Your property.
Your playground.
Your park.
406.862.4225
5605 Hwy 93 South
Whitefish, MT 59937
5605 Hwy 93 South
Whitefish, MT 59937
Forestoration is a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in the planning, design, and management of outdoor spaces, from backcountry natural areas to urban parks and residential landscapes.
Forestoration, Inc., was founded in 2002 by principal Greg Gunderson with a focus on land restoration and post-fire rehabilitation for private landowners. Much of our early work took place in the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage, just west of Glacier National Park. Large wildfires in 2001 and 2003 resulted in opportunities for tree planting, erosion control, riparian restoration, and forest health improvement.
In 2007 we started a native plant nursery, the Center for Native Plants, in order to provide plant stock for our restoration projects. Since that time we have gradually grown our nursery, offering more species each year of wildflowers, groundcovers, shrubs, trees, and grasses and sedges. With over 130 available species, Center for Native Plants is now a full retail nursery, located just south of Whitefish on Highway 93.
406.261.8407 | greg@forestoration.com
Greg founded Forestoration, Inc., in 2002 and serves as the company’s president. Greg received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University, graduating with honors in 1995.
Greg’s professional roles with Forestoration, Inc., include lead planning, co-design, and construction management on park and trail projects and during all phases of forest management consulting and project design and implementation. Greg also oversees internal company development, including marketing and outreach.
406.314.0160 | david@forestoration.com
David works as lead designer for all landscape, trail, and signage projects. He takes an artful and mindful approach to his work and seeks to create custom and personal experiences for landowners. As both an artist and a keen observer of the natural world, David strives to mimic natural patterns and processes in his signature landscapes and design projects. David incorporates his passion for unique experiences into his own life.
Before joining Forestoration, Inc., in 2004, he taught alternative and experiential education to youth, spent two years in Ethiopia with the Peace Corps, and traveled the world for six months with visits to Africa, Jamaica, India, and Nepal. David is married and has two children.
406.471.7752 | andrew@forestoration.com
Andrew’s deep appreciation for our local ecology drives his work in both Forest Management and as Manager of the Center for Native Plants. In all client and nursery projects, he maintains an objective mindset about how to go about sustaining long-term health of forests and landscapes. You can count on Andrew to actively listen to client objectives and then respond with an honest assessment of what is feasible.
Andrew graduated with a B.S. in Forest Management from the University of Montana in 1998. From 2002 to 2003, he worked as an independent contractor for Forestoration, Inