In and around Bucknell’s campus, landscaping covers most of the areas not dedicated to academic buildings or connecting pathways. The operations that enable Bucknell’s lush, often seasonally-augmented grounds are a mystery to the average frequenter of campus, whether student or faculty. The Bucknellian spoke with Dawayne Betzer, Bucknell’s Grounds Manager, to peel back some of the layers of groundskeeping operations and shed light on the aspects of landscaping that often draw curiosity from students.
When fully staffed, the grounds team totals 23 members. Currently, they’re operating with twenty, led by Betzer, who “oversees daily operations.” Three crew leaders report directly to Betzer, with each overseeing their own areas: “athletics fields, paving, refuse management, excavation projects”; “campus mowing and event setup”; and “landscape planting and bed maintenance,” respectively. Though responsibilities are divided into those categories, “all staff members are cross-trained,” and “able to support multiple functions” when called upon. Thanks to that flexibility, the team as a whole is able to “shift resources as needed,” which helps them towards their comprehensive goal of ensuring that all aspects of landscaping on campus are “maintained efficiently and effectively.”
Landscaping planning processes differ according to the aspect under consideration. The team begins by “evaluating campus buildings and landscapes to identify areas that could be improved,” as many landscapes currently in place have been there “for years” and may require a “refresh” or “redesign.” In particular, the team pays close attention to “high visibility areas,” prioritizing them for updates where possible. If an existing planting is “older,” “no longer complement[s] the surrounding architecture” or is “difficult to maintain” in the long-term, it becomes a higher priority.
“Several factors guide our yearly planning,” Betzer explains. “Weather and seasonal conditions are the most important.” For planting, spring and fall are ideal; moderate temperatures and predictable rainfall increase the likeliness of successful transplants or new plantbeds. “Summer is more challenging because of heat and drought stress,” and the “frozen ground” common to winter makes most planting activity unviable. But the landscaping team has to consider campus happenings, too— they “coordinate closely” with both the academic calendar and campus events, so as not to conflict with “classes, student activities, camps and major events,” particularly in highly trafficked areas. “Coordination with other departments” is also essential, to avoid conflicts with any “ongoing construction.”
Even though balancing all those elements can be challenging, it quickly becomes rewarding when the team sees students “actively us[ing] and enjoy[ing] the spaces” under their care. “It is especially satisfying to see lawns and quads filled with students studying, socializing or relaxing outdoors,” as it shows that the work the team is doing is truly meaningful to campus life. Betzer also “take[s] pride in seasonal planting areas,” especially around “high traffic spaces” and “academic buildings.” When “flowerbeds are in full bloom and complement the surrounding architecture,” the true “care and intention behind their design” becomes, to him, even clearer.
As part of the maintenance process, sometimes, trees or other plants must be removed. “Tree removal is always a last resort,” Betzer says, “and is approached with great care.” The team maintains “regular inspections” and, if they identify a potential issue, invite “assessments from certified arborists.” Risk factors—to both the tree and those people and buildings near to it—are evaluated “before making any decision.” They look for “disease, pest infestation, internal decay, root damage and structural instability,” which can often show up in the form of “warning signs” like “dead branches, fungal growth, trunk cavities, bark deterioration, canopy decline and abnormal leaning.”
Bucknell’s approach to arboreal health is “unique.” For over thirty years, a “certified arborist,” Bill, has been on staff; though Bill recently retired, “another individual” with the same certifications and training will be replacing him. And the on-staff arborist is not the sole player when it comes to tree evaluations; an “external arborist,” as well as “several local tree-trimming companies,” collaborate closely to appraise trees and “whenever there are doubts or concerns,” second and third opinions are sought before any decisions are made. The team dislikes removing trees, so that choice is “always made […] carefully.” That standard of care is one the landscaping team has “always adhered to, and will continue to.”
“Safety is our primary concern,” Betzer emphasizes. “Trees that pose a risk to walkways, buildings, parking areas or other high-traffic spaces may need to be removed,” and if there is a concern of disease or pests spreading out from an infected tree, that needs to be taken seriously, too. Non-safety removals are “far less common,” and when they do occur, the team “minimizes impact” and “preserve[s the] tree” whenever they can.
“In most cases,” the team tries to “replace removed trees to maintain or improve the campus canopy,” but if the “site conditions, infrastructure needs and suitability for planting” don’t allow direct replacement, they’ll “plant elsewhere on campus to offset canopy loss.” Timing for a given replacement “depends on the planting season”; if removal occurs outside the spring or fall windows, “planting may be delayed,” and regardless, “full establishment of a new tree can take 2–5 years.” Costs vary significantly— installation and early care of “larger caliper” trees, in combination with the cost of the tree itself, can cost upwards of four thousand dollars, while “fully replacing a mature tree” can cost upwards of ten thousand dollars, sometimes more than fifty should the process demand additional or “specialized” approaches.
Typically, the team will plant “younger trees rather than mature replacements,” as larger trees “are possible” but more prohibitably expensive and often “less successful long-term.”
“Since 2023,” when Betzer hired a “landscape planting and bed maintenance crew leader,” the team has “planted a total of 1,812 new plants across campus.” 128 of those plants were “new trees, ranging from 1-inch to 3.5-inch caliper.”
“Trees are living organisms with finite lifespans, just like us,” Betzer adds. “While we do everything within reason to preserve and care for the trees on campus for as long as possible, there will inevitably come a time when some must be replaced.” The choice to remove a tree is never “made lightly” or “without purpose.” The team is “committed to maintaining and enhancing the campus landscape, and ensuring it continues to grow and thrive for future generations to enjoy.”
