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Webinar: Maintaining Healthy Landscapes on Higher Education Campus During a Pandemic

Hear from an expert that has kept a campus running efficiently while maintaining their health and sanity.

In the era of COVID, schools need to be flexible with their operations. No one is entirely sure what the coming year will bring for colleges and universities.

Whether students and staff are physically onsite or participating remotely, a healthy landscape is critical. But with budget cuts, skeleton staffing, and increased regulations, maintaining a healthy site might seem more difficult than ever.

That’s why we’re bringing in John Walker from the University of Utah. He manages landscaping projects on the 62,000+ person campus. With a site that comprises a hospital and numerous educational facilities, the university is a significant test case in pandemic landscape management. Learn from John about how he and his team are keeping campus green, safe, and healthy in these unprecedented times.

The webinar will cover:

● Campus landscape challenges during COVID
● Crew safety & health – reducing site visit risks
● Students & teachers – virtual, in-person, or a combination of both?
● Sports fields maintenance changes – what to do when turf is not in use
● Remote management and visibility – what can be accomplished off-site?

Don’t miss hearing from an industry veteran who has successfully kept an 800-acre campus healthy and landscaped during the pandemic.

John Walker, Grounds Supervisor of University of Utah

John Walker has worked in the green industry for 18 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Construction and Maintenance from Utah State University and an MBA from the University of Utah. He has spent most of his career on university campuses with a five year detour working on baseball fields in Arizona for the Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Complex.

With an educational background in low water and adapted landscapes, he has had the opportunity to integrate his knowledge into every job. His focus on sustainability and resource conservation has successfully reduced the University of Utah water budget by 20% in the last five years. In his current role as Grounds Supervisor for the University of Utah, John manages a team of 40 full time employees. They are responsible for landscape and irrigation maintenance and snow removal of the 300+ acre campus and University hospital complex

Maintaining Healthy Landscapes on a Higher Education Campus During a Pandemic

With increased regulations and deeply reduced work staff during the COVID Era, the challenge of managing and maintaining expansive landscapes at college and university campuses has become enormous.

Smart Water Management
Webinar Series

This webinar series focuses on our solutions (BaselineWeatherTRAK and WaterCompass) and tips and tricks for managing your site’s water use remotely.  Join the conversation during one of our FREE webinars.

University of Utah Case Study

The University of Utah (the U) comprises a student and faculty population of over 65,000. As a leader in interdisciplinary research in addressing the urgent sustainability challenges of our time, the U also strives to be a model of environmental best practices on campus.

In addition to water savings, the systems will result in significant reduction in labor and maintenance costs.

– Lisa McCarrel, Landscape Supervisor at University of Utah