Clearing typically is the first action required in a restoration project. Many of our natural areas have become overgrown with invasive or weedy vegetation, such as Common Buckthorn _ or Reed Canary Grass _(Phalaris arundinacea), due to mismanagement and fire suppression. These non-native species lack natural mechanisms of control and consequently dominate a site. Invasive and weedy species pose a serious threat to our native plant communities.
By eradicating invasive or weedy vegetation on-site, the threat imposed by their presence is eliminated. Clearing and conventional pruning allow life-giving sunlight to penetrate to the ground-plane. Sufficient sunlight is essential to all native flora, enabling them to establish, flower, and most importantly reproduce. When favorable conditions are maintained through regular stewardship and a re-established fire regime, our native plant communities dominate the restoration area.
Installation is a necessary component to most restoration efforts, whether it is installing hard materials such as erosion control blanket, installing plant materials such as trees, shrubs, or live plugs, seeding for a new planting or seeding for enhancement.
In order to be successful, installations need to be conducted by experienced ecological restoration crews. There are specific, proven techniques that only practical knowledge and experience can provide. Take Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) for example—-the seed requires sunlight to germinate, therefore it cannot be planted with a typical mix. It must be spread on top of the soil after the main seeding has been completed.
“PRIMUM NON NOCERE” is Latin for “First Do No Harm.” This is our motto at Pizzo. It implies a cautious approach to any area that has maintained its natural characteristics. We keep existing soil with its intrinsic structure and microbial activity in place. We avoid disturbing any area that still has its native plant community intact and minimize disturbance in general. Pizzo offers full-service professional clearing and installation services utilizing highly experienced crews trained in plant identification and the most current techniques of clearing and installation. Whether it’s clearing a wetland from an infestation of Cattail or a woodland whose understory has become overgrown with an impenetrable thicket of Buckthorn; from planting a shoreline with vigorous live plugs to seeding large expanses of open prairie; we will plan, schedule, and implement your clearing or installation project with minimal impact to the site.
