- November 12, 2026
- By Karen Shih ’09
Every time it rained, mud flowed down the hill leading to the University of Maryland’s Center for Young Children (CYC), providing an unfun lesson on the power of erosion and gravity. It washed away mulch on the playground and sent a deluge of sludge to the back doors, making the areas unsafe for preschoolers. Director Jennifer Smallwood-Holmes and her staff were forced to sweep and shovel it back rather than spend the time planning lessons or prepping for the school day.
“It was a huge problem,” she said. “We had to close [the hill] so often. If it had rained in the last 48 to 72 hours, it would just be a slippery, muddy mess.”
But now, a UMD class is transforming the area, one block at a time. On a sunny November afternoon, a pair of students from the course “Landscape Construction” (INAG251) lugged 95-pound granite bricks for a retaining wall while another checked alignment. Above them on the hill, others scooped dirt to prepare for a massive gravel dump, unloaded by a student atop a skid loader. By the end of the semester, they’ll create a series of terraced, grassy tiers, with central steps leading up to the tire swings at the top of the hill.
“This is not your normal course with packets and projects. We are physical, doing this rain or shine. I told the students, ‘You’re going to get an awesome experience, but I need your attendance and I need your grit,’” said Tom Mazzone, lecturer in the Institute of Applied Agriculture, a two-year academic certificate program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources that prepares students to enter the workforce or continue to a four-year degree.
Previous iterations of the course, which covers how to build retaining walls and patios, have been held in his lab in the Animal Sciences Building. Students created scale models and tore them down, all within the four-hour class period. But “it occurred to me there are likely many places on campus that could benefit from the work we are doing,” said Mazzone.
This spring, IAA colleague and CYC parent Meredith Epstein came to him with the school’s erosion problem. He visited the site, consulted with Smallwood-Holmes and proposed a solution. But he didn’t have the funds to cover all the materials needed. That’s when he applied for a Do Good Campus Fund grant, which awarded the project $18,000. Combined with rental equipment provided for free by Sunbelt Rentals, he was able to make it the core part of his Fall 2026 class.
Nearly three times the typical number of students signed up for the course, which usually draws just six. They include four-year AGNR undergrads as well as two-year certificate students looking to switch careers.
“You never know when you’ll need those hands-on skills,” said Jessica Smith ’27, an agricultural and resource economics major. The amount of work involved and time required has been eye-opening — but she gets to drive heavy machinery, like a mini excavator, and earned certification to operate a skid loader. “All my friends are doing typical college work, and I’m out here.”
The class meets weekly on Wednesdays. For the first month, students surveyed and analyzed the site, then learned about the retaining wall components from the block manufacturer before they started digging trenches in late September.
Teaching assistant Sam Burke ’27 first took the class two years ago, and was intrigued by the real-world opportunity. Burke has co-owned a landscaping company, Garvin Properties Services near Towson, Md., since he was 14 years old, and wanted to expand his knowledge. Helping to navigate regulations for constructing on campus and sourcing materials (the best price for the gravel came from a place four hours away) has given Burke insight that will be valuable for future projects.
No class goes by without preschoolers pressing their faces against the fence, mesmerized by the machinery asking questions about their work. On the first day of construction, “I wasn’t expecting 100 spectators, but they were so excited,” said Mazzone.
It’s a learning opportunity for the kids, who have books about excavators and loaders and have been eagerly keeping up with the progress, said Smallwood-Holmes. She’s already envisioning the finished terraces, which could serve as an outdoor stage of sorts. “I can imagine them finding really creative ways to use the space,” she said.
The goal is to be done by Dec. 11, the last day of classes. As IAA student Cierra Green took a break from moving granite blocks, she looked across the site at the group’s efforts so far. “Being able to be part of something that will have a lasting impact is fun,” she said. “I’ll be able to walk by and be like, ‘I did that!’”
A student driving a skid loader dumps gravel into a pit.
Giles Stanton '28 grabs a tool during "Landscape Construction" class.
Terps Do Good
The University of Maryland is the nation's first Do Good campus, committed to inspiring Terps to make a positive impact now through research, public service and education. See more stories about Terps doing good at today.umd.edu/topic/do-good. You can support UMD's Do Good initiatives by making a gift to Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless.
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