CSU, Chico Grounds Dept

Facilities Management & Services
"Preserving the Past, Constructing the Future"

Grounds Department

Facilities Management and Services' Grounds Department provides professional grounds services to University natural environs that exist on the 119 acres which comprise the campus property. The Grounds Department keeps fifteen employees and one manager very busy with a wide range of tasks, which includes maintaining the campus arboretum and the George Peterson Rose Garden, as well as giving us the most beautiful campus in the CSU system.

A series of free tours to see the California State University, Chico and Bidwell Mansion State Park trees will be available on 4 Wednesdays starting October 19. The easy and informative walks will start at 10 am in front of the Bidwell Mansion and last about one hour.

Additional tours will be offered every two weeks at the same time and place on November 2, 16, and 30. Each tour will cover a different group of trees with as little repetition as possible. The walks are open to the public and are led by horticulturists and botanists from the University.

A real treat will be seeing a number of trees and shrubs planted by the Bidwells, some of which date to the building of the mansion in 1870. Bidwell notes in his diary for 1880 that he an Annie harvested their first crop of American Chestnuts along Sowilleno Avenue behind the mansion. A few of these remain and will soon be producing ripe fruits. Other Bidwell trees are the tulip tree, turkey oak, monkeypuzzle tree, ginkgo, and water oak.

On campus around the administration building are a number of trees that date to the founding of the University in 1887. These include several London planes and California incense cedars. Recent plantings include bunya-bunya from Australia, black tupelo or sour gum from Southeastern United States, European red beech, and red horse chestnut

Along Chico Creek southeast of the Mansion is a new planting of California native plants that include toyon, foothill pine, redbud, and buckeye. Further along on campus are more recent plantings of California natives planted by the student Arboretum Club. A nature trail takes you through these on both sides of the creek with 16 numbered stops identifying such plants as mugwort, California chain fern, white alder and California sycamore. A guide to the nature trail titled "Campus Creekside Nature Walk" is available for 50 cents at Bidwell Mansion, the Biology Office in Holt Hall, and the AS Bookstore. Also available is a map of the trees of both the campus and the mansion titled "Campus Trees" for $2.00.

Leaders of the first tour will be Gary Vercruse, Manager of Grounds for the University, and Wes Dempsey, Professor Emeritus of Biology. In addition to telling facts about each tree, they will be happy to answer questions about planting, care, pruning and problem-solving. For further information, call Gary Vercruse at 530-898-6222 or Wes Dempsey at 530-342-2293, or the Bidwell Mansion at 530-895-6144.



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Facilities Management & Services "Preserving the Past, Constructing the Future" Grounds Department Welcome! Facilities Management and Services' Grounds Department provides professional grounds services to University natural environs that exist on the 119 acres which comprise the campus property. The Grounds Department keeps fifteen employees and one manager very busy with a wide range of tasks, which includes maintaining the campus arboretum and the George Peterson Rose Garden, as well as giving us the most beautiful campus in the CSU system. FMS has a new Green Machine! Campus Tree Tours Start October 19 A series of free tours to see the California State University, Chico and Bidwell Mansion State Park trees will be available on 4 Wednesdays starting October 19. The easy and informative walks will start at 10 am in front of the Bidwell Mansion and last about one hour. Additional tours will be offered every two weeks at the same time and place on November 2, 16, and 30. Each tour will cover a different group of trees with as little repetition as possible. The walks are open to the public and are led by horticulturists and botanists from the University. A real treat will be seeing a number of trees and shrubs planted by the Bidwells, some of which date to the building of the mansion in 1870. Bidwell notes in his diary for 1880 that he an Annie harvested their first crop of American Chestnuts along Sowilleno Avenue behind the mansion. A few of these remain and will soon be producing ripe fruits. Other Bidwell trees are the tulip tree, turkey oak, monkeypuzzle tree, ginkgo, and water oak. On campus around the administration building are a number of trees that date to the founding of the University in 1887. These include several London planes and California incense cedars. Recent plantings include bunya-bunya from Australia, black tupelo or sour gum from Southeastern United States, European red beech, and red horse chestnut Along Chico Creek southeast of the Mansion is a new planting of California native plants that include toyon, foothill pine, redbud, and buckeye. Further along on campus are more recent plantings of California natives planted by the student Arboretum Club. A nature trail takes you through these on both sides of the creek with 16 numbered stops identifying such plants as mugwort, California chain fern, white alder and California sycamore. A guide to the nature trail titled "Campus Creekside Nature Walk" is available for 50 cents at Bidwell Mansion, the Biology Office in Holt Hall, and the AS Bookstore. Also available is a map of the trees of both the campus and the mansion titled "Campus Trees" for $2.00. Leaders of the first tour will be Gary Vercruse, Manager of Grounds for the University, and Wes Dempsey, Professor Emeritus of Biology. In addition to telling facts about each tree, they will be happy to answer questions about planting, care, pruning and problem-solving. For further information, call Gary Vercruse at 530-898-6222 or Wes Dempsey at 530-342-2293, or the Bidwell Mansion at 530-895-6144. Take a virtual tour of our campus. Donate a tree and view pictures of trees on campus.
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