Native Landscape Consulting

Nativescape can provide a scientific approach to native landscape consulting, native species specifications, native establishment plans, natural stormwater management, rain gardens, bioswales, grant applications and greenway design. Evaluations of existing natural areas with a prescription report describing the area, which will include a list of all plants and community types, along with a work plan to restore and maintain the area.

Natural Landscape Design is the use of native plant communities in landscape design as an alternative to turf. These designs focus on the use of local native plants arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner for reduced maintenance costs and long-term sustainability. Our Landscapes for Learning plans are an environmental education approach to natural landscape design.

There is a new environmentally conscious site design strategy that uses natural landscaping, natural and engineered drainage and infiltration design to control stormwater on site. LID systems store stormwater runoff in a natural, aesthetic and cost-effective manner by mimicking natural systems. Nativescape’s Stormwater Management Planning uses a natural scientific approach stormwater management We can develop a stormwater strategy using Rain Gardens, Bioswales and Detention Basins to help treat runoff and protect water quality. A Restoration Approach to Drain Management mimics natural fluvial geomorphology, or natural stream layouts with floodplains with a two-stage design.

RATIONAL FOR METHODOLOGY:

The methods used with this plan will meet the requirements specified in the Establishment and Acceptance sections of the wetland mitigation permit required specifications. Professional native consultant supervision will save time and reduce maintenance costs by eliminating unnecessary maintenance work on the site. This service will also provide early warning for any invasive weed invasion.

We will estimate the total percent coverage of vegetation in the sites, show the change of native coverage and substantiate an increase of native species. Hydrology will be used to determine the wetland status of the wetland portions of the site. All these techniques will insure a successful native planting and final acceptance of the project from the Client. A Floristic Quality Assessment of each sites plant species will be figured annually to show the percentage of native species in each planting area at the end of each growing season. This will be used to substantiate an increase of the natives per year of the three-year establishment period.

Wetland hydrology determination will substantiate the successful establishment of the native planting area. Hydrology will be determined by using the wetness index (W), which is determined by the National Wetland Categories and coefficients (W) that are established for each native species and the mean of the total coefficients (W = ∑ W / n). Only native species will be used in this assessment. Gerald Wilhelm (1989, 1991, 1992, and 1993) hypothesized that the wetland index figured with only native species is a stronger indication of wetland status than if adventive (non-native) species are included in the assessment. When the wetland index (W) drops below zero for the Wet Meadow site, the site will be considered a wetland according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s wetland criteria.

The MELGE criteria used for goals of a wetland restoration are to attain a predominance of wetland vegetation, soils, and hydrology. The restoration is expected to be considered successful if the project ultimately contains predominance of wetland plant indicator species, creation of a hydric soil, and to achieve the hydrology necessary to support wetland plants.

Photo documentation of the sites will be done. Photos will give proof of the above data and determinations. Photo locations and quadrat plant sampling locations will be shown in the first report to represent the characteristics of the entire community.

The work covered under these establishment and monitoring plans will be the following.

1. Quarterly site visits will be done for each year after the first growing season of the evaluation period. More visits will be done as deemed necessary by the Consultant (Nativescape) with permission from the Contractor.
2. All plants found in the planting areas will be identified and documented.
3. Monitoring stations will be established for estimate of plant coverage. Plant community wetland indicator status (wetness coefficient) will be figured, along with coefficient of conservatism and floristic quality assessment of the sites flora as provided in the Floristic Quality Assessment with Wetland Categories and Computer Application Programs for the State of Michigan (MDNR, Wildlife Division, Natural Heritage Program, 1996) to quantify growth assessment and native plant community establishment.
4. A digital photographic record will be kept of all observations made. Locations, dates and a brief description of each photograph will be presented as needed.
5. A brief discussion of the progress of the plant community establishment and status will be developed after each site visit.
6. Best management practice (BMP) recommendations will be made after each site visit. This will provide irrigation needs, mowing needs, weed control, herbicide use and type, reseeding, or any other treatment that will insure a successful native establishment.

SITE VISIT MEMO: A site visit memo will be generated for each visit to the site. Each site visit memo will include, but may not be limited to:

• Dates and times of visits and surveys
• Complete list of species observed on site (plants and animals)
• Completed Michigan Natural Features Inventory forms (if needed)
• Maps relating location of listed species to proposed activity (if needed)
• Photographs of the project area and of listed species specimens (if found and if possible)
• A brief discussion of the progress of the plant community establishment
• BMP recommendations that may be needed with a work plan to describe the techniques to use

The first site visits will begin during the first growing season following the planting of each area.

ANNUAL REPORT: An annual report will be generated for each year of the three-year establishment period. Each annual report will include, but may not be limited to:

• Methods used
• Dates and times of visits and surveys
• Complete list of species observed on site (plants and animals)
• Floristic Quality Assessment (FCI) and Mean wetness index (W) Percent plant coverage from monitoring station data summary
• Completed Michigan Natural Features Inventory forms (if needed)
• Maps relating location of listed species to proposed activity (if needed)
• Photographs of the project area and of listed species specimens (if found and if possible)
• Location map of photographs
• A brief discussion and summary of the progress of the native plant community establishment and any BMP recommendations that may be needed.