When Ben Holmes first started working with Landscape Services over five years ago, he admittedly didn’t have a lot of experience.
“I think I push-mowed my parents’ backyard a few times,” Holmes said, laughing. “But, at a certain point, you just have to grab the right tool and go for it.”
Today, Holmes is in his third year as the area leader for Maxwell Arboretum on East Campus, charged with tending to one of the most iconic and beautiful spaces on campus. It’s no small role, and one that he earned through a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn from fellow Huskers and an eagerness to get his hands dirty.
“When I was an assistant area leader on East Campus, I worked under a horticulture student named Anna Yost,” Holmes, who is also a junior pre-health student, said. “I was basically her apprentice, learning a ton about the field and all the different jobs it requires.”
Across campus, Holmes described the work of Landscape Services as a nonstop team effort to accomplish a massive array of needs, tasks and projects that keep our campus picturesque.
“We're push-mowing, pruning, digging weeds, installing plants, trimming trees, running equipment — there's so much to it and so many things to get done.”
Homes, who has worked on both City and East campuses, says Maxwell Arboretum has its own unique challenges.
“It can need a higher level of TLC [tender loving care] than some other areas. There's a lot more planting that goes on and we're installing things with a bit more regularity, especially after the construction project.”
Holmes, who grew up in Lincoln, sees his role in maintaining the Arboretum — and the role of Landscape Services as a whole — as a way of serving both the campus community and the surrounding Lincoln community he cherishes.
“I think it's really special in that the university campus feels like part of the city,” he said. “Growing up, I remember coming to City or East Campus like it was any other park, and that's what Maxwell Arboretum feels like. We have a lot of beautiful buildings out here, but Maxwell feels like a park and part of the community. It really feels like there aren’t borders between us and Lincoln.”
