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News — At Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Josh Kover finds himself adapting – much like how plants can adapt to their environment. 

Kover’s evolution took a dramatic turn four years ago. Shiftless during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maplewood, N.J., resident recognized a need in his community for a quiet and sustainable landscaping service while everyone was working from home. He launched his own business, , in September 2020 while taking high school courses remotely.

“I think it was the perfect recipe of being stuck at home during COVID, wanting to be outside, wanting to move, wanting to build something, construct something,” said Kover, now a senior who in May will complete his bachelor of science degree through the at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.  

“I developed a love for landscaping by redoing my backyard,” he said. “I needed a job, so I started working for people and helping them out, starting with my mom's friends and expanding into the broader community.” 

While Kover plans to walk across the stage during commencement, his higher education journey isn’t quite over: Taking advantage of the department’s , the 21-year-old will spend one more year at the university to earn a master degree in landscape architecture. 

Frank Gallagher, an assistant professor of practice and the director of the environmental planning and design program within the Department of Landscape Architecture, is Kover’s adviser on the student’s honors thesis. 

“Josh's innate curiosity and strong land ethic leads him in a thousand directions, all at the same time,” said . “However, once harnessed, his energy and commitment are unparalleled, and he produces incredibly strong deliverables.” 

Whether it is dealing with COVID-19 or contending with dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Kover tends to clear hurdles.

While he is afforded accommodations through the , “I've outgrown the need for them as I've learned skills to adapt,” said Kover, adding, “But I mean, it's nice to know that I have them.”

He said it helps being in a “very drawing-heavy major.” 

“I don't spend much time reading for most of my classes,” said Kover, adding that faculty members within the landscape architecture program have been “fantastic” as they are accommodating and spend time explaining and elaborating on concepts. “So, when I have a class that I do, it's not that challenging to find the time or to find the energy. But it takes me a long time. It's really frustrating. It can be. I've sort of just accepted to some extent that it's just harder for me, and I'm a little bit invigorated by that, actually.” 

Kover said Jersey pride brought him to Rutgers-New Brunswick.

“Beyond that, I knew I was experimenting with a lot of different passions and interests, trying to figure out what I wanted to do,” he said. “I was like, I'm either going to do film or landscape architecture, and RU had both.”

Ultimately choosing the latter, Kover said, “Landscape architecture can be incredibly impactful. It's so broad.” 

Kover, who is pursuing a minor in urban forestry, added, “I've always enjoyed science, but I don't really have any interest in being a researcher and doing field work and whatnot. What I'd much rather do is application of science.”

He applies science to his business, which serves Maplewood and the village of South Orange, N.J. The company began as a provider of all-electric lawn care services.

“Throughout my entire short career in landscaping, I've never used a gas-powered equipment,” said Kover, who noted his branding was “Quiet for the community.” 
 
Over time, as Kover progressed in his studies, New Gen Garden has evolved, shifting from lawn maintenance to planting design and installation focused on ecological best practices. 

“It's developed significantly because of what I've learned in school the past few years,” he said.

Kover stays busy on campus, too. He is an administrator for the , a member of the Rutgers Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and a landscape architect intern for , a part-time position he started in June.

As an intern, Kover works within the planning, development and design department under Brian Clemson, the university’s landscape architect. 

“We work collaboratively on a broad range of projects throughout New Jersey,” said Kover, adding that they work at all three Rutgers campuses – Newark, Camden and “mostly” New Brunswick. 

“He's motivated, he's driven, he thrives on inquiry,” said Clemson, adding that Kover strives to collaborate with others. “He wants to know how things work, and he wants to know why ... so he challenges me all the time, which is fantastic. He doesn't question my knowledge or my experience. He'll just ask, ‘Why are we doing it this way? Could we do it another way, or did we consider this?’ And that's a good, good trait to have.” 

During a dendrology class in October, Kover served as a guest lecturer out in the field. He brought students to the site of a stormwater management project on Livingston campus, an area along an abandoned roadway that serves as both a living laboratory and an outdoor classroom. He taught students the basics of afforestation – reestablishing a forest where there hasn't been one for a long time – and the Miyawaki method of reforestation (focused on planting native species) as well as planting and forest design. 
 
“I ran them through what was ultimately a design exercise,” said Kover, recalling he discussed “the process of balancing out different objectives and the methodology of planting that reflects that balance. I ran them through all the thought processes.” 
 
“I can talk about that project forever because it's also in my George H. Cook honors thesis,” added Kover, who recently received a merit award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. 
 
“I have not known many students whose G.H. Cook honors project have made a difference on the land,” Gallagher said. “Josh's project will. His exploration of the Miyawaki method of afforestation is producing an experimental woodlot that can be used for both research and teaching on campus.”