Tallgrass Restoration: Our Staff

At Tallgrass our experienced staff is our most important asset

The core of Tallgrass Restoration is a group of dedicated individuals committed to improving our area's native ecosystems. We come from diverse backgrounds which enable us to better serve our clientele. Some of us realized early on that we had a strong desire to work toward enhancing the environment and earned degrees such as Ecology, Environmental Science, Wildlife Biology or Forestry. Others were drawn to this work later and have developed their skills and knowledge through first hand experience. Our qualifications include:

ISA Certified Arborists
NWCG "Red Card" Certification
Certified Naturalists through the Morton Arboretum
IL and WI state Licensed Herbicide Applicators
Certified Wetland delineators

In addition to official degrees and certifications, our 35+ staff have experience and knowledge in areas that allow us to be effective natural area managers. These areas include:

Erosion control
Heavy equipment operation
Native plant identification
Plant install and care
Weed identification and management
Wildlife
Prescribed fire implementation
Brush clearing

Through the use of our fleet of specialized, state-of-the-art equipment, we can efficiently and effectively alleviate the pressure non-native plant infestations place on our natural ecological systems while promoting the formation of native plant communities. Our experienced equipment operators can also mitigate the effects of erosion upon streambanks and shorelines using a variety of stabilization methods. These mechanical methods, when combined with our experience using native plants, can result in astonishing changes to areas plagued by erosion.

Our projects for public, private, and government customers range from small yards to large natural areas, such as forest preserves and prairies. We strive to be cost effective while being dedicated to establishing ecologically sustainable landscapes that benefit the entire ecological community thereby enriching our client's experience.

Improving the ecology of native habitats found within the Midwestern United States is the focus of Tallgrass Restoration; we are an active member in numerous environmental organizations around the country. We strive to provide our clients with all of the necessary tools and information needed to understand and appreciate our ecological objectives. Together with our committed workforce, partnerships, affiliations, equipment, and our clientele, we aspire to merge the needs of the environment with the needs of our clients.

butterfly weed, or butterfly milkweed is a prairie or savanna wildflower that is a favorite of, you guessed it, butterflies! Now rare in wild natural areas, it is commonly used in native landscaping because of it's great beauty and wildlife value.