Sexton Landscaping

Animal care and service workers care for the needs of animals. They feed, water, groom, bathe, and exercise pets and other nonfarm animals. Job tasks vary by position and place of work.

Animal care and service workers typically do the following:

• Feed and give water to animals
• Clean equipment and the living spaces of animals
• Monitor animals and record information such as their diet, physical condition, and behavior
• Examine animals for signs of illness or injury
• Exercise animals
• Bathe animals, trim nails, clip hair, and attend to other grooming needs
• Train animals to obey or to do specific behaviors

Animal care and service workers train, feed, groom, and exercise animals. They also clean, disinfect, and repair the animals' cages. They play with the animals, provide companionship, and observe behavioral changes that could indicate illness or injury.

Boarding kennels, pet stores, animal shelters, rescue leagues, veterinary hospitals and clinics, stables, laboratories, aquariums and natural aquatic habitats, and zoological parks all house animals and employ animal care and service workers. 

Nonfarm animal caretakers typically work with cats and dogs in animal shelters or rescue leagues. All caretakers attend to the basic needs of animals, but experienced caretakers may have more responsibilities, such as helping to vaccinate or euthanize animals under the direction of a veterinarian. Caretakers also may have administrative duties, such as keeping records on the animals, answering questions from the public, educating visitors about pet health, or screening people who want to adopt an animal. 

Animal trainers train animals for riding, security, performance, obedience, or assisting people with disabilities. They familiarize animals with human voices and contact, and they teach animals to respond to commands. Most animal trainers work with dogs and horses, but some work with marine mammals, such as dolphins. Trainers teach a variety of skills. For example, some may train dogs to guide people with disabilities; others teach animals to cooperate with veterinarians or train animals for a competition or show. 

The following are types of animal care and service workers:

Groomers specialize in maintaining a pet's appearance. Groomers may operate their own business, work in a grooming salon, or, increasingly, run their own mobile grooming service that travels to clients' homes. Demand for mobile grooming services is growing because these services are convenient for pet owners, allowing the pet to stay in its familiar environment.

Some groomers are employed by kennels, veterinary clinics, or pet supply stores, where they groom mostly dogs, but some cats, too. In addition to cutting, trimming, and styling the pet's fur, groomers clip nails, clean ears, and bathe pets. Some groomers also schedule appointments, sell products to pet owners, and identify problems that may require veterinary attention.

Grooms care for horses. Grooms work at stables and are responsible for feeding, grooming, and exercising these animals. They saddle and unsaddle horses, give them rubdowns, and cool them off after a ride. In addition, they clean out stalls, polish saddles, and organize the tack room where they keep harnesses, saddles, and bridles. They take care of food and supplies for the horses. Experienced grooms also may help train horses. 

Keepers are animal care and service workers who work in zoos. They plan the animals' diets, feed them, and monitor their eating patterns. They also clean the animals' enclosures, monitor their behavior, and watch for signs of illness or injury. Depending on the size of the zoo, they may work with either a broad or a limited group of animals. They may help raise young animals, and they often spend time answering questions from the public. 

Kennel attendants care for pets while their owners are working or are traveling. Basic attendant duties include cleaning cages and dog runs, and feeding, exercising, and playing with animals. Experienced attendants also may provide basic healthcare, bathe animals, and attend to other basic grooming needs. 

Pet sitters look after animals while the owner is away. They go to the pet owner's home, allowing the pet to stay in its familiar surroundings and follow its routine. Most pet sitters feed, walk, and play with pets daily. More experienced pet sitters also may bathe, groom, or train pets. Most watch over dogs, but a few take care of cats.

Pest control workers control, manage, or remove unwanted creatures, such as roaches, rats, ants, termites, and bedbugs, that infest buildings and surrounding areas. 

Pest control workers typically do the following:

• Inspect buildings and premises for signs of pests or infestation
• Determine the type of treatment needed to eliminate pests
• Measure the dimensions of the area needing treatment
• Estimate the cost of their services
• Set bait and traps to remove or kill pests
• Spray or dust pesticides into rooms
• Design and carry out pest management plans
• Drive trucks equipped with power spraying equipment
• Create barriers to prevent pests from entering a building

Unwanted pests that infest buildings or surrounding areas can pose serious risks to the health and safety of occupants. Pest control workers control, manage, or remove these creatures from homes, apartments, offices, and other structures to protect people and to maintain buildings' structural integrity.

To design and carry out integrated pest management (IPM) plans, pest control workers must know the identity and biology of a wide range of pests. They must also know the best ways to control or remove the pests.

Pest control workers' position titles and job duties often vary by state. The following are types of pest control workers:

Pest control technicians identify potential pest problems, conduct inspections, and design control strategies. They work directly with customers and, as entry-level workers, use only a limited range of pesticides.

Applicators use a wide range of pesticides and may specialize in a particular area of pest control:

• Termite control technicians use chemicals and modify structures to eliminate termites and prevent future infestations. Some also repair structural damage caused by termites and build barriers to separate pests from their source of food.
• Fumigators use poisonous gases, called fumigants, to treat serious infestations. Fumigators seal infested buildings before using hoses to fill the structure with fumigants. Warning signs are posted to keep people from going into fumigated buildings, and fumigators monitor buildings closely to detect and stop leaks.

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers--often referred to as HVACR technicians--work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems that control the air quality in many types of buildings.

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically do the following:

• Travel to worksites
• Follow blueprints or other design specifications to install or repair HVACR systems
• Connect systems to fuel and water supply lines, air ducts, and other components
• Install electrical wiring and controls and test for proper operation
• Inspect and maintain customers' HVACR systems
• Test individual components to determine necessary repairs
• Repair or replace worn or defective parts

Heating and air conditioning systems control the temperature, humidity, and overall air quality in homes, businesses, and other buildings. By providing a climate controlled environment, refrigeration systems make it possible to store and transport food, medicine, and other perishable items.

Although trained to do all three, HVACR technicians sometimes work strictly with heating, air conditioning, or refrigeration systems. They also may specialize in certain types of HVACR equipment, such as water-based heating systems, solar panels, or commercial refrigeration.

Depending on the task, HVACR technicians use many different tools. For example, they often use screwdrivers, wrenches, pipe cutters and other basic handtools when installing systems. To test or install complex system components, technicians may use more sophisticated tools, such as carbon monoxide testers, voltmeters, combustion analyzers, and acetylene torches.

When working on air conditioning and refrigeration systems, technicians must follow government regulations regarding the conservation, recovery, and recycling of refrigerants. This often entails proper handling and disposal of fluids.  

Some HVACR technicians sell service contracts to their clients, providing regular maintenance of heating and cooling systems.

Other craft workers sometimes help install or repair cooling and heating systems. For example, on a large air conditioning installation job, especially one in which workers are covered by union contracts, ductwork might be done by sheet metal workers and duct installers, or electrical work by electricians. In addition, home appliance repairers usually service window air conditioners and household refrigerators. For more information on these occupations, see the profiles on sheet metal workers, electricians, or home appliance repairers.

Surveyors establish land, airspace, and water boundaries. They measure the Earth's surface to collect data that are used to draw maps, determine the shape and contour of parcels of land, and set property lines and boundaries. They also define airspace for airports and measure construction and mining sites. Surveyors work with civil engineers, landscape architects, and urban and regional planners to develop comprehensive design documents.

Surveyors typically do the following:

• Measure distances, directions, and angles between points on, above, and below the Earth's surface
• Select known reference points and then determine the exact location of important features in the survey area using special equipment
• Establish official land and water boundaries
• Research land records and other sources of information affecting properties
• Look for evidence of previous boundaries to determine where boundary lines are
• Travel to locations to measure distances and directions between points
• Record the results of surveying and verify the accuracy of data
• Prepare plots, maps, and reports
• Work with cartographers (mapmakers), architects, construction managers, and others
• Present findings to clients, government agencies, and others
• Write descriptions of land for deeds, leases, and other legal documents
• Provide expert testimony in court regarding their work or that of other surveyors

Surveyors guide construction and development projects and provide information needed for the buying and selling of property. In construction, surveyors determine the precise location of roads or buildings and proper depths for foundations and roads. Whenever property is bought or sold, it needs to be surveyed for legal purposes.

In their work, surveyors use the Global Positioning System (GPS), a system of satellites that locates reference points with a high degree of precision. Surveyors interpret and verify the GPS results. They gather the data that is fed into a Geographic Information System (GIS), which is then used to create detailed maps.

Surveyors take measurements in the field with a crew, a group that typically consists of a licensed surveyor and trained survey technicians. The person in charge of the crew (called the party chief) may be either a surveyor or a senior surveying technician. The party chief leads day-to-day work activities. For more information, see the profile on surveying and mapping technicians.

Some surveyors work in specialty fields to survey particular characteristics of the Earth. Examples include the following:

Geodetic surveyors use high-accuracy techniques, including satellite observations, to measure large areas of the Earth's surface.

Geophysical prospecting surveyors mark sites for subsurface exploration, usually to look for petroleum.

Marine or hydrographic surveyors survey harbors, rivers, and other bodies of water to determine shorelines, the topography of the bottom, water depth, and other features.

Landscape architects plan and design land areas for parks, recreational facilities, highways, airports, and other properties. Projects may include subdivisions and commercial, industrial, and residential sites.

Landscape architects typically do the following:

• Confer with clients, engineers, and building architects to understand a project
• Prepare site plans, specifications, and cost estimates
• Coordinate the arrangement of existing and proposed land features and structures
• Prepare graphic representations and drawings of proposed plans and designs
• Analyze environmental reports and data on land conditions, such as drainage
• Inspect landscape work to ensure that it adheres to original plans
• Approve the quality of work that others do
• Seek new work through marketing or by giving presentations

People enjoy attractively designed gardens, public parks, playgrounds, residential areas, college campuses, and golf courses. Landscape architects design these areas so that they are not only functional but also beautiful and harmonious with the natural environment.

Landscape architects plan the locations of buildings, roads, and walkways. They also plan where to plant flowers, shrubs, and trees. Landscape architects design and plan the restoration of natural places disturbed by humans, such as wetlands, stream corridors, and mined areas.

Many landscape architects specialize in a particular area, such as beautifying or otherwise improving streets and highways, waterfronts, parks and playgrounds, or shopping centers.

Increasingly, landscape architects are working in environmental remediation, such as preserving and restoring wetlands or managing storm-water runoff in new developments. They are also increasingly playing a role in preserving and restoring historic landscapes.

Landscape architects who work for government agencies do design sites and landscapes for government buildings, parks, and other public lands, as well as plan for landscapes and recreation areas in national parks and forests.

In addition, they prepare environmental impact statements and studies on environmental issues, such as planning for use of public lands.