For Victor Rey, there’s no big secret to beating summer heat.

“I just drink a lot of water,” said Rey, grounds supervisor for the University of Houston.

For more than 30 years, Rey has toughed out the hottest of Houston’s summers. The biggest trick to working outdoors is simply staying hydrated and being aware of how hot it actually is outside, he said.

“I always keep plenty of water with me,” Rey said. “The crew usually brings their own water coolers, but we also have coolers in our trucks.”

Rey’s typical attire includes long sleeves to avoid sunburn and a T-shirt to keep his body cool when he perspires. He also wears a cap or hat to shade his face.

“I also know when I’m getting too hot, so then I’ll step into the shade or go indoors for a while,” he said.

Rey’s days consist of tending to the campus’ landscaping, including its trees, shrubbery and lawns. He said that he and his grounds crew usually begin the day by picking up litter in parking lots and around campus. They then begin various landscaping projects on campus, such as mowing grass or clipping shrubs to maintain UH’s sharp exterior appearance.

During his three-plus decades at UH, Rey has seen crew members come and go. He said the long hours outdoors prove difficult for many groundskeepers. For Rey, however, the hard work is particularly rewarding.

“I especially like working on the campus trees,” he said. “We have a lot of older trees, and my job is to help protect them. Some of them have been here for hundreds of years. I’m especially proud that three of our trees are recognized by forestry trade organizations.”

The Mexican plum on the north side of the Ezekiel Cullen Building is recognized by the National Arborist Association, while a 200-year-old honey mesquite on the east side of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center and the magnolia on the southeast side of the M.D. Anderson Library are recognized by the Texas Forestry Association.

“The Mexican plum was planted more than 30 years ago when the landscape was first created,” he said. “The magnolia is about 50 or 60 years old and was transferred in 1975 from the library’s southwest side to where it is now.”

Rey’s dedication and hard work have not gone unnoticed. In 1984, he received a Staff Excellence Award and in 1994 he received the C.F. McElhinney Distinguished Service Award.

One might think that Rey would be tired of pruning and mowing once the day is over, but he said he has his own yard to tend at day’s end.

“When I get home, I might rest for a while, but then I have to make sure everything I planted in my own yard keeps growing and looks good,” he said.

For Rey, Houston’s hot sun and humid weather are just part of his everyday work environment. Luckily, those are just two minor challenges in his task of making the university’s exterior sparkle.

“This is a great place to work,” he said. “I enjoy what I do, which is helping the campus look good, no matter how hot or cold it is outside.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu