As project manager for your agency’s reclamation project your focus may be on immediate erosion control via both hardscape and softscape best management practices.  While immediate erosion control is a worthy goal, long-term erosion control is only attained by the re-establishment of sustainable native plant growth, invariably on soils that have been drastically disturbed.  You may be lucky enough to be dealing with drastically disturbed topsoil.  More likely, the term “drastically disturbed soils” will unfortunately be a euphemism for “all topsoil has vanished!”  If so, accomplishing your objective can be tricky, as evidenced by the plethora of reclamation seeding project disappointments scattered throughout the arid Western U.S.

Take heart.  From reviewing www.quattroenvironmental.com you have an understanding that the key to re-establishing long-term sustainable native plant growth has less to do with growing plants, than it has to do with restoring a functioning soil community beneath those plants.  And as you embrace the Quattro LSM Growing Soil technologies, your first assignment becomes: How best to go about restoring a functioning soil community  – on drastically disturbed soils –  in a harsh environment?

The glib answer is “Very carefully”.  Perhaps more helpfully, it is important to realize at the outset that Nature is intolerant of weak links.  Weak links are found in both under-performing design technologies, and in flawed project implementation.  Conventional “band-aid” seeding practices are an example of a design technology weak link.  Our industry’s obsession with design implementation by an unsupervised low bidder is a classic example of a flawed project implementation weak link.  Both guarantee project disappointment.  Fortunately, there are talented experts who are willing to lend you a hand in navigating the multitude of tasks that must be performed flawlessly.

Quattro Environmental has assembled an alliance of professionals – clients, designers, suppliers and applicators – with the skills, resources and passion to ensure a “Do It Once, Do It Right” project outcome.

The Quattro Alliance has more than academic credentials, skills and resources. The team has a track record of consistently re-establishing native plant growth on drastically disturbed soils in harsh environments. They will be able to assist you in replicating this track record of success on your soils, and in your climate.

But equally importantly, the Quattro Alliance team members each have a passion for succeeding at rehabilitating the environment.  Their passion is born out of love for the environment that inspires them to go that extra mile when circumstances (or Nature) demand it.

What fuels this passion? For one of our team members, it is the sense of awe when in the presence of true wilderness, like hiking down the Grand Canyon. For another, it is the joy of witnessing the fruits of intelligent reclamation — seeing a barren landscape come to life again, and watching wildlife move back in. Some of the photos on our home page were taken by a team member who captures his reverence and exhilaration for western landscapes through photography. For me, well, I was lucky enough to be raised in New Zealand, a land of pristine, rugged beauty. The photos (right) are from the Grand Traverse trek in the South Island of New Zealand. This six-day hike is like walking on the earth the day after its creation. Healing the earth and restoring its natural magnificence is what fuels my passion. What fuels yours?