Master Gardener Makes Yale History in New Post

Dawn Landino has no trouble distinguishing between Shepards purse and Pussytoes, or chinchbug and sod webworm, or dollar spot and stripe smut.

Her knowledge of these weeds, insect pests and turf diseases, respectively, helped earn her a place in Yale’s history. In December, she was named a “master gardener” — the first woman to hold that distinction.

Landino recently spoke about her journey to reach this pinnacle in her 23-year career at the University. Here is what we learned.

Family footsteps: Landino, a native of North Haven, joined the staff in 1985 while she was a senior in high school, working weekends in the Morse College dining hall. Her mother enjoyed a nearly 30-year career at Yale as a cook, and her grandmother, who introduced her to Yale, retired from the University at age 70 after serving for more than a decade as a pantry worker.

Although Landino planned eventually to attend college, she applied for a full-time job in Custodial Services in 1986 after graduating from high school. She has been at the University ever since. “Yale is a great place and offers great benefits, so I thought ‘why not?’” says Landino.

Early in her career, she moved between Custodial Services, Physical Plant and Grounds Maintenance before finding a permanent niche in the latter department. She was named a senior groundskeeper in 1990 and a gardener in 1995.

Milestone inspiration: Last year, when she turned 40, Landino decided it was time for a challenge: to become licensed as a master gardener — or, as the actual certificate reads “golf course superintendent” — by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

She enrolled in a 10-week course at East Haven Landscape Products, which involved three hours of class time weekly.

“I decided that after being at Yale for 23 years, and recognizing that I’m not getting any younger, I owe it to myself to become licensed,” says Landino.

Encyclopedic knowledge: To pass the course, Landino had to know hundreds of common regional plants and weeds and their proper care or prevention. She also had to be able to identify, diagnose and treat various types of plant and turf problems - which also entailed acquiring extensive knowledge about the uses and effects of some 50 different herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

“The state focuses on prevention measures, as increasingly we are relying less on chemical treatments,” says Landino. “We’ve definitely become more organic in our approach. But I had to know all of the chemicals as well as other methods of weed prevention.”

In addition to completing a written test, Landino had to be quizzed by a three-person DEP board.

A letter opening: After passing the course, Landino applied for the master gardener job, covering the Science Hill area. When she received the formal letter announcing her selection for the position, she invited her two sons, ages 10 and 12, to open it on her behalf.

“They watched how hard I studied,” says Landino. “I wanted to show them that you can accomplish things at any time of your life.”

A master: During her 14 years as a gardener on the Central Campus, Landino says she became a “downtown fixture” in the lives of the many students, college masters, deans and staff members in her area. The area consisted of Trumbull, Saybrook, Branford and Jonathan Edwards colleges, and the Yale University Art Gallery.

In her new role, she covers much of the northern end of the campus. The expansive lawn of the President’s House is among the grounds she tends.

While the “master gardener” title comes with greater decision-making capabilities and the chance to design some of the campus gardens, “I still do the tasks that all of us in Grounds Maintenance do — emptying trash cans, picking up litter, mowing the grass, removing snow, sweeping the walkways and planting grass seed,” she says.

In every season: Landino particularly enjoys the seasonal changes in her work. She and her crew are currently focusing on pruning in anticipation of spring, which is both the most hectic time of year for Landino and her favorite season.

“I love it when everything starts waking up, even though we are super busy,” she says. “I enjoy the beauty of the campus in the spring.”

There is one campus location that will always be special to her: the Branford College courtyard. “It’s so beautiful there,” Landino says. “It’s a spot that was hard for me to leave.”

Growing into it: Landino is proud to play a part in helping to maintain and enhance the beauty of the campus.

“When I first began working in Grounds Maintenance, I saw it as just a job,” she admits. “But then I became a part of it. I owe a lot of my knowledge to my late colleague Bob Marston, who taught me about the work and a lot about life. He also taught me to always stand up for myself, being that I was in a ‘man’s job.’ I have to say that through the years I have worked with a great group of men and always was treated with the utmost respect.”

Landino also singles out her long-time supervisor on Central Campus, John Kul, for always encouraging and supporting her. She is looking forward to building the same relationship and rapport with her new supervisor, Joseph Signore.

“I remember when she first came to work for me, when she was still a teenager,” says Kul. “At the time, she told me that she wanted to go back to school to become a dental hygienist. I told her that in the meantime, she could mow grass and pick up paper.

“Deciding to study for her license after all of these years away from school was very courageous of her,” he adds. “Yale is fortunate that over time she developed a passion for her work - and she is passionate about it. We are very glad that she chose to stay and work on the grounds at Yale, rather than on people’s teeth.”

— By Susan Gonzalez