Natural Area Stewardship and Restoration
Long-Term Ecological Stewardship for Private Landowners
Guiding the ecological trajectory of driftless prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands to ensure the places we care for become more resilient, biodiverse, and easily enjoyed with each passing year.
Care about the long-term ecological health of their land and their legacy as landowners
Value steady progress over short-term fixes
Prefer a strategic partner over managing contractors
Prioritize biodiversity and “whole system health”, rather than a few select species
Want support that evolves with changes in their life and on their land
Value outcomes, judgment, and foresight above mere labor
Desire thriving natural areas without the stress and uncertainty of caring for them alone
Who our approach tends to fit
We are generally not a good fit for those seeking short-term assistance, one-time projects, lowest-bid work, or rapid transformation without continued involvement.
Our Philosophy
Stewardship works best as a partnership between people caring for each other and the land.
Good stewardship should support the land and the people who care for it. Our partnerships ensure that stewardship decisions benefit from continuity, shared observations, and adaptability to change over time. This allows our partnerships to build upon successes, learn from surprises and setbacks, and adjust to changes on the land or in your life. Approaching stewardship as a long-term mutually supportive relationship ensures that the land and the people who live with it are better off because of each other.
What landowners say about us…
“The investment we have made in their support has been absolutely priceless. We are well aware that the work of land stewardship is never-ending, but we feel like they have already exceeded what we ever thought possible in our lifetime”
“NatureWorks is the only stewardship crew I trust to work on my property. I have blown-away to learn about the many rare species my land supports and appreciate being able to care for them discretely in a way that adds to my reasons for owning the land without drawing unwanted attention.”
Our Team
Kerstyn Perrett & Ben Bomkamp
Owners/Ecologists
Conservation Technicians
James Haas & Peter Stepien
Are you interested in joining a small team of dedicated stewardship professionals?
Let’s grow something beautiful together
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Our Mission: We support landowners by tailoring stewardship guidance and hands-on support to their goals and land, so people and Nature are better off together, now and into the future.
Our Vision: A world where people and Nature thrive together, with each living better because of the other.
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Our team and partnerships are guided by our core values:
Legacy-Driven
We take a long view, guiding land in ways that remain healthy, useful, and meaningful for decades or generations, rather than seasons or years.
Shared-Vision
We work from a shared vision shaped by the landowner’s goals and evolving based on the land’s realities, rather than predetermined outcomes or professional preferences.
Lifestyle-Stewardship
We don’t just practice stewardship, we live it. This is reflected in our dedication to connecting people with the beauty, enjoyability, and functionality of their land in ways that improve their quality of life.
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Services included within a given partnership may include, but aren’t limited to:
Site-visits or Walkthroughs
Invasive Species Management
Prescribed Burning
Brush Clearing
Native Plantings and Seedings
Savanna or Woodland Thinning
Trail Installation or Maintenance
Plant and Wildlife Surveys
Restoration, Stewardship, and Monitoring Plans
Custom GIS Mapping
On-Site Demonstrations or Training
Annual Stewardship Reports
The only stand-alone services we currently offer to non-partners include:
Site-Visits
Botanical Surveys
“Over the past five years, they have become an integral part of caring for our land. Our property, now including more than 300 acres in Southeast Crawford County, is undergoing a complete transformation under their care.”