Habitat Architects is actively working on a natural resource management plan and habitat restoration on a 240-acre parcel of property located in western Olathe, Kansas.  A baseline inventory assessed both historic and current land-use and differentiated the terrestrial natural communities across the site.  All water resources were mapped and evaluated to determine their overall value within the ecological community.  

Habitat restoration activities were developed based on the results of the field inventory.  Activities are on-going and include lake restoration, fisheries enhancements, bush honeysuckle removal, red cedar removal, wildlife food plots, prairie restoration, and bat habitat restoration.

Habitat Architects prepared a wetland and stream mitigation plan for natural resource impacts associated with the Lake Winnebago Dam Relocation project.  The plan included comprehensive adaptive management for over 16 acres of wetlands, 150 acres of riparian corridor and other natural amenities.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the mitigation plan and construction activities at the mitigation site were completed in 2017.  

Mitigation activities included the installation of approximately 5,000 trees, over 40 acres of riparian seeding, and wetland creation.  Long term management of the site is on-going and includes invasive species management, mowing and tree protection.  Yearly monitoring of the mitigation site will be reported to the US. Army Corps of Engineers until 2022.

Habitat Architects worked with Environmental Works Incorporated (EWI) and the Conservation Fund to complete woodland habitat restoration for Indiana Bat at a historic mine site in Hannibal, Missouri.  Habitat Architects planted over 1,000 trees and completed wetland, tributary, and native grass restoration where previous mining infrastructure existed.  The 185 acre Sodalis Nature Preserve is home to over 168,000 Indiana bats, nearly 1/3 of the Worlds population is known to roost.  A Conservation Fund video clip of the project can be found at the link below:

https://youtu.be/SoK4MHZjqo8

Habitat Architects worked with Olsson Associates and the City of Springfield Public Works Department on the design and implementation of the South Creek Restoration Project that extended from Campbell Avenue to Kansas Expressway in Springfield, Missouri.  Restored in 2015, the South Creek project removed the existing concrete lined channel and replaced it with a more natural condition that included stream meanders, pools, riffles, and in-stream weirs that more closely represented streamways within the Ozarks.  The restoration work improved water quality and habitat for both aquatic life and stream side shelter for wildlife.  Habitat Architects provided ecological design services for the project that included habitat design for macro-invertebrates, stream side and wetland plantings, and water control weirs that created water depth diversity across the stream corridor.  Habitat Architects also prepared an establishment and maintenance plan that could be utilized during the initial growing seasons. 

Habitat Architects has completed herbicide application treatments for the eradication of bush honeysuckle (Lonicera mackii) and lespedeza (Sericealespedeza) for over 100 acres of property in parklands within the Kansas City Metropolitan area over the past 7 years.  The project is an ongoing effort in cooperation with KC WildLands and the Missouri Department of Conservation to improve wildlife habitat specifically for neo-tropical migrants and has been funded by grants from the Missouri Bird Grant Initiative, Garden Club of America, and the Lowe’s Foundation.

Habitat Architects was contracted by the Kansas River Sand Producers to prepare an Environmental Report under the guidance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Kansas City District Regulatory Branch. The Environmental Report (ER) was prepared to address the Section 404/10 applications by members of the Kansas Sand Producers organization who were requesting authorization to continue to dredge sand and gravel for commercial sale on the Kansas River.  The ER was prepared in accordance with the guidelines established by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate impacts associated with the proposed activity along with providing updates to the Corps of Engineers 1990 Environmental Impact Statement and Regulatory Plan for commercial dredging on the Kansas River.  Following Habitat Architects involvement with the project, the Corps of Engineers and the EPA concluded that an Environmental Impact Study was required to finalize permit requests.