Stewardship

Definition: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care (stewardship of natural resources)

Stewardship is one of the most important services we provide to our customers. Stewardship simply means maintenance. Native areas must be steward to provide long term management of land and water to sustain natural resources, restore and enhance habitat conditions, and sustain the inherent biodiversity and beauty of natural communities.

Bluestem is dedicated to promoting natural resource management. Once a natural area has been cleared of invasive species and a native community is installed and established, long-term maintenance is necessary. However, the need for maintenance is reduced as native plants become established, thus reducing stewardship costs over time.

Our primary objective is to restore ecosystem functions to maintain and enhance environmental conditions required to perpetuate natural communities. By taking actions such as invasive species control or restoring natural hydrology, natural area stewardship can improve habitat conditions for rare species and maintain the integrity (composition and structure) of natural communities.

Our Stewardship Programs Include:

- Licensed Herbicide Control for Invasive Species

- Seed Collecting and Dispersing

- Inter-Seeding

- Mowing

- Prescribed Burn

- Monitoring