Habitat Enhancement

Vermont’s trees and forests are beyond beautiful: They are critical to sustaining our state’s human and wild communities, lakes and streams, culture and heritage. At Teacher’s Tree Service, we understand that the landscape that we love is under threat from damage caused by invasive species, fragmentation (splitting large tracts into smaller parcels), loss of forest cover, disruptions of nutrient cycles, and climate change.

We’re committed to helping our clients understand and restore ecological functions on their properties including carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, native biodiversity, wildlife habitat, shoreline buffers, and natural beauty. Our Habitat Enhancement services include:

Consultation: Unsure of where to start? Our staff are ready to apply their ecological and technical knowledge to the specific land management challenges you face. We will assess your property, listen to your goals, and suggest a course of action that fits both scientific recommendations and your budget and timeline.

Invasive plant removal: Buckthorn, honeysuckle, barberry, and more – there is no shortage to invasive species in Vermont, and removing them may seem like a daunting task. We can remove and control these aggressive invaders.

Native plant regeneration: Want to promote native plants on your land? Not only will your property look more beautiful, your land will support native pollinators and other wildlife, as well. We can assess your property’s soil, hydrology, and habitat characteristics, and select native seeds, plugs, and saplings that will thrive and add valuable to existing ecological communities.

Wildlife habitat improvement: In addition to enriching the plant community, we enhance wildlife habitat by preserving large-diameter, mast-producing trees, opening forest canopy gaps, creating standing snags, and keeping downed logs on the forest floor.

Together, we can restore Vermont’s native, intrinsic beauty to your property, support the ecosystem functions that have existed here for thousands of years, and re-establish habitats that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

A multi-layer, natural hedge featuring native evergreens, flowering trees and shrubs will fill in and screen the view of a major road and commercial businesses. Planted in 2023.

A natural ‘edge habitat’ between manicured lawn and wetland. This human-made habitat is often invaded by non-native buckthorn and honeysuckle shrubs, but can be restored and maintained to native plants that support pollinators and birds.

Failing lakeshore high-maintenance ornamental garden. In close consultation with our client, we will restore this habitat to native plants that require little care and preserve the view of the water, while also preventing erosion, providing wildlife habitat, and filtering runoff.