Perhaps you have heard of the bestselling book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey?

But, have you heard of The 7 Habits of Very Effective Grounds Keepers? It is not a book so much as a paper, UC Davis' entry in this year's Green Star Awards program sponsored by the Professional Grounds Management Society.

UC Davis earned a Grand Award, to be presented Nov. 4 during the society's Green Industry Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Davis is the first UC campus to win the honor, said Sal Genito, director of the university's Buildings and Grounds Division.

"This award reflects the efforts of dozens of good people who work hard every day to keep the campus beautiful," Genito said.

That is not an easy task, he said, considering the campus gets some 2 million visitors a year. "Think of the beating that your back yard takes with a couple of kids and a dog," he said. "Now imagine 2 million people, plus thousands of students, staff and faculty, and hundreds of dogs."

The grounds unit numbers about 80 men and women, and here are their seven "very effective" habits that earned them a Green Star award:

• Break Down Barriers — Refers to the merger in 2005-06 of the Grounds Division, Agricultural and Industrial Services, and Custodial Services, into what is now Buildings and Grounds. Genito noted that the merger resulted in efficiencies and cost containment during tight budget times.
• Encouraging Innovation — The division does this by presenting cash awards to staff who submit ideas that increase efficiency or reduce costs.
• Embrace Technology — The division uses a global positioning system to help with route-plotting for such activities as lawn mowing. "It helps us improve our efficiency," said Steve Nixon, a grounds superintendent. "It's a great measuring tool."
• Become Entrepreneurs — Con-founded by the mess made by olives falling from 1,000 trees, the division decided to harvest the fruit instead — and turned it into award-winning olive oil that is sold under the UC Davis name. Also, when the grounds unit must fell trees of exotic wood, the university now sells the wood instead of chipping it.
• Promote Sustainability — Olive oil is one of the division's sustainable practices. Another is putting all landscaping waste into a chipper. The end product is mulch that is put in planting beds around campus.
• Raise the Bar — The division strives for a turnaround time of 30 days or less for a minimum 90 percent of nonemergency requests.
• Redefine "Landscape" — This is where "edible" landscaping comes in. "The biggest benefit is in connecting the university community to the landscape in a unique way, while reminding them of the importance of agriculture and healthy eating," the UC Davis Green Award entry states.