Ecological Consulting

Why Do You Need Consulting?

Many people are reluctant to invest in consulting. After all, why spend money on a report when that money could go directly to land management? But we know that investing in consulting can save you a lot of time and money.

Natural Areas Inventories

Natural Area Inventories can provide you with a profoundly deeper understanding of your land. They will help identify problem areas you may not have been aware of and resources, such as rare plants, that you may not know you have. When we perform a natural area inventory we will research site history in the form of the original surveyor's notes, historic aerial photos and other resources. Then we map out the natural communities on your site using powerful GPS mapping technology. Over the course of the year we will visit your site several times in order to perform a Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA). During an FQA, we inventory every plant species on your property which provides us a quantitative method for determining the quality of your natural areas. A natural area inventory is critical to get a good understanding of the composition of the natural areas on your property before you begin restoration work. And if you are looking for financial support for restoration work, this is often the first step necessary to apply for grants and public funding.

Natural Areas Management Planning

A management plan is an essential part of a restoration project. It will include a list of clearly defined goals which you can use to keep track of the progress of your project over time. It will set priorities for management that will allow you to tackle the most pressing ecological issues first so that they don't spiral out of control. By focusing your resources in the most efficient manner possible the management plan can pay for itself by preventing wasted efforts. Overall, you will get a clear understanding of what must be done and what resources you will need to do them, turning an amorphous idea to rehabilitate your land into a clear vision for the future. Furthermore, investing in a management plan shows agencies that might help fund the work on your land that you are serious about ecological restoration, and is required for many grant applications.

Consulting Services

Natural Areas Inventories: Site inventory work is the first step towards understanding the potential and challenges of the natural areas on your property. We will research site history, perform natural community mapping and conduct Floristic Quality Assessments to determine the quality of your natural areas.

Natural Areas Management Planning: A management plan is an essential part of a restoration project. We can help you develop a clear vision, set goals for progress over time and understand the means required for success.

Ecological Field Work: We have several seasons of field experience doing ecological research. We can put together a research team with expertise in botany, entomology, ornithology, wetland delineation and other fields.

Tree Surveys: Trees are a natural resource with great ecological, aesthetic and economical value. Let us help you get a better understanding of your natural assets.

Trail Development and Implementation: Careful planning and construction are required to develop a trail system that meets your aesthetic, interpretive and recreational needs and that will also be sustainable for years to come. We can help repair and redesign old trails and minimize damage caused by erosion.