A workday for Paul Girard is no ordinary 9-5 at the office.
Instead, the transparent glass walls of a greenhouse and the great outdoors are his workstation. As caretaker of the conservatory at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens (MBG) and Nichols Arboretum, Girard spends his days working with plants—getting his hands dirty, learning lessons in horticulture and managing the facility.
A museum of living plants, the conservatory features three galleries, or “houses,” that represent the three major biomes of the world—regional or global communities characterized by their plant life and prevailing climate. The conservatory also hosts classes throughout the year, providing K-12 children docent-led tours of the facility and trails.
“The atmosphere at the gardens is very friendly and working in different environments like the greenhouses or out on the trails makes every day interesting,” he says. “There is always something different that needs to be done. I get excited about my job because of the challenges that I face every day.”
A man who enjoys the variety and unconventionality of his environment, Girard welcomes the demands of working with nature. These include battling late-spring frost on newly planted species and warding off deer that often come to feast on the garden menu.
His tasks also include pest control and watering and pruning the plants. In addition, he is in charge of growing plants for Biology 102 students to study and making sure the grounds are mowed and groomed.
Girard, who came to the University in 1991 as a horticultural assistant, challenges himself daily to learn the environment around him. He has been studying what he calls a ‘plant a day’ to become more familiar with the conservatory offerings.
“I always want someone to leave the conservatory having learned about something. I enjoy telling them something they didn’t know or showing them something interesting,” he says. “Sometimes there will be questions I don’t know the answer to, so I will try to find out so I also can learn in the process.”
Girard works with several horticulturists, landscape architects, business staff and members of the education department to showcase the conservatory, he says. “We are all working together to make sure it is a place where people of all ages can have a unique experience,” he says.
A man of the outdoors, Girard feels a sense of accomplishment when it is time to leave his ‘office.’ “It is rewarding to know that when your hands are dirty and you are tired at the end of the day that you put in a good days work,” he says.
