About Polster Environmental Services
PES provides soil bioengineering and ecological restoration for slopes, streambanks, shorelines, and disturbed land across British Columbia. Contact Nathan Polster to discuss your project.
Restoration Grounded in Field Practice
Polster Environmental Services was founded by David Polster and Genevieve Singleton. The company's work includes soil bioengineering and ecological restoration on slopes, streambanks, mine sites and shorelines.
We start by assessing water movement, soil conditions, vegetation and the practical constraints of the site. That assessment guides the choice of treatments and the planning for installation, establishment and follow-up.
Project records, technical papers and the Living on the Edge field manual inform our work. Each project still needs an assessment of its own conditions and requirements.
Field Experience Across BC
PES project records cover mine reclamation, eroding slopes, streambanks and shorelines across British Columbia.
Living on the Edge Manual
The Living on the Edge field manual explains natural processes and soil bioengineering methods, with guidance and examples from restoration projects.
Plant Establishment and Site Recovery
Soil bioengineering uses live plant material to help control surface erosion and establish vegetation. Suitable species and methods depend on the soil, water and growing conditions.
How We Approach Restoration
Key Principles
Working with Live Cuttings
Willow, balsam poplar, and red-osier dogwood cuttings can be installed as live stakes, brush layers, wattle fences, and related treatments where the species and site conditions are suitable.
Establishment and Follow-up
Living cuttings need suitable moisture and growing conditions to establish. Follow-up checks identify poor growth, competing vegetation and any repairs or maintenance needed.
Fit the Treatment to the Site
Site conditions determine which treatments are suitable and how they can be installed. We consider water, slope conditions, access, available plant material and maintenance needs.
Technical References
PES methods are supported by documented project experience, conference papers, technical writing, and the Living on the Edge restoration handbook.
- Living on the Edge: A Manual for the Restoration of Drastically Disturbed Sites (available as our online course)
- Cost-Effective Strategies for the Restoration of Large Disturbances (Web Edition)
- Making Sites Rough and Loose for Enhancing Natural Processes (Web Edition)
- Soil Bioengineering Techniques for Riparian Restoration (Web Edition)
- Restoring Riparian Areas Using Natural Processes (SER Western Canada)
How PES Works Today
Your contact for project enquiries is Nathan Polster. Based in Victoria, PES works with clients across British Columbia and on consulting projects elsewhere in Canada. Tell us about your site, the problem you want to address, and your goals.
We can help with site assessment, treatment selection, specifications, field direction and monitoring. We agree the scope after reviewing the site conditions and the work required.
Where We Work
Polster Environmental works across British Columbia, from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands to the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, the Interior, and northern BC, with project work across Canada. We serve municipalities, mining and resource companies, developers, First Nations, and provincial and federal agencies.
Start With the Site
Tell us what is happening at your site. PES can review the available information, identify questions for field assessment, and outline practical next steps.