Improving sustainability on the campus: Inside the daily work of UNM Grounds Supervisor Franklin Wittkofsky

As the sun rises over the trees and pathways of The University of New Mexico campus, the grounds crew is already at work. Sprinklers hum softly across the lawns, and maintenance vehicles move quietly between walkways and garden beds.

For Franklin Wittkofsky, a grounds supervisor with UNM Facility Services, mornings like these are a routine part of the job.

Maintaining a large university campus is no small task - from lawns and trees to irrigation systems and planting beds, every element requires careful planning and consistent care. Long before most students arrive for class, Wittkofsky and his team are ensuring the campus landscape remains healthy and welcoming, and the methods they use are environmentally responsible.

A Career Rooted in Care for the Land

Wittkofsky has worked at UNM for more than a decade and currently oversees several teams responsible for maintaining many of the university's outdoor spaces. His role combines hands-on work with leadership, coordination, and creative problem-solving.

Wittkofsky's work goes beyond simply maintaining appearances. Through sustainable landscaping practices and thoughtful resource management, he and his team play an important role in supporting UNM's broader commitment to environmental stewardship.

Each day, Wittkofsky begins at 4 a.m. by checking in with his crew and reviewing the priorities for the day. Often that means irrigation maintenance, seasonal planting, tree care, or concrete replacement and repairs. With thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors moving through campus each day, keeping these outdoor spaces safe and functional requires constant attention.

But for Wittkofsky, the work is about more than logistics.

"None of the teams work without the other one," Wittkofsky notes of the various campus support teams he oversees. "From the irrigators, to the arborists, the equipment operators, to the recycling and waste staff, every person on the team is essential to sustaining UNM's green campus."

Over the years, Wittkofsky has developed a deep familiarity with the rhythms of the campus' environments - when certain plants flourish, where irrigation adjustments are needed, and how to prepare the grounds for New Mexico's changing weather patterns.

Wittkofsky began his career in 2008 at age 19 as a grounds technician and his hands-on experience gave him a deep understanding of the day-to-day work, and now informs him in his leadership role.

"People walk across this campus every day and don't think twice about the grass under their feet or the trees giving them shade, and that's exactly the point," said Marco Rosas, director of UNM Grounds & Landscaping. "Franklin's team makes campus feel like a place worth being in. That's not a small thing. It shapes how students, faculty, and visitors experience UNM every single day, even when they don't realize it."

Supporting Sustainable Landscapes

Sustainability is a central part of landscape management at UNM. The high desert climate of New Mexico creates unique environmental challenges, particularly when it comes to water conservation.

Wittkofsky and his team work closely with the UNM Office of Sustainability to maintain the campus arboretum, and meet sustainability goals while continuing their regular maintenance. His team manages efficient watering schedules through careful monitoring of soil moisture, and ongoing system maintenance helps to ensure that resources are used responsibly.

"Franklin and the entire Grounds & Landscaping Team exemplify how Sustainability can be embedded in daily operations; we cannot achieve our UNM sustainability goals just through large, one-off initiatives, said Anne Jakle, director of the UNM Office of Sustainability. "With Franklin leading the crew that manages our irrigation systems, plant care, and-for a large portion of last year - our trees, Grounds has prioritized water conservation and pollinator-friendly practices alongside aesthetics."

Another key strategy involves planting and maintaining vegetation that is well suited to the region's climate. Drought-tolerant plants and native species require less water and are better adapted to the local environment, making them a practical and sustainable choice for campus landscapes.

"We're always trying to make it greener," Wittkofsky says. "But we have been working to make the campus better reflect the local vegetation, and use water more efficiently."

This commitment to a greener campus is evident in several upcoming projects for Wittkofsky and his team. New time watering time clocks -powered from a cellular network - will allow virtual monitorization of sprinkler systems. This system allows Wittkofsky to shut off sprinklers at the precise moment a technical issue arises, conserving hundreds to thousands of gallons of water that can be lost during a pipe break or leak.

Additionally, new stream-based nozzle heads conserve up to 50% more water than their spray based counterparts. UNM's dedication to sustainability is made possible by the efforts of Wittkosfsky and his team, who've contributed to the conversion of 50% of sprinkler heads on Central Campus, and 90% on North Campus.

"The new watering systems Franklin's team installed aren't just about saving water; they're about making sure UNM's grounds can thrive for decades without straining our resources," said Rosas. "Every gallon we don't waste is a gallon we can put toward something else the University needs. That's the kind of thinking Franklin brings to the table, and it's going to pay off long after any of us are gone."

Other Work Behind the Scenes

While many students may admire the green lawns, shaded walkways, and landscaped courtyards on campus, few realize the amount of work required to maintain them.

Throughout the year, Wittkofsky and his crew respond to both seasonal and everyday maintenance needs, including waste management, sidewalk repairs and salting of roads during ice and snow in the winter.

Wittkofsky emphasizes that creative problem-solving is key to smooth operations and sustainability efforts. "We try to repurpose as much as we can" Wittkofsky notes of reusing material. "Not just to save money, but because it's good practice."

Rather than creating waste from the removal of unsafe or unhealthy trees at the UNM golf course, Wittkofsky's team innovatively repurposes the material into the mulch used all around the campus.

Looking Toward the Future

The work of Grounds & Landscaping reflects a broader approach to caring for UNM's campuses: continually looking for ways to work smarter, use resources responsibly, and improve the environments where students, faculty, staff and visitors spend their time.

That means asking what can be done differently or better - from how water is used and landscapes are maintained, to how materials are repurposed, technology is incorporated, and teams respond to changing needs.

Just as importantly, it means empowering the people closest to the work to identify challenges, bring forward ideas and help develop solutions.

Looking ahead, the team is considering how successful practices on the Albuquerque campus can be adapted and expanded to branch campuses and other UNM locations, while recognizing that each campus and environment has its own needs.

It is a mindset that extends beyond Grounds & Landscaping and across Campus Environments & Services: learn from what works, remain open to new approaches, and continually look for better ways to serve the University.

And, in the words of Wittkofsky, "We're always working to make the campus more sustainable and more beautiful, every day."