GROUNDS
Imagine that you're sitting on a bench on our beautiful campus. You see bikers glide by and hear the cheery chatter of students walking to class. You notice the vibrant turf, clean patios, and a kaleidoscope of colors in the nearby flowerbed. A sycamore tree offers shade, handsome brick walls guide pedestrians, and a mighty rock provides a place to sit. The fragrance of jasmine and colorful shrubs delight your senses. The area is free from litter, sidewalks are neatly edged, and gurgling water cascades off a nearby sculpture. The setting is ideal. You wonder what is involved in building and maintaining such a place and who does it.
A lot of clever ideas and hard work are necessary to create a positive outdoor environment. At the University of Florida, the Grounds Department in Physical Plant has responsibility for providing a campus that is safe, pleasant, and supportive of academic pursuits. We do this by placing tables and benches, constructing sidewalks, building bike racks, picking up litter, mowing lawns, repairing roads, maintaining parking lots, pruning shrubs, trimming trees, and taking care of Lake Alice, as well as by providing irrigation and landscaping. It's fun as well as gratifying work so we consider it a privilege to have a small part in support of this university's mission.
The only reason we're on campus is to serve others. We try hard to do this and try hard to do the right
things well. But, if you have an idea to improve campus or see something we've missed that ought to be
done, please let us know by calling (352) 392-1148 or send me an email at fgratto@ufl.edu.
Have a great day and go Gators!
Fred Gratto, Assistant Director
(352) 392-1148
fgratto@ufl.edu
Sherry Martensen, Sr. Secretary
(352) 392-1148
svaughan@ufl.edu
Rose Boks, Sr. Clerk
(352) 392-1140
rboks@ufl.edu
Marty Werts, Landscaping/Groundskeeping Superintendent
(352) 392-1148
mwerts@ufl.edu
Paul Malcolm, Landscaping/Groundskeeping Superintendent
(352) 392-1148
pmalcol@ufl.edu
Dale Morris, Solid Waste Coordinator
(352) 392-7396
damorris@ufl.edu