Inner-Coastal Ecological Services (ICES) performs ecological restoration and vegetation management contracting services in addition to its Consulting services. This involves activities that guide ecological succession towards enhanced biodiversity and ecological function, increasing the habitat value of natural areas to the fauna that depend on them. This work takes on many forms and occurs in diverse situations.
Contracting services may involve restoring highly disturbed vegetation or bare soil conditions inclusive of slope stabilization where seed mixes of native species are crafted and installed. At the small residential scale where plants are often used in addition to seed and thoughtfully placed, Native Landscaping creates designed environments. On larger scales where the distribution of plants is allowed to sort itself out and only seed is generally used, Ecological Restoration is a more appropriate term for the restoration of disturbed environments.
In areas of existing native vegetation, contracting services include Natural Areas Management where the existing vegetation is enhanced through various management techniques generally without the introduction of either plants or seed. These services often involve the control of invasive species. Contracting may also include the supervision of large projects with multiple participants – General Contracting / Project Management – where ICES oversees the work of other contractors.