Stan Namura (left) and Vicente Garnica look on as Angel Martinez digs an irrigation trench on The Green. All are employees of SLAC’s landscaping contractor.

SLAC employees on their way to and from the Cafeteria may notice construction work on The Green over the next few months. The goal is to repair leaks in the irrigation system, "which cause a bog-type effect," said Liam Robinson, facilities support manager for Site Engineering and Maintenance (SEM).

"The area may not be usable for the next three months, but it will improve the usability for the next 10 or 20 years," Robinson said, adding that pedestrians should exercise caution on The Green in the next few months.

Planners are also exploring the possibility of planting a cork oak to replace the one that died and was cut down. The irrigation repairs would make a new tree’s survival more likely, since cork oak thrives in drier soil.

For more information on this project, contact: Liam Robinson (SEM), Ext. 2980, liam@slac.stanford.edu