Quercus is dedicated to creating natural areas that improve the ecological function of the land, wherever they are found.
Through the use of native plants, attention to water management and replicating natural processes, we attempt to integrate the natural environment with urban elements to create a cohesive, sustainable, functioning environment in which to live.
With Integrated Ecological Design, we attempt to consider the implementation it will have upon the land and aim to minimize any negative environmental impacts.
Our rural, urban, and suburban restorations focus on using native plants to replicate the natural functions that occur within local ecosystems.
Native Midwest inspired designs help provide habitat for wildlife and plants that rely on similar ecosystems which have diminished greatly due to widespread habitat loss. The native plant species used in our designs have been present on the landscape for thousands of years, making them well suited to survive the local climate, as well as provide ideal habitat and forage for wildlife. Native plant designs can be formal or more natural in style, depending on personal preference or intended use. Utilizing natural styles achieves aesthetic cohesion through mimicking naturally occurring scenes, providing pleasing variations of texture, colors and sizes of plants and materials.
The cost of maintaining an ecologically informed landscape results in lower costs due to the reliable growth, survival rate and low maintenance cost of native plants. We design gardens to include groups of plants that would occur naturally on the landscape which minimizes maintenance costs. Integrated Ecological Design reduces the municipal burden of water management due to the inherent ability of native landscapes to effectively filter and assist infiltration of storm water. This characteristic is especially important to consider in urban areas adjacent to water bodies and tributaries highly susceptible to flooding and nutrient balance disruption.
“I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces of the puzzle scattered all over the place. If you look at the whole picture it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits of it, that’s what will give you hope.” – Dr. Jane Goodall
