Why we leave dead wood
A fallen log hosts more life than the tree that grew it.
Landscape · Forest ecology · Restoration
Landscapes that become forests.
We design woodlands, trails and restored river valleys that grow wilder, quieter and more alive with every passing decade.
Our way
Think in centuries.
A forest is not planted — it is started. We design the first layer and let time, water and wildlife do the rest.
Every project begins with the old trees, soils and streams already on site. We restore what was lost, connect fragments and leave room for succession.
The layers we design
01
Canopy
Douglas fir, western red cedar and bigleaf maple — the long-lived roof of the forest.
30 – 60 m02
Understory
Vine maple, dogwood and young conifers waiting for light.
5 – 15 m03
Shrub
Salal, huckleberry and Oregon grape: food and shelter for birds.
1 – 4 m04
Ground
Ferns, mosses, fungi and fallen logs — where the forest recycles itself.
0 – 1 mFrom the journal
Fog, fern and a dry summer
How our coastal plantings survived the hottest August on record.
Counting salmon in Cedar Creek
Two years after restoration, the first coho are back.