True Nature Consulting is prepared to assist property owners who want to reveal the true nature of their land. We do this through a variety of services such as site assessment and interpretation, plant identification, management planning, and guidance in ecological restoration. A further discussion of available services follows.

Contact us with any questions; if you have something else in mind or are not sure what you might need, we would be happy to talk to you about it!

Environmental Assessment

Each site is unique, revealing a distinctive assemblage of geological features that supported specific plant communities and habitat for a wide range of beneficial creatures. We can help you understand how your property originally fit into the broader landscape of the area, how soil types and hydrology supported certain plant communities, how past land practices influenced changes in those plant communities, and how careful intervention can restore the beauty and function of the site.

"Greg, I greatly appreciate all the help and the info. The identification of so many unknown plants was an educational joy for me. You are so very knowledgeable but beyond that you obviously have a deep living connection with the natural world and you share from a place of reverent harmony. Sincere thanks to you." ~ Yvonne Beckway, Hampshire, Illinois

Vegetation

We can identify the plants that are present on your site; each indicates a history of persistence, a suggestion of what other plants would have an affinity for the site, and clues as to the true nature inherent in the land. The presence of invasive species not part of the historical assemblage of plants on the site indicates a call for intervention; we can help you determine how to manage the plant communities for aesthetic value, native biodiversity, and habitat enhancement, as well as long-term ecological viability.

Management Planning

Today, all our remnant natural areas carry vestiges of our ecological past, as well as indications of historical disturbance. Land owners who wish to restore the integrity of our natural heritage and reap the benefits of restored ecological function, reduced maintenance costs, enhanced aesthetic value, and improved habitat, will want to develop and implement management plans that are aimed to achieve specific goals—based on the land owners’ intentions. We can help you determine the objectives best suited to your needs and desires, then help guide you toward decisive actions that will most likely achieve those objectives.

“I have come to understand my woods and prairie much better thanks to Greg and True Nature. I see now how the woods were closed-in and oppressive—now that we have opened up some sections, there is a breeze and sunlight. And I thought the bushes were all buckthorn and honeysuckle, but Greg found wild plum and hazelnut and dogwood, which are beautiful plants worth keeping along with the old oaks. I am grateful for this new understanding.” ~Tara White, Richmond, Illinois

Ecological Restoration

Steeped in the practice of ecological restoration, True Nature can help you achieve your management goals by assisting with vegetation management. We can help remove invasive species from the site, guide you in obtaining and installing native stock to replace the invasive species, and assist with reintroducing the practice of controlled burns, helping to manage the vegetation through ecological processes and functions that had been withheld from the land.