
Working together in land stewardship
I am a team lead with the Zawadi Land Stewardship Initiative. At Zawadi, we use our experience and knowledge in botany, ecology and soil science to address challenges and find opportunities in your naturalized and growing spaces. We support our clients in addressing land management challenges, activating ecosystem restoration projects and bringing a holistic ecosystem lens to farms & garden projects and will work with you on your project and draft recommendations that will benefit the land, soil, native pollinators and health of the watershed, through practical and economical means.
More About Us
How We Work
We work with clients through a phased approach that allows ongoing input, learning and collaboration. We do land assessments, develop comprehensive recommendations and support implementation.
Our Clients Are…
Aspiring land stewards seeking guidance on a holistic approach to land management challenges.
New farmers seeking to be stewards of the land through regenerative farming that builds soil and improves the local ecosystem.
Schools and community centers looking to activate ecological and food-based projects.
Our Areas of Focus
Regenerative Agriculture
Small Pond and Wetland Stewardship plans
Custom Planting Plans
Invasive Species Management using an approach informed in healing the land to favour native species and avoiding herbicides.
Cost
An urban or suburban yard assessment and plan is typically in the range of $300 – $600. A larger rural property or farm assessment and phase 1 plan is typically in the range of $1500.00 to $2000.00. Phase 2 detailed plans run from $500.00 – $1000.00. Project implementation quotes are available. We work to connect clients with grant funding opportunities to support project implementation.
Previous Work
Soil, Water & Landscape analysis
Most client work starts with a comprehensive assessment where we collect soil and water samples for analysis and do a landscape-level assessment. We then translate the results into a problems and opportunities list and propose actionable projects to enhance the function of the ecosystems on the site.
Old Horse Ring Remediation: Food Forest, Wildflower Meadow and Accessible Garden
We worked on the sandy and highly compacted site of a former horse ring to design and build a sanctuary for a client who wanted to have gardens that were accessible to both grandkids and her, could produce enough for local food banks and were contributing to the biodiversity of her property. We worked to remediate the soil, planted a native pollinator meadow and build accessible raised beds, along with a living willow arbor, and a food forest with native nut and fruit trees.
Custom Fieldguide
We created an accessible, plain-language guide for our client to help them be able to quickly identify, appreciate and monitor the exisitng species.. Developing an awareness of the plants, insects and animals within your area is critical for monitoring and stewardship.
Woodland Invasive Removals
Periwinkle and Garlic Mustard are very prevalent in wooded areas of so-called Southern Ontario. We worked with a client to clear out an overgrowth of vinca and garlic mustard that had choked out other understory plants, and then initiated a combination of soil building and planting of more-aggressive growing native groundcovers to fill the space to increase biodiversity.
Pine Plantation Monocrop Transition
Much of the land in so-called Southern Ontario was planted as monocrop plantations and thinning has not occurred on many sites, leaving dense-rowed conifer plantation forests of equal aged trees that present many risks and challenges. We worked with a landowner to plan out a strategy for thinning and restoring biodiversity to the site, through encouraging a transition to a mixed-wood forest type.
Schoolyard Garden
We are working with a school to build an outdoor classroom for nature based learning. The project includes invasive species removal, native species planting, food garden bed building, water infrastructure installation, and design for learning spaces.
Native Plan Design and Planting for Shady Backyard
We incorporated the client goals of a backyard that was planted with native species that could also allow traffic from her dog and baby on the way. We worked to build soil, clean-up the space, and use phased dense plantings to build a lush trample-tolerant and shade-tolerant yard design.
Shoreline Stabilization
We used a live-staking technique for a client-site with a pond with an eroded sloped shoreline. The living plant stakes root, and then grow into beautiful shrubs, stabilizing the erosion and increasing bird and animal habitat.
Curious to know how I can help you? Book free 15-minute discovery call!
Contact me at kaleigh@forthelonghaul.ca for availability
