Day in the Life: Sea View Grounds Crew
For this Day in the Life photo essay, we went to NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View on Staten Island to meet the people who bring our outdoor spaces to life. Through their daily care and expertise, these green spaces continue to thrive as natural sanctuaries—places where mindfulness, stress relief, and overall well‑being take root for our residents and staff. This photo essay is a little different in that it features the people and the flora that makes the Sea View campus unique.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View Grounds
NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View sits on grounds that span 90 acres that must be taken care of to remain healthy.
While our staff and residents enjoy these serene landscapes every day, community members also wander in to experience the rich wildlife, diverse trees, and refreshing sense of retreat they provide.
There is Walking Wednesdays where NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View physical therapists occasionally walk the beautiful grounds with residents.
What’s in a day for our grounds crew?
NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View grounds crew is responsible for 90 acres of trees and other flora. They manage tree and plant overgrowth, gets rid of invasive shrubs, checks the diversity of trees periodically so they can manage bugs and parasites—as well as performing winter-related tasks such as snow removal and de-icing. They must also check for and remove falling tree branches, poison ivy and contend with hornet nests.
Tools of the trade. From pruners to power tools, this is the equipment our grounds crew use to keep the landscape at Sea View stay lush and lively.
Above and below left: Jihad Al Halmi, who has been with NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View for three, years gets the day going.
In a nod to sustainability, Sea View’s grounds crew makes its own compost from fallen leaves.
Above: Denzel Stapleton has been at Sea View for seven years, loves the outdoors and really enjoys the responsibility of keeping the grounds in tip-top shape for all to enjoy.
“Fall is by far my favorite season at Sea View. It’s really great to take care of all these different trees, plants that change into these amazing colors and you can see how taking care of them has a positive effect on our residents and staff throughout the seasons.” -Denzel Stapleton
Above and left: John Paladino was a grounds crew volunteer at Wagner High School, who loved the experience so much he joined NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View full time and has been a dedicated member of the team for over 15 years.
During the warm months, the grass on the Sea View grounds is cut at least twice weekly depending on how much rain they get.
Where the wild wander
The NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View campus shares space with wild turkeys, deer, foxes, a feral cat colony, a pack of wild dogs, ducks, squirrels, chipmunks, possum, racoons and pesky ground hogs—notorious for making work fun for our grounds crew.
A closer look—from roots to treetop. Above and above left: Dean Briscoe, Associate Director and grounds crew supervisor, inspects trees on the grounds to help them tell their story.
“I’ve been working here for 34 years and I really love it. The history behind Sea View is very fascinating and it’s very fulfilling being part of a facility that has such a rich history—from being a major center for the treatment of tuberculosis, to being one of the state’s best nursing homes—and these grounds that I take care of is part of that history.” -Dean Briscoe.
“Dean is a great manager. He’s really good at sharing knowledge on how to remediate issues with plant life on the grounds. He’s a well of information and little details that makes a huge difference.” -Jihad Al Halmi.
What’s in a tree?
DENDROLOGY: According to Britannica, dendrology, is the study of the characteristics of trees, shrubs, lianas, and other woody plants. Dendrology is generally considered to be a branch of systematic botany or forestry. Modern dendrology is often focused on the identification of economically useful woody plants and their taxonomic relationships for industrial forestry endeavors, though the discipline is also useful for the conservation of rare or endangered species.
Thanks to our grounds crew’s knowledge of these wonderful trees and plants, our green spaces flourish as everyday sanctuaries—places where calm, clarity, and well‑being naturally take hold.
Dean estimates this Copper Beech tree to be over 400 years old. This beautiful tree has amassed quite a fan club of local environmentalists who make frequent wellness checks, and we have our grounds crew to thank for its ongoing health. So basically, this tree was likely around before the ‘United States’ was a thing.
These three trees on the ‘great lawn’ are part of the juniper family and depending on who you ask at Sea View, are fondly known as the Three Sisters or The Triplets. People have an affinity for these trees, and this green space is often used for staff and resident events.
The brighter green trees along the periphery were donated as part of the Million Trees NYC Initiative—and include pear trees which bear fruit that is shared with staff.
This Red Flowering Plum tree (foreground) was dedicated in memory of a Sea View employee’s brother—who worked at the former Coney Island Hospital—now NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. The tree is visited regularly by the past employee’s family and loved ones.
This brilliant coleus plant bed is the byproduct of an unofficial program created by Dean and the grounds crew which allows Sea View residents to engage in recreational gardening.
Our grounds crew also had to secure a second Flowering Plum tree. These kinds of trees work as a duo; which pollinators like bees and other insects visit and transfer the pollen the trees need to thrive.
INTERESTING FACT: Many of the trees and fungi cared for by the Sea View grounds crew bear seasonal fruit, giving staff a delicious reminder of how nourishing a healthy environment can be. This includes figs, pears, plums—as well as Chicken of the Woods, Shitake and Turkey Tail mushrooms.
“Our staff have special areas where they like to meet and congregate and because we’re not an acute care facility, I take extra pride in the work I do because these grounds are also part of our residents’ home.” -Dean Briscoe.
Thanks to our dedicated NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View grounds crew–and all our grounds crew staff across the system–for keeping our grounds safe, healthy and lush!
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