Saving the Cycads Text and photographs by Linda Grashoff JULY 19, 1999--"These aren't just any cycads," says David Benzing, Danforth Professor of Biology. The large slow-growing tropical plants that moved from the old biology-department greenhouse to the temporary greenhouse on North Campus Monday afternoon are valuable plants that were used by a botanist at the University of Chicago. Some of them were subjects for classic studies of the life cycles of primitive seed plants around the turn of the century, he says. They weren't exactly easy to move.
	The first thing that had to be done before the back hoe with a front-end loader could remove the cycads from the greenhouse was to create an entryway for the machine. People from the HVAC area of Facilities Operations cut through metal pipes with a saw that Everett Tyree, mechanical maintenance area manager, says "cuts through everything." Robert Zgrabik, grounds specialist, watched.
	When the entry was clear, Tony Scott, groundsworker III, eased the front-end loader into the greenhouse. Maneuvering throughout the whole operation was--ah--interesting with a shiny new Mercedes parked three or four feet from the back hoe.
	Scott operated the equipment like a brain surgeon performing an operation. His precision extended to moving some parts just inches--maybe less--at a time, and on target.
	David Benzing, Danforth Professor of Biology, and Zgrabik found they had to dig a little more around the big cycad to loosen the clod of soil and roots before Scott could get a good grip on the tree with the front-end loader.
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