Landscaping and nature isn't simply our job—it's our true passion. Our team includes experienced horticulturalists and talented designers who love to bring their enthusiasm for the great oudoors to every project we touch.
Delivering beautiful landscapes isn't our sole priority at Quiet Nature. Instead, we also strive to keep the focus on sustainability, with innovative alternatives to traditional landscape methods.
Since our inception in 1999, we've worked diligently to build a reputation as one of Southern Ontario's top landscaping groups. Hundreds of clients and countless awards later, we're proud of the success our team has cultivated.
Looking to embark on a new landscape project in Southern Ontario? These are the smiling faces you'll be working with.
With an Ecosystem Management Technologist diploma from the Sir Sanford Fleming School of Natural Resources, Derek founded Quiet Nature in 1999 to harness his passion for the great outdoors. His deep love of the natural world manifests itself through his many hobbies, including fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, and tending to his small farm in Ayr. At the helm of Quiet Nature, Derek works to manage large scale ecological restoration projects and design practical outdoor living spaces. His dedication to sustainable landscape design, couple with his desire to protect the environment through innovative design alternatives, makes him a powerful leader for the Quiet Nature team.
Landscape Designer/Construction Division Manager JP possesses an extensive background in landscape design and development, with a co-op diploma from Fanshawe College and numerous certifications. Originally hailing from Brantford, JP has been fortunate to spend extended periods of time abroad, with stints in Italy and Argentina. He strives to bring his unique perspective to every project we undertake. JP is also a lover of the fine arts, and greatly appreciates the opportunity to express his artistic talent through landscape design. When not working hard for Quiet Nature, JP can be found snapping photos with his camera and paddling the local waterways.
Office/Marketing Manager Even though Shannon spends a portion of her time indoors, sorting out the important administrative tasks for the company, she doesn’t let that hold her back from getting to do the thing she loves. “I enjoy creating beautiful and practical outdoor living spaces for clients and gardening is my passion.” As with all of the staff at Quiet Nature, Shannon has a profound love for working outdoors. Her hobbies include hiking, canoeing, traveling, and photography, and she is a graduate of Brock University, where she double-majored in Psychology and Sociology.
Ecological Restoration Site Supervisor/Nursery Caretaker A wilderness explorer from a young age, Rachel caught the outdoors bug early on. In addition to being a key member in several naturalist groups in high school, she graduated from University of Guelph with a diploma in Environmental Management and earned a post-graduate certificate in Ecosystem Restoration from Niagara College. She joined the team in 2011, and tends to restoration projects and the native plant nursery. Her focus at Quiet Nature is on environmental conservation, restoration, and naturalization, or as she puts it, “where wild things are invited to be wild, and are appreciated for the services they provide."
Kristen graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management then carried on to complete a post-graduate certificate in Ecosystem Restoration. With a love for plants, ecology and creating wildlife habitat, it is her goal to make a positive environmental change to each site she visits. She believes that the work we accomplish at Quiet Nature is both rewarding and inspiring. In her spare time Kristen enjoys camping, rock climbing, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, and hiking in the beautiful outdoors.
Gardening Division Manager With over a decade of experience working in the landscaping industry, Elizabeth has always been a fan of spending time outdoors. Elizabeth loves the opportunity to continually learn from her colleagues at Quiet Nature, share her expertise as a Certified Organic Master Gardener, and she greatly enjoys the chance to flex her creativity day in and out.
Landscape Construction Crew Member A graduate of Fanshawe College with a diploma in horticulture, Nash Harder forms a pivotal part of our construction team. He enjoys the physical aspect of his work, and says nothing can beat seeing the satisfaction on the face of a happy customer. The various challenges he encounters on the job site help to keep his work interesting, and he loves the sense of accomplishment when a job has been completed successfully. During his down time, Nash likes to play the drums and cheer on his favourite hockey team (he's a diehard Philly fan).
Landscape Construction Foreman A graduate of University of Guelph Turf Program and more than 18 years of landscaping experience, Jeff is a natural fit for our landscape construction team. He enjoys creating new entertaining spaces for clients, and has a strong project management background. In his spare time Jeff enjoys the outdoors (both an avid hunter and fisherman), building/tinkering in his garage and is a big Habs fan.
An avowed environmentalist, Brent loves the opportunity to work on projects that co-exist peacefully with nature. He spent several years living in Newfoundland, which helped shape this mentality.He particularly enjoys Quiet Nature's commitment to using natural products in our landscape designs. He works diligently to protect the job sites we visit. When Brent isn't working on construction projects for our clients, you can find him enjoying the great outdoors—hiking, and camping are among his favourite pastimes. Brent is also passionate about playing the drums, often with Nash (sometimes as part of the Ayr Christams Parade!).
Quiet Nature Ltd. located in Ayr, ON, is a multiple award winning landscape design and construction firm focused on the creation of sustainable landscape solutions, ecological restoration projects, water features, natural swim ponds, natural stonework, and walkways & patios. We are a rapidly growing business looking to add more all-stars to the team. We like to have a good time both in and outside of the job, but also know how to bust our asses when there’s work to be done. We want good people and promise that you won’t be paired up with any slackers!
What kind of person works at Quiet Nature?
An environmentally conscious outdoors enthusiast with a positive, down to earth attitude who is hard working and driven yet has an easy going personality and knows that success is in the details while they adapt on the fly in a creative and professional manner and supports the growth of his/her fellow workers in a trustworthy way. That’s who.
For the fourth consecutive year, from April 26th - May 2nd, Derek and JP will be paddling the entire length of the Grand River, from its humble beginnings north of Grand Valley to the waves of Lake Erie at Port Maitland.
By providing a ‘source to mouth’ insight into the river, Derek and JP hope to increase awareness of watershed-wide environmental issues and tourism potential while raising funds for the Grand River Conservation Authority's tree planting and naturalization efforts.
The Grand is the central river of our local watershed, the largest in southern Ontario. Over it's 300 km length the Grand and its tributaries support nearly 1 million people, over 6 650 square kilometers, in 38 different cities, towns and municipalities. Its waters fill our taps and take away our treated sewage, irrigate our crops and nourish our wetlands. With an anticipated 30% growth in population over the next 20 years, the Grand will see more pressure than it's ever known.