Ecological Services
Once water enters your property, it affects everything. The water issue may be due to aggressive rainfall, an overflowing stream or a neighboring property with its own water problem. Whatever the case, we approach stormwater management with ecology and creativity in mind. Collectively, our design team has over 40 years of experience managing water by creating rain gardens, repairing stream corridors, maintaining riparian buffers and building bioswales. We have even designed elevated aqueducts which can be functional but also sculptural!
Stormwater management
Meadow can be such a complicated word. In one case, a person may ask for a 1-acre meadow and the project is straightforward. We’ll just need to plant it and the client can enjoy successional seasons of growth. However, in another scenario, a 1-acre meadow can be a complicated job that requires a sizable investment. There is such a wide range of ecological needs as well as client needs to consider. Our job is to help you define the scope that makes sense for your property. And most importantly to make sure the meadow is chemical-free, benefiting you as well as the many creatures with whom you’ll share it.
Meadow installation
Forests and streams are not only beautiful and serene, they are also an important part of our environment and ecosystem. Forests help to keep our water ways clean, and streams affect so much, from the tiniest tributary to a large 5th-order river flowing into the ocean. They are also important for our mental health, reminding us to breathe, and literally assist us in doing so! At Indigenous Ingenuities, we take their restoration very seriously, entering a forest delicately and quietly, or working in a stream without disturbing it. Our Stream and Forest Restoration service is unique in that we minimize compaction by doing most work on foot, and never apply chemical herbicides such as Roundup, leaving the soil biology as intact as possible.
Stream and forest restoration
Invasive plants can wreak havoc on the landscape. The key to successful removal is enlisting the help of skilled horticulturists who can accurately identify and eradicate them without doing more damage to the habitat. We specialize in chemical-free invasive plant removal, and take into consideration several other factors that other companies often overlook. Being quiet and delicate matters more than many realize. We operate light-duty machinery or work on foot, and use primarily battery-powered equipment, always with the intention of leaving nearby fauna as undisturbed as possible.
Invasive removal
While it is always our goal to create something perceived as beautiful to the human eye, we also aim to create habitats and gardens that are enjoyed by all living creatures. We want our gardens to have depth and personality, to be artful but also purposeful - slowing stormwater, feeding pollinators, providing refuge for ground-nesting birds, strengthening the soil and cleaning the air. It’s a win win win win…well, you get the idea!
Habitat restoration
Natural Corridor
The natural corridor brings depleted soil back to life, restores native plant life that provides habitat for butterflies and bees, and enables safe passages for other wildlife. Additionally, native plants and shrubs may be more adaptable to climate change, helping us better manage the impact of severe weather. And happily, we’re not the only ones aiming to regenerate migration corridors and habitats - companies like ours are engaged in doing the same for communities across the country. Imagine if we were able to link our individual pathways! The green markers on this map show the progress of our efforts so far. It makes it easy to see how together our backyards can easily amount to areas that rival state parks in size. Can you see yourself on the map? Would you like to develop a sanctuary for your family that also nurtures nature? We hope so!
Every native garden makes a difference in healing the environment! Large public works and institutional initiatives to regenerate our natural world are fantastic, but we’re just as committed to backyard efforts because together we can make as big or an even bigger impact on the ecological issues facing the world.
Since 2013, Indigenous Ingenuities has been working intentionally to re-build a natural corridor through our neighborhoods to counter decades of human development. That unconscious interference has fragmented green spaces, limiting biodiversity, cutting off food supply and creating all kinds of hazards for wildlife.
Locally Sourced
Indigenous Ingenuities sources all of its plants, stone, lumber, mulch, soil, and other supplies locally. Our employees are all local too! We believe it’s of the utmost importance to support the local economy and the hundreds of vibrant small businesses that keep it going.
In addition, sourcing locally is a more sustainable practice that keeps our emissions lower and saves natural energy resources. It also allows us to maintain a higher level of quality control, which directly impacts the success of our client’s projects. We also just love building community and sourcing locally strengthens our many relationships!
Please let us know if you know of other businesses that would make great partners!
