about us                                                                                         

Urban Ecosystems llc is a professional landscape design, construction, restoration, and landcare firm that is located in Portland, Oregon.


Jason Mark Raschke was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he spent his childhood hunting and fishing and adventuring in the woods of the Pocono and Appalachian Mountains, learning the tenets of a sustainable lifestyle. In 1994, after residing in Houston and Boston, Jason moved to Portland to attend Portland State University where he earned a BS in Geography with a minor in Geology. In 2007 he completed a Master’s of Science in Teaching Environmental Sciences program that focused on northwest ecosystems, with an emphasis on sustainability. Jason has been working in the landscape construction field for the past 20 years. He is a licensed Landscape Construction Professional and is the Managing Director of Urban Ecosystems llc,. Jason is also the President and Programs Director for The Center for a Sustainable Today, a Portland based non-profit that promotes sustainability through annual festivals and the TV show "Sustainable Today". Jason lives in the Cully neighborhood of Northeast Portland with his two sons Jaden River and Jacoby Mountain in The Green GardenHome-- an Audubon platinum certified backyard habitat that is a demonstration site for sustainability. In his free time, he enjoys playing ultimate, gardening, and spending time camping and backpacking the beautiful northwest with friends and family.Urban Ecosystems was created in 2002 by Jason Raschke as the synthesis of accumulated business experience acquired through The Northwest Naturescaping Company, technical knowledge gained through multi-disciplinary educational immersion, and a decade of practical experience working on world class landscape construction projects.


Urban Ecosystems is differentiated from traditional landscape operations by its focus on sustainable and ecologically sound practices, techniques, and products.  In recognition of our commitment and our conscientous approach to doing business, urban ecosystems llc has been certified as an eco-biz by the Oregon Pollution Prevention Team.


TheseThe Green GardenHome: Hangin Garden of Babble on underlying principles are utilized to create landscapes that are not only ecologically functional, but are also beautiful and intrinsically connect our clients to the natural world by providing them with food, useable items, a place for entertaining, and a place for solace and retreat.



Over the past decade Urban Ecosystems has accumulated an extensive portfolio in all phases of the landscape profession. However, one of our primary focuses has been to "green the city" and restore wildlife habitat that has been lost to urban development. Urban Ecosystems llc is honored to have partnered with the Columbia Land Trust and The Audubon Society to implement The Backyard Habitat Certification Program throughout the Portland area over the past 4 years.


Urban Ecosystems llc has also been fortunate to partner with the City of Portland Environmental Services during the implementation of the Tabor to River Project. As part of the project, Urban Ecosystems llc worked with private land owners to create a series of rain gardens.

Residential Raingarden constructed by Urban Ecosystems--Featured in the BES 2011 Clean Rivers CalendarThese functional gardens are part of the city's "green infrastructure" which removes stormwater from the sewer system by storing the rain water in the ground. Raingardens not only provide habitat, but by storing water in the landscape and alleviating the need for larger sewer pipes, they provide valuable ecosystem services.



Urban Ecosystems has also been fortunate to partner with The Center for a Sustainable Today. The Center for a Sustainable Today is a socially motivated 501 c(3) non-profit organization that fosters sustainability through events, projects, and programs that promote sustainability.  The Center produces a TV show called "Sustainable Today" and in 2009, Urban Ecosystems was featured during an episode on Permaculture (which also featured permaculture guru Toby Hemenway!). In 2012, Jason Raschke joined the Center's team to strengthen and help promote their programs, which include Sustainable Today TV, The Green Neighborhoods Festival, and The Green Neighborhoods Project.


We provide green solutions for the urban environment. Please contact us to schedule a consultation today!



mission statement                                                                                 


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Our mission is to provide sustainable solutions for landscape design, construction, restoration, and landcare projects. Through our projects and programs, we hope to provide our clients with the opportunity, as well as the knowledge and skills, to be active stewards of the Earth through participation in an interactive, reciprocity-based relationship with the land that they inhabit.



ethics, values, and our business philosophy                                      


When making business decisions, conducting daily business activities, or when planning for the development of Urban Ecosystems, we adhere to the following business philosophy, as a guide to operations:

·        we value the creation of functional, interactive, productive, and peaceful spaces, which provide for the needs of humans, as well as the myriad organisms and life forms that inhabit the Earth.

·        we value, adhere to, and promote the concept of the triple bottom line, which emphasizes equally the environment, the economy, and social equity. The diagram below illustrates these relationships.

 

·        we deeply value our employees and their families, our clients, our communities, and all individuals of this world, and as such pledge to forge positive, respectful, lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.

·        we value healthy individuals and vibrant communities, understanding that good health, peace, opportunity, and prosperity afford focus on protecting the Earth and its inhabitants.

·        we acknowledge the intrinsic value of all species and the natural habitats upon which we are dependent and interconnected.

·        we value knowledge, education, and initiatives focused on healthy and sustainable communities and their interdependent relationship to our global environment.

·        we value the honest, diligent, and ongoing assessment of our own individual and collective ecological and social footprint,  and herein commit to exploring ways to strengthen our positive impacts, while simultaneously eliminating our negative impacts.

·        we value foremost our local community and our regional economy, while also embracing the benefits of fair,equitible, and responsible domestic and international exchange of ideas, commerce, and resources.


      Beyond these core values and ethics, we promote the concept of moving beyond sustainability “initiatives”  and "green washing", into a cultural paradigm that embraces a holistic view of our place on Earth; where human endeavors result in a positive impact to the Earth and its inhabitants. To live with nature and with each other is the basis for sustainable human existence. Through a long-term commitment to this mission, we hope to establish Urban Ecosystems as something more than a business venture, we hope to be recognized as a community leader.

 

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