Reintegrating Human Nature
For life in rhythm with Earth
Open Ecology begins with the understanding that how we care for the land reflects how we care for ourselves. Through practical support and thoughtful relationship, this work helps reconnect inner life with the living world, creating spaces where both people and ecosystems can find balance.
Essence
Open Ecology emerged from the deep calling to weave a tapestry of healing—for the land, human spirit, and the vital bond between.
Venture out on this meaningful path, where ecological balance and human wholeness unfolds in every step, through receptive listening, responsive actions, and regenerative practices.
Mission
To create private sanctuaries for ecological conservation, where human inhabitants connect deeply with Earth, and the forest has long-term protection to develop into old growth.
Approach
Listening
Attuning to the quiet melodies of nature and the gentle motions of the human soul establishes the groundwork for change. Through attentive presence, we begin to understand what is needed and what is already being offered. In that space, relationship has room to grow.
Responsiveness
Reverence guides an ongoing exchange that helps rejoin the realms of humanity and nature as one. Rather than following fixed plans, we respond to what is emerging to encourage the natural capacity for resilience, balance, and long-term vitality.
Regeneration
Sowing seeds of renewal, from the soul of the soil to the heart of humanity. Supporting ecological vitality and human well-being by honoring both what is and what could be. Nurturing life where we are, rather than trying to restore something lost.
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In the quietude of nature, we find the antidote to the noise of the modern world.
Every tree, trail, and sanctuary reflects the possibility of healing, offering a rhythm that brings us back to connection.
Is this you?
Do you own 40 or more acres of land in the Pacific Northwest?
Maybe the property is new to you, full of possibility and unknowns. Or maybe you have been living with the land for years, still looking for the kind of guidance that truly fits. The vision is there, but the path can be hard to see.
Do you dream of creating a sanctuary that reflects your values?
You may be imagining a place that inspires connection and honors the beauty and complexity of natural systems. A place where human presence and the natural world exist in thoughtful partnership.
What should take priority?
How do you support balance in a disturbed ecosystem?
Have you discovered that “best practices” do not always fit?
Implementing land stewardship guidelines can quickly lead to overwhelm. Research piles up, decisions become endless, and it is hard to know what truly fits. Costly designs may offer structure but can fall short when the land refuses to follow a static plan.
The Earth is not a fixed blueprint. It is alive and responsive, and planning works best when it is just as dynamic.
Do you value ecological conservation and prioritize habitat preservation?
Traditional solutions such as hiring landscape designers, foresters, permaculture planners, or other consultants can offer useful expertise, but can also feel fragmented or prescriptive.
Plans may look good on paper but fail to reflect the personal connection to the land or the kind of life being cultivated there.
It can be hard to find support that genuinely respects the land’s unique qualities while also helping to align human needs with natural rhythms.
Does land care sometimes feel overly structured or disconnected?
Conventional solutions often treat land as something to manage or control, rather than a living partner. While these approaches may offer useful technical advice, they often miss the subtle and ever changing nature of the landscape and those who live with it.
The deeper connection is often ignored. This includes the emotional and intuitive sense that the land is part of you, not just something you take care of. The right kind of support respects that relationship and will help it grow.
Challenges You May Be Facing
Wildlife Coexistence
Balancing vibrant plant growth and recreation with respect for the wildlife that shares the land.
Caring for Interconnection
Responding to challenges related to hydrology, wildfire resilience, soil biology, and other layers of ecological balance in a way that supports the whole system. Humans and nature, as one.
All the Moving Parts
Coordinating services, balancing overlapping projects, and navigating practical realities, from shifting weather patterns to security concerns and access issues.
Minimizing Disturbance
Preserving the quiet, the dark skies, and the sense of sanctuary that make rural life so special, while shaping functional spaces that feel alive and aligned with the land.
Learning from the Land
Living outside city limits comes with unique gifts—and often, unexpected hurdles. For more than a decade, I have helped care for hundreds of acres of private land in the Western Cascades of Oregon, blending practical skill with a steady respect for the land and its rhythms.
Through years of serving as a live-in land steward and trusted collaborator, I have developed practices that support both the land and the people who tend it. This includes working closely with landowners new to rural living, offering perspective on how to set priorities and shape spaces that are both functional and aligned with their deeper vision.
Whether it’s designing places for quiet connection or planning gatherings that honor the spirit of the land, my approach is grounded in lived experience. I share these perspectives and practices to support those ready to meet the opportunities and challenges of caring for complex, interconnected ecosystems.
Offerings
Conscious co-creation with Earth.
Conservation of natural resources begins within our own human nature. Humans are nature. Without feeling this connection deep in our bones, we experience separation within and all around ourselves. It is more important now than ever before, to realize another way of being. Until we address the fragmentation of the human psyche and prioritize human wholeness, we continue to degrade ourselves, which is reflected in the degradation of Earth.
Tending Sanctuary
Learn the language of Earth.
Begin listening to the land through a holistic approach to tending diverse ecosystems. Open a sense of when and why to take action, and when to pause, observe, and receive.
