are no longer in our geographic area can still keep up with happenings. As the year goes by, we want to continue our efforts and even consider new outlets. We are also constantly looking for ways to share social media efforts with allies and other DU entities.

(Hey, how about a follow on Twitter @DruryGrounds or Facebook.com/DruryGrounds?)

First Things First

I find that I actually keep sight of the little things very well. I rarely let the grass get too tall before I mow. I rarely let weeds get out of hand. It is the large/strategic items that I tend to lose focus of.  It gets me thinking of a quote I have heard attributed to President (and General) Dwight Eisenhower.

What I need to consider more often is the efforts that shape the overall direction I want for Drury Grounds. If I have a destination, I can keep driving toward it relentlessly, without getting bogged down in the details.