Have you ever wondered how the Princeton campus stays beautiful year-round, especially during busy seasons like Reunion Weekend? Rob Staudt, Assistant Director, Campus Grounds and EJ May, Manager, Grounds Operations are two of the major forces behind the stewardship of the University grounds. In ways both large and small, Staudt and May ensure that Princeton is always ready to welcome residents and guests alike.

Mulching, the process of protecting soil and plants with layers of organic material, is necessary during the spring and fall - as well as between plantings - to ensure all components of the campus ecosystem are healthy. It’s a multifaceted process that is initiated in early spring to ensure that the campus is looking its best. The University runs its grounds operations in a way that reuses resources and minimizes waste. “We have over 10,000 trees on campus,” Staudt said, “and as we maintain those trees, we’ll turn the debris and any trees we need to take down due to being dead or a safety hazard into chips and fracture them down to create our own mulch.”

“We recycle all campus wood materials, which includes dead trees, leaves, and plant debris to make mulch, compost, and topsoil for our later use,” May explained. “We also incorporate the compost from the S.C.R.A.P lab into our soil making process.” The Campus Grounds team even brews onsite “compost tea” in vats of excess mulch and compost with beneficial ingredients like alfalfa. The tea is then sprayed as a protective measure on campus plants and soil to boost them with nutrients.

This is important work, particularly because reunions prep involves a lot of soil and turf rehabilitation. “Lawns across campus are renovated, and we also establish and strengthen the turf, mulch the beds, and get things pruned ahead of where the tents are going,” Staudt said. In terms of coordinating where to put the tents, “Safety is always a consideration. We’ll work with alumni classes where we can and come up with best practices for the sites in tandem with Advancement.”

For Staudt, what makes the process so gratifying is the forward-looking approach to Princeton’s campus. “We’re here planting trees that I’ve seen grown, literally stewarding a piece of earth for hopefully 20-40 years.” That long-range view is what has made the University’s beauty so remarkable for decades and will ensure the health and longevity of the Princeton ecosystem for decades to come.