Eagle Tales: The Campus Lorax
James Biddle. Illustration by Jaylene Arnold.
I’ve worked at AU for eight months. Before that, I served as a tree program supervisor at Stanford University.
My job is to assess, care for, and educate people about the thousands of woody plants on campus. I just finished an inventory of the total number of living trees on campus—we have 4,348. A typical day includes inventorying trees; meeting with students, staff, neighbors, and other professionals about expanding the arboretum’s initiatives; writing reports; and planning tree care. My office is in the Osborn Building.
Campus is at its prettiest in early spring when the tulips, redbuds, and alliums bloom. My favorite place on campus to steal a quiet moment is behind Cassell Hall. My go-to lunch is steak fajitas at Guapo’s and my go-to order at the Dav is a single shot of espresso.
I show my AU spirit by talking about how beautiful [the campus] is whenever I can. It’s really up there with any of the most beautiful gardens in this region. I grew up in Annapolis and used to pass campus on my way to visit my now-wife in DC, so I’ve been rediscovering it since joining AU. My favorite days of the workweek are Mondays and Fridays because my schedule allows me to get out in the garden and focus on ideas and projects uninterrupted.
The person who helped show me the ropes is Alef Worku. He stepped up and helped me understand this place at a time when I had a big assignment on my plate: planning my first Campus Beautification Day. I found my community at AU through colleagues like Megan Litke, director of sustainability; John Boyle Ruiz, SIS/BA ’22, zero waste coordinator; and Katie Moore, director of development. It’s been really nice getting to know other folks passionate about making AU a wonderful place to be.
When I’m not at work, you can find me at a park with my wife and 2-year-old son. We love to be outside, especially at Wheaton Regional Park in Silver Spring. My hobbies include road and gravel cycling, backcountry skiing, and hiking. The most famous faces I’ve seen on campus are the 19 Theravada Buddhist monks who visited campus during their 2,300-mile cross-country Walk for Peace.
The last great book I read was Incorruptible by Eric Ries. The last great show I watched was Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. The last great meal I ate was at PINE Restaurant in Hanover, New Hampshire. I ordered a dish called A Day in Milan, with fried chicken, bruschetta, tomatoes, and mozzarella on ciabatta.
My most Washington moment is hearing go-go music playing from cars on Massachusetts Avenue [on my commute]. When I moved away, I hadn’t heard go-go music in so long. Hearing it played in public again was the moment I realized, “I’m home.”
If I weren’t at AU, I’d still be working in a garden or forest somewhere. But my job at here is best because it takes me across the entire campus and [introduce me to] just about every person who works here. I really get a full sense of the entire school. It’s my dream job.