Home Among Woodlands and Wetlands

A site-responsive landscape plan that supports family life and ecological function within a sensitive river corridor.

Set on a small knoll and surrounded by wetlands associated with the Sudbury River, this residential property sits within a constrained and ecologically rich landscape. When a young family began renovating the home and guesthouse, they engaged RDG to develop a landscape plan that supports daily use while respecting the surrounding habitat.

Since 2018, RDG has guided environmental permitting and coordinated landscape implementation alongside construction of a pool and patio. Because local wetland and tree ordinances require substantial replacement planting, the team focused on woodland edge diversification and invasive species removal. At the same time, installation practices limited soil disturbance and protected habitat. This included coordinating the relocation of snapping turtle nests during construction.

Over time, the work unfolded in layers. In the wetlands, removing glossy buckthorn allowed native understory species to return. Meanwhile, in more disturbed areas, native and edible plantings—including a flowering lawn and garden beds—support both ecological function and everyday use. The final result is a vibrant outdoor space for the whole family with all-season interest for humans and wildlife alike.

After observing the seasonal nesting for two springs, it was clear that a portion of the family’s renovation plans for the landscape overlapped with the area where the turtles were laying their eggs. Because snapping turtle eggs can take up to 125 days to incubate, delaying construction until they hatched was not an option. So we reached out to a local ecological restoration organization and they helped transfer the nests to incubators.
— Rachel Lindsay, Project Lead