More and more people are recognizing the imperative of transitioning to sustainable environmental practices. But when it comes to altering property, landowners often lack both the expertise to make informed decisions and the willpower to wade through the dizzying array of funding applications and governmental permits that are necessary to get the job done. Consequently, the prospect of naturalizing property can easily dishearten even the most determined green-minded landowners. Amidst these challenges, however, new business opportunities for concerned environmentalists have emerged.

One such business that has taken advantage of the opening in the market is GTA-based Broadleaf Environmental Group Inc. Formed in January of this year, Broadleaf is a business aimed at making property naturalization a seamless process for landowners.

“Broadleaf is the bridge between private landowners and the government,” says Michael Pahor, Director and co-founder of Broadleaf. “Many landowners want to make their property more environmentally sustainable, but they are dissuaded by the prospect of going through a complicated application process. Getting funding and permission for land restoration is difficult, so we take the burden off landowners by handling the paperwork.”

Beyond helping landowners deal with bureaucracy, Broadleaf offers assessment, planning and restoration advice. According to Pahor, many landowners are interested in naturalizing their property, but lack the know-how required to make smart, sustainable decisions.

“Broadleaf offers expert assessment and planning for those landowners that want sustainable property, but are unsure about how to get it,” says Pahor. “Many people may think that restoration solutions are simple, but they don’t realize that a poorly planned strategy could have a devastating knock-on effect to the surrounding wildlife.”

A case in point is one of Broadleaf’s current clients, a private landowner in Burlington who is struggling with a stream running through his farm. The water is cutting into his property at an alarming rate, which is greatly affecting his property value.

“He was losing two feet of land every storm flow,” explains Pahor. “So, originally, he intended to dump concrete along the bank to stop it from eroding. That would have interfered with the natural habitat of wildlife, not to mention land him in legal trouble. Luckily, before he did that, he called us to assess his land.”

Broadleaf offered the landowner a solution that, Pahor argues, will stabilize his banks and increase his property value.

“It’s true that to some extent the client was concerned about the environment for the environment’s sake,” Pahor says. “But ultimately, the fact that he was losing property value was his main drive to contact us. By the end of the project, his property value will have increased and his stream will be fully environmentally sustainable.”

Working to create a more naturalized environment is, according to Pahor, the ethos of Broadleaf. Having earned a diploma in Fish and Wildlife studies from Fleming College, he is especially concerned about the impact that unsustainable environmental practices have wreaked upon native species. Shortly after finishing college, Pahor met a like-minded friend, Adrian Philpot, who shared his concern for biodiversity and environmental sustainability. The two formed a partnership that resulted in Broadleaf.

“Career paths in this field are often limited to government work,” Pahor says. “We wanted to do something different, something more exciting.”

Under the legal guidance of a family friend, Pahor and Philpot established Broadleaf as a corporation in order to keep their personal assets separate.

“Broadleaf is a business and we aim to become profitable,” he says. “Nevertheless, I would not be a part of this company if I didn’t feel passionately about its cause. The starting point for Broadleaf, in other words, is a concern for restoring ecosystems to their natural state.”

Broadleaf is not the only company that has recognized that private landowners need expert assistance for restoration projects. According to Pahor, numerous other organizations have also found the niche. So how does Broadleaf plan on competing with more established companies?

“We don’t look at it as a competition,” he says. “We look at it as creating partnerships. Projects are often very complex, requiring attention from multiple angles. So, there is an enormous amount of room for cooperation. Besides, when you’re starting out, you want to build contacts. We might call on another organization to help us with a particular project, with the hopes that they will one day return the favour.”

The notion of profit-driven companies reaching out to one another may seem odd, if not naïve, to some, but Pahor insists that it is a reality in his sphere of work.

“I think it’s because we all firmly believe in a common goal,” he explains. “Ultimately, we’re all working for a more sustainable environment. If by cooperating, we can achieve that goal more efficiently, then why not work together?

“There is a lot of hard labour involved in restoration and it takes a lot of work to become profitable,” Pahor continues. “It’s hard to imagine getting by if you’re not truly committed to making a difference. If your sole motivation is simply to make money, you probably shouldn’t be in the restoration business.”

Pahor predicts Broadleaf will be profitable in approximately four years.

“We’re obviously not looking for a fast payoff,” he says. “We’ve been careful not to sink too much money into the business too quickly. We want to give the company a chance to grow, so we will be here for the long-term.”

To help establish itself, Broadleaf is engaged in an educational outreach program, which currently includes a third-grade class in Etobicoke. The children are offered an opportunity to give back to their community by participating in hands-on projects that teach environmental sustainability.

“We take the kids out on excursions and teach them environmental basics. I think it’s important for them to get out there and see real, tangible things that they can be doing for the environment. With the Yellow Fish Road program, for example, we show them how ecosystems are interconnected. The kids learn that anything that gets dumped into a storm drain ultimately affects the water supply and plant and animal life. The kids also get an opportunity to become junior activists by distributing pamphlets door to door.”

Community outreach is central to Broadleaf’s business model. The logic is simple: the more the public is informed about ecological sustainability, the more likely they are to enlist Broadleaf’s services.

“It all starts with awareness,” Pahor says. “There is a market for companies like Broadleaf that wasn’t there a few years ago. Education is the single most important factor in making that market grow.”

For more information visit broadleafenvironmental.com/.

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