Nature-based Home Solutions

Applying ecological science and geographic information systems to prepare Michigan homes for the future.

Save Clients Money and Improve Quality of Life:

I) Reduce Basement Flooding
II) Grow Food and Improve Outdoor Comfort
III) Improve Home Health and Safety (formerly just pests)
IV) Assess Renewable Home Energy Options
V) Improve Aesthetics through Native Biodiversity

CREATE TABLE HERE Columns: 1) Money Saved by Client, 2) Environmental Benefit Rows: 1) NBHS Intervention, 2) etc.

Benefit Broader Society and the Planet:

Far from benefitting only the clients themselves, entire neighborhoods and communities enjoy improved air and water quality, reduction of extreme heat, reduced disease-carrying pests, fresh food production, etc. The NBHS approach also has strong potential to create skilled, dignified, local, nature-based livelihoods that do not rely upon fickle external funding and will not be replaced by robots. For professional planners, NBHS can also use GIS to provide valuable planning insights at the municipal or regional scale. At the global scale, our work captures carbon, reduces dependence upon fossil fuels, conserves biodiversity, and more.

About Me

Motivation for Nature-based Home Solutions (NBHS)

Alright, so maybe lounging in a hammock isn't a typical symbol for motivation, but the photo represents our central purpose: to improve human quality of life through cooperation with Nature. The Great Lakes region is experiencing increases in rainfall, extreme heat, and vector-borne diseases¹ as well as rapid loss of biodiversity. If your basement hasn’t flooded in recent years, you’ve almost certainly heard plenty of horror stories from other peoples’ basements. NBHS offers an evidence-based starting point for property owners looking to explore effective solutions that work with rather than against natural processes. Although we expect to focus on residential clients, we also welcome the opportunity to work with schools, small businesses, non-profits, churches, and more.

¹Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments, “Climate Hazards and Impacts in the Great Lakes,” October 2023, PDF, accessed April 9, 2026, https://glisa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Climate-Hazards-Great_Lakes_GLISA_October_2023.pdf

Our Work

Our work begins with a "home ecology audit" (inspired by "home energy audits") as a "one-stop shop" for identifying multi-benefit, low-cost, low-maintenance, nature-based solutions to our clients’ pressing challenges. The ecology audit uses client input, GIS, and field analysis to:

• Pinpoint locations for green infrastructure (e.g. trees/shrubs, bioswales, rain gardens) that enhances property aesthetics and can be designed to actually reduce a property's long-term landscaping needs. • Plant trees and shrubs that support native wildlife and/or grow food for humans. • Assess the feasibility of a full suite of high-impact interventions and work with our partners to offer any solution a client may need.

How NBHS Benefits Your Home

Use advanced geospatial technology and deep understanding of ecological processes to...

I. Reduce Basement Flooding

Cost savings: • Use aerial imagery and field observation to pinpoint where stormwater flows and pools (rarely done) and thereby reduce or eliminate costly basement flooding and foundation damage
• Reduce load on municipal stormwater infrastructure and pass savings on to residents through stormwater credits as well as lower infrastructure tax burden and reduced water treatment costs²
The first step in basement flood prevention is to pinpoint where surface runoff flows on your property. Skipping this step and jumping into basement waterproofing or drain installation can needlessly cost the homeowner thousands of dollars. Unlike many contractors, NBHS uses high-resolution LiDAR plus field observation to precisely identify the source of basement flooding. When surface runoff is to blame, we then design low-cost green infrastructure and/or minor regrading to address the flooding. We only recommend more costly approaches when problematic surface runoff sources cannot be identified or addressed.

II. Grow Food and Improve Outdoor Comfort

Cost Savings: • Establish trees and shrubs that produce food year after year • Reduce area of yard that requires mowing • Improve outdoor comfort and save on utility bills through shading from trees • Capture and make use of stormwater and thereby save on water bills Growing food at home optimizes freshness, saves money, improves nutrition, fosters a sense of place, builds community, and is simply a lot of fun. If clients choose edible perennial plants as part of their green infrastructure, NBHS assesses soil properties, sun angles, water flow, plant genetics, and more to ensure plant survival and drastically reduce long-term maintenance needs.

III. Control Disease-spreading Pests

Humans have long struggled to manage disease-spreading pests such as mosquitoes and ticks. This situation is further complicated by a warmer and wetter climate. NBHS brings integrated, ecological solutions to this inherently ecological challenge and increases Nature's benefits while minimizing its downsides.

IV. Mitigate Extreme Heat

As extreme summer heat events increase, so do the health risks from heat exposure. Michigan summers bring both heat and power outages, which is a potentially dangerous combination, especially among more vulnerable populations such as the low-income elderly. While not a fix-all, precisely-located trees and shrubs can help reduce these risks and save on summer cooling bills.

V. Support Native Biodiversity

Join a vibrant and growing community of people working ultra-locally to protect our imperiled natural wealth. NBHS supports native wildlife through: planting native species, controlling invasives, and capturing carbon in biomass. In addition to reducing stormwater runoff, the simple act of mowing less often within runoff channels can dramatically increase lightning bugs and critical pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

Other Promising Benefits... change this to home energy

Cost savings: • Save on utility bills through rooftop solar power and even geothermal heating/cooling
• Provide due diligence for clients looking to buy a house or land so that hidden pitfalls can be identified before the buyer “bets the farm”

We continously integrate client feedback to expand our scientifically-rigorous and economically-sound service offerings. Our "home ecology audit" can offer an ideal starting point for: real estate due diligence, water quality compliance, firewise landscaping, winter ice reduction, solar panel installation, geothermal heating/cooling, LEED certified landscaping, and much more.

Scaling-up Positive Impact

Our work on individual properties already offers many benefits to the broader community, including: job creation, improved water quality, lowered disease risk, reduced stormwater management costs, and more. That said, NBHS can also work directly with local governments and watershed organizations to help them comply with regulations and plan nature-based solutions at a larger scale (e.g. "Sponge cities"). Jurisdictions can greatly increase their positive impacts by directly sharing NBHS products with local: engineers, architects, real estate developers, landscaping contractors, schools, churches, homeowners/HOAs, etc.

Below is a link to a powerful green infrastructure planning tool created by our partner organization, AdaptGeo. The interactive web map can be created for an entire jurisdiction, though the map below is only for a small sample of Ypsilanti, MI. Many additional map layers are possible, such as: soil types, storm drains, zoning, water table depth, FEMA flood risk, etc. (Note: Some web browsers may have issues loading the web map. If this occurs, try updating your browser version or using a different browser.) • As a not-for-profit, NBHS also accepts donations. All donations and profits (beyond reasonable compensation) are used to subsidize our services for low-income elderly and disabled individuals.

Web Map Example

• Over 20 years of study and field-based experience in ecological planning and design

• Maintains over 50 edible perennials (mostly native) on our urban property in Ypsilanti

• Served over 2 years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Peru

• B.S. Biology/Ecology, M.S. Geographic Information Systems, M.Ag. Agriculture

• Certifications: Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (SESC) and Certified Storm Water Operator (CSWO)

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