Rather than offering fixed plans or rigid prescriptions, this process supports long-term stewardship shaped by observation, seasonality, and the evolving relationship between people and place.
Together, we explore ways to maintain balance, strengthen resilience, and align practices with the natural rhythms already present.
A part of this work I feel especially called to is supporting individuals or communities in shaping sacred spaces for quiet reflection in natural surroundings. These spaces are created with care and intention, guided by what the land reveals and what the heart longs to remember.
Stewarding the Process
Open Ecology offers comprehensive stewardship and general contracting services that integrate the needs of people, the built environment, and the natural world. This work combines logistical oversight with ecological awareness, ensuring that each step reflects both the character of the land and the vision of those who care for it.
As a licensed, bonded, and insured Oregon Landscape Contractor, I provide continuity across planning, implementation, and long-term care. This includes supporting both the visible work on the land and the behind-the-scenes details that help it unfold smoothly. Whether overseeing infrastructure improvements, habitat restoration, or ongoing stewardship, I serve as a single point of contact to keep things moving with clarity, consistency, and care.
We support grounded and effective stewardship where what is created honors the life that is already present.
Services include:
Consultation
Thoughtful implementation begins with thoughtful conversation. Consultation is often the first step to clarify vision, understand site conditions, explore possibilities, and consider next steps.
Whether you're just beginning to care for a new piece of land or navigating complex questions mid-project, this offering provides grounded support and honest reflection. It's a way to listen to the land together and make choices that feel aligned with your values and local ecology.
Consultation may stand on its own or lead into deeper collaboration through project coordination, stewardship planning, or implementation.
Ecological Coordination and Oversight
Integrated project leadership that supports collaboration among landowners, contractors, and agency partners. Solutions are flexible, responsive to site conditions, and grounded in values of long-term care and ecological integrity.
Conservation and Regenerative Farming
Support for land-based projects that integrate conservation goals, food systems, and revenue-generating uses such as non-timber forest products. Each effort is shaped to meet ecological priorities while minimizing disturbance and aligning with the vision of the land’s caretakers.
Collaborative Contracting and Team Building
Careful selection and oversight of contractors, technicians, and service providers. All collaborators are chosen for their quality of work, communication, and alignment with site-specific goals and ecological values.
Ecological balance
Care for the Earthen realm emerges through presence, humility, and relationship with the living intelligence of the land.
Ecological surveys can help indicate areas of imbalance. These signals can reveal opportunities for mutual renewal between people and place. Observing stress, disruption, or depletion becomes an invitation to listen more closely and respond with care. Often, the patterns found in the land mirror what is needed within ourselves—reminding us that tending the Earth and tending the human spirit are deeply connected.
Stewardship may include low-impact forestry, thoughtful approaches to invasive species, and support for biodiversity to return and thrive. Each act is part of a wider field of care, contributing to a living and evolving system.
Where appropriate, Forest Legacy Plans may be developed to explore the potential for non-timber forest products and other income streams that align with the land’s natural cycles. These plans offer step-by-step guidance for supporting future old-growth, generating income with minimal disturbance, and leaving a lasting legacy of relationship and renewal.
Trail building and maintenance
Carefully crafted pathways help minimize disturbance while creating thoughtful routes for human movement—paths that often become useful to wildlife as well. Designated trails protect sensitive habitats, reduce erosion, and preserve the quiet mystery of the most magical places on your land. When placed with care, these routes invite deeper observation, slow the pace of interaction, and offer a way to move in respectful relationship with the land.
Trail design blends ecological understanding with intuitive listening. Alignments are shaped by slope, soil type, vegetation, and the natural flow of water, helping to slow runoff and protect the integrity of the landscape. Each path is laid with attention to function and feeling—supporting long-term access while deepening connection between people and place.
Each service is an act of devotion, a commitment not just to the land but to the journey of healing and reintegration of every soul that treads upon it.
A Call to Co-Create
At Open Ecology, we approach the land with deep reverence and a commitment to ecological harmony. Rooted in the philosophy of interconnectedness, our work transcends conventional landscaping to embrace the magic and intelligence of our planet Earth.
We seek kindred co-creators who share our devotion to tending the land as a vibrant, sacred partner. Together, we listen to quiet guidance to enhance habitats in ways that align with Earthly rhythms and honor her spirits. By nurturing a vision to re-integrate human nature, we contribute to a future where humanity and the natural world thrive as one.
True stewardship is alive, fluid, and responsive—much like the land. Rather than relying on rigid, fixed plans created indoors, we embrace the understanding that “the map is not the territory.” We are dedicated to thoughtful planning and respecting client requests, yet our approach values presence, active listening, and flexibility, allowing us to evolve with the land’s guidance and new discoveries, while staying true to the vision.
Through mindful choices that reflect our deep connection to Earth, we can support balance and co-create with nature’s intelligence to build sanctuaries for all life. If your company shares this calling, let’s explore how we might join forces to make a lasting impact.
