Recent Projects

We repaired a farm pond, plus did a redesign and retrofit with shoreline shallows and benches to grow emergent marsh vegetation and increase the pond's diversity. We also designed a bioswale and features to manage stormwater coming into the pond. Mike developed a forest garden with native plants interpreted along circular paths, to complement the owner's new Hipcamp tent sites. He inventoried native plants, weeded non-native plants, created paths, flagged plant stations and installed a border rope. We also created a brochure featuring the plants found in this defined forest garden area for the landowner.

Although our specialty is vernal pools and related wetlands conservation, Mike Hayslett's lifetime career in natural resource management and conservation biology enables us to address many landowner needs and to provide a wide variety of environmental consulting services related to landscape ecology, restoration and management. For this landowner, Mike and his assistant provided invasive plant control, native plant survey and property boundary marking. 

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Mike was recently approved by the Virginia Department of Forestry to provide landowners assistance in preparing their Forest Stewardship plan. A Forest Stewardship Management Plan serves as the foundation for connecting forest landowners with their forestland through a comprehensive plan that addresses individual landowner objectives for their entire property. This plan type is the most comprehensive and takes a holistic approach to forest management for a landowner’s entire property, and is highly recommended for landowners wishing to address all resource aspects of their land. Forest Stewardship Management Plans are optimal for landowners with multiple objectives and a desire to successfully manage their land for multiple purposes. These plans must adhere to National and State Forest Stewardship Management Plan guidelines.

Mike designed and oversaw construction of eight vernal pools/ponds to greatly increase aquatic and wildlife habitat. This project was a collaboration between several agencies. The farm is USDA enrolled for cost-share funded conservation practices, received a matching grant through the Virginia Department of Forestry, and funding through the Lower Cowpasture Restoration Project. Mike's expertise developed water features to fit the farm's forest management plan and wildlife habitat development goals.The landowner was pleased with the tremendous increase in biological diversity, especially waterfowl and amphibians!

We are restoring a small stream section on a private farm under conservation easement, as part of a double wetlands enhancement project that also involves the installation of stormwater management features to protect one of the two wetland sites. Headwall erosion was threatening to alter the hydrology of a lateral wetland in the floodplain of Little Beaver Creek and needed a significant "fix" with equipment and rock! When complete, installed stormwater management features will address the cause of this erosion, to protect the stream and wetland.