Interview on Jan 28, 2010 with Edward Bruggink

1.Day in the life

8:30AM – Opening building:

- Doors, lights, elevator , golf carts

- Gathers plants for 830 & 130 labs (biology department)

- Visit labs – when tasks are done and satisfied

- After labs are done, goes back to office to check emails, phone calls and troubleshooting with problems in building

- Then, waters plants for an hour

- Rest of day – make sure building is running okay and plants are watered

- Lock doors and closes down building.

4:30PM leaves for the day

- Has students working on weekend.

2. Favourite Task (five ways)

Watering and watching plants grow in green house.

- Enjoys watching plants grow, blossom and mature.

- Watching full range.

- People appreciate the hard work

Ie. Everyone loves butterfly show. Enjoys the hard work he puts, because of the response of others (Proud, joy and respect)

Enjoys taking care of the building problems

- Getting the right technicians and support to fix problems

- Solve problems quickly

-Faculty members are happy with results

-Happy with him

Worst tasks

Budgeting

- Restricting

- Has to reuse things (tools and equipment)

-Frustrating

3.Character Profile

Edward Bruggink

- Has family

- 28 years of experience

- Diploma from U of Guleph

- Proud of what his job and contribution to the community and environment (butterfly show, pumpkin contest, news broadcast, helping lee valley tools, Carleton student making a film in the green house, willingness to help students)

- Loves the outdoors and nature. SAD that bird flew into window and had to chase the bird out.

Interest/activities

- Fishing, camping and painting. Paints portraits as gifts for family and friends.

Likes

Bio-control

- More work involved, but more rewarding (better, safer, less harmful to environment)

Dislikes

Battling insects because its easy for them to grow and take over

3. Personal inventory

- Shredder for making soil

- Seeders

- Hose

- Shovel

- Planting tools

- Pruner – favourite tool – “that’s my baby” carries it with him at work and at home, has holster where he stores it at his waist, story about how he forgot to bring it on the weekend and couldn’t cut the branches to help the kids(maybe students)

Problems

Pest Control

- Pesticide not allowed any more since 1993 for greenhouse.

- Uses Bio-control

-Uses lady bugs to eat smaller insects

-Better than chemicals (safe fruits, safe to touch plants, no chemical suit)

-Chemical suit gets very hot and sweaty (15 yrs of experience)

Maintaining heat

- Shade on side of glasses

- Positions windows to allow for maximum sunlight and heat (sun rising from east to west, trying to be efficient)

- Raining and wind pulls heat out of greenhouse

- Summer – screens allow exclusive heat to escape

-If too hot, windows open automatically

Maintaining Plants

- Hire students on the weekend to take care of plants