They’ve left their usual home in front of Swirbul Library but are still on campus in their winter quarters—with two turtle friends—thanks to the care of our Facilities Management team.
Adelphi’s Garden City campus—which is maintained organically as part of our sustainability initiatives and is a registered arboretum—offers a home to many species of flora and fauna. While the bunnies tend to steal the spotlight, students and others heading into Swirbul Library enjoy watching the colorful koi fish, which joined Adelphi more than 15 years ago.
But now the pond is empty. So where are the koi?
Bob Conaghan, associate director of Facilities Management and grounds manager, has been caring for the 75 acres on the Garden City campus for more than 45 years. He’s assisted by a team that includes mechanics and plumbers like Bruce Brine. Initially, Conaghan and his team purchased 24 koi and goldfish from a nursery nearby in the Town of Hempstead as part of their ongoing mission to beautify the campus. Today, there are more than 500 koi.
Conaghan and Brine explained that the pools are drained for winter and the majority of the koi are relocated.
Most of them are now swimming about in one of two holding tanks in the Nexus Building. They’ve been joined by two turtles who were formerly owned by an Adelphi employee but needed a new home.
Others are in a 50-gallon tank in the basement of Swirbul Library. They’re cared for by Brine and his colleagues, who brought in additional fish, such as carp and goldfish, to join their more exotic counterparts.
Some of the larger koi have remained outside and can still be seen circling in the Swirbul south patio pool. Conaghan said the pool’s close proximity to the library warms the water, thus preventing it from freezing.
Life Under Water
According to Conaghan, winter is the hibernation period for the fish: During this period they conserve their energy and barely swim.
When spring comes, it’s time to return to their usual home at the Swirbul entrance. Conaghan said moving the koi takes “them out of their hibernation state.” “That’s when they start laying eggs almost immediately. The water temperature has to be a certain number when they’re going to mate, usually around June,” Brine added. “They lay the eggs sometimes twice a year.”
The koi have 40- to 50-year life spans. Smaller koi are preyed upon by species like raccoons and egrets, but Conaghan said most of the koi have grown too large for these predators.
The Once and Future Pools
The pools outside Swirbul were originally simple reflecting pools, but “no matter how many hours we put into cleaning and vacuuming, they never looked crystal clear,” Conaghan said. He decided to let water lilies and water irises and the koi act as natural filters. “We receive many more compliments now than before.”
And as of this past May, a waterfall has been added, thanks to a donation from Nancy Rogner ’75, which “turned out to be a really big hit,” Conaghan said.
Facilities Management is currently looking into the possibility of adding UV lights and a filtration system to the pool.
Keeping Adelphi Green
Of course, Conaghan and his team are responsible for far more than the koi. The winter break may be a time for students to relax, but Conaghan, Brine and the team are still at Adelphi every day to ensure facilities are in top shape.
Conaghan said he enjoys being the grounds manager the most of his many responsibilities. In this role, he maintains the campus organically, without the use of pesticides. He also gives students and alumni tours, which can include the behind-the-scenes areas where he and the facilities team operate. He’ll talk about anything from the “probably a couple thousand” Italian wall lizards that might be spotted running around on campus to the names of different trees students might see when walking to their next class.
“The students like hearing about these kinds of things,” Conaghan said. “And we talk about many of the other things on campus that are out of sight, out of mind. So when the students leave our tour, they have a much better understanding of the nature around them.”
To get some glimpses of the fish and hear more from the facilities team, watch this video produced by Adelphi’s social media team.