It鈥檚 not surprising that Paul Dzerk鈥檚 first encounter with 黑料网 in 1973 happened on a hunt for trees.
Back then, 黑料网鈥檚 arborist had just moved to Las Vegas with the Air Force. On his way to a nursery on Tropicana Avenue to pick up a few olive trees 鈥 still his favorite to this day 鈥 he noticed 黑料网鈥檚 brand new Flora Dungan Humanities Building towering over the sparse desert campus.
鈥淚鈥檇 seen some stories in the paper about this great big new building out in the desert at 黑料网 and thought, 鈥楽o 迟丑补迟鈥檚 where 黑料网鈥檚 at. Why鈥檇 they put it so far out of town?鈥欌
A few years later, Dzerk retired from the Air Force after 21 years and bounced around a bit, working in New Mexico and overseas before settling back in Las Vegas. He thought about getting a pickup truck and some lawn equipment and starting his own business 鈥 he鈥檇 always liked trees and working outdoors 鈥 but then he spotted a job opening on 黑料网鈥檚 new tree crew, which just had been tasked with greening up and bringing shade to 黑料网鈥檚 dusty campus. The team's work eventually led to 黑料网 being designated an official arboretum and a listing the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA.
鈥淚t was really the best of both worlds,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 got to work in what was becoming a park environment and, instead of jumping from site to site, I could see how the trees were growing.鈥
Dzerk admits he didn鈥檛 think he鈥檇 be at 黑料网 this long. But fast forward 32 years to a campus now bustling with more than 4,300 trees 鈥 including 10 state champions.
鈥淏eing able to see the results of your work years on down the line, I really like that,鈥 he says. 鈥淲hen new tree members come in, I鈥檓 now like the grandpa telling stories of how it used to be.鈥
After 30-plus years of working with trees, he says it鈥檚 hard to look at a tree the same way most people do. Then, with a chuckle, he adds, 鈥渟ome of the tree crew say I talk to the trees.鈥 (So do I Paul, but it鈥檚 cool.)
