About

I’m a Rochester, NY native and have spent over 15 years working professionally in ecological preservation and restoration. My areas of experience include:

Wetland restoration;
Rare, threatened, and endangered species habitat restoration;
Natural landscape preservation; and
Residential landscape design.

My graduate studies at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry have afforded me research opportunities all over New York State, and my continued post-college training and studies have been largely based at Cornell University. I am part of the Steering Committee for both the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society and Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, as well as a member of the NY Flora Association. I am currently a full-time biologist for the state.

I started this business because I wanted to make it easy for people in the Rochester and Finger Lakes areas to design a yard that meets their needs, while also considering the needs of the natural world around them. I started giving consultations on native plant landscaping to colleagues, friends, and family as a sort of passion project. As I did, I realized that people wanted to bring the same kind of thoughtfulness and intention to their landscaping at home as I’ve been putting into public lands.

My current full-time position means I am only taking on consultations for DIY plans at the moment. What I hope to show all of my clients is how much easier a native plant landscape can be to maintain, as well as what it can contribute to the greater environment beyond their yard.

Why native landscaping?

FOR YOU

Restores natural habitats: Once you go native, you can start to see some of the beautiful local birds and butterflies in your area enjoying your yard. It’s a true “if you build it, they will come” scenario!

Save money on fertilization and water: Native NY plants WANT to grow in existing NY soils, and won’t need much help after they’re established in the right place!

Climate resiliency: Native NY plants have evolved alongside NY’s climate and will do well in your ecoregion, especially if a professional helps you find the right source.

Less maintenance: No regular fertilization, watering, aeration, or weird pruning needs because you’re trying to maintain living things in conditions they weren’t meant for.

Don’t worry about invasiveness: Anything we suggest for your space will only improve nearby natural spaces if they spill out beyond your yard.

FOR the PLANET

Native plants and animals in NY have evolved together to support a biodiverse ecosystem. Decreasing the number of native plants lessens that biodiversity. Species have become so specialized in their evolution that even small changes to a plant’s genetics can cause changes to their function. Plants with these genetic changes are called cultivars or nativars and are not proven to provide the same benefit to a species that needs it to complete its lifecycle.*

By utilizing native plants that want to grow in the type of soil you have outside your front door, you also support the hundreds or thousands of species that can be impacted by that plant’s use.

Studies have shown that non-native plants in landscaping can only support approximately 10% of the individuals a native plant could support for food, shelter, and lifecycle needs. That 10% of individuals is often also comprised of only one or two species, instead of the diversity of species a native plant could support in its place.

Often the “ideal” landscaping plants advertised come from far and distant lands, and they are brought here before we know how they would react if unleashed upon natural areas. This can sometimes lead to invasive species, without our knowing initially.

Cultivars, even of your favorite native plants, are not yet shown to provide the same benefit to local flora and fauna. When you change one function of a plant, it can often inadvertently change another function because plants only have so much energy to give.

*Cultivars will have capitalized – and often exotic sounding – names added onto them. A native NY plant like butterfly milkweed could be available in its true native state as Aesclepias tuberosa, but could also be a cultivar/nativar version like ‘Hello Yellow’ Aesclepias tuberosa or ‘Western Gold Mix’ Aesclepias tuberosa that is not proven to provide the same benefit.