“The natural world demands a response beyond scientific insight. The natural world demands a response that rises from the wild unconscious depths of the human soul.” Thomas Berry, The Great Work
About Us
Acknowledgement
Ecological Services acknowledges that we are working, living and restoring lands that were previously occupied and tended by indigenous people and their cultures. We acknowledge that in the last several hundred years those lands and resources have been negatively impacted, exploited and mismanaged by Western Colonialism.
It is our daily practice to better understand this complexity of our history and the challenges it has created for our present, as well as better guide us into the future. We are forever grateful and indebted to the people of these cultures, and to the knowledge-keepers and storytellers that have maintained that reciprocal relationship with the land.
We have creative strategies, unique techniques and tailored approaches for different landscapes, property owners and their goals. We know that if we take one step in the right direction, the ecological system will respond with ten more.
Mission
It is our mission to reintroduce the human back to the landscape, in a way that promotes resilient and biodiverse ecological systems for the benefit of all.
Vision
We envision a future where the reciprocal co evolutionary relationship between man and the natural world is seamless both culturally and biologically.
Our Goals
1.
Reintroduce humans back to the land, its food, resources and relatives.
2.
Continual management of forests from time of disturbance to late succession for land owner, agency, and ecological regional goals.
3.
Restore and enlarge riparian zones to hold water on the landscape and increase fish habitat.
4.
Establish regenerative soil practices to reverse topsoil loss and create soil structure.
5.
Gather and spread native seed for restoration and consumption.
6.
Close waste stream loops in our economies and households.
Colin has spent his entire life living in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout his years of work in the outdoor industry, he couldn’t help but notice the shifting baselines of some of the region’s iconic species and resources and their downward trends looking into the future.
Despite being extensively involved in the outdoor industry, he felt powerless in the declining situation. He recognized many roadblocks to regenerative success in our modern culture, society and even professional industry. Inspired by traditional ecological knowledge and indigenous cultures around North America and the World. Colin began to recognize the power human reciprocity and relationship has on ecological systems. After first working on his land in Leavenworth, WA Colin founded Ecological Services LLC to expand this work.
Colin Sternagel
Sean Frank
Bringing a wealth of hands-on experience from years of service as a wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service. Sean’s career has spanned across diverse terrains and ecosystems, allowing him to accumulate invaluable insights into fire behavior, safety protocols, and ecosystem management. This journey honed his skills in conducting both wildfire suppression and prescribed burns, with a strong emphasis on strategic planning, fuel reduction techniques, and community safety.
Sean’s transition to Ecological Services LLC is driven by a commitment integrate traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary practices to foster healthier, more resilient landscapes. Through private thinning and burning, I aim to mitigate wildfire risks, enhance habitat quality, and contribute to the ecological well-being of the Pacific Northwest.
Devin Dykes
Devin has over a decade of experience fighting wildfire and conducting prescribed fire/ fuels operations with the Forest Service. He has worked in various regions and fuel types, and has spent an extended amount of time as a senior firefighter on a local hotshot crew.
Over the years working on prescribed fire projects, Devin became increasingly involved in the planning and implementation of hazardous fuel reduction. His role in such forest management operations included unit preparation and evaluation, line construction with both chainsaws and hand tools and overseeing firing operations. Devin has ample experience teaching others, including classes on chainsaw use and maintenance, pump management and hose lays, weather in relation to fire and was an instructor for the Cascadia PBA learn to burn event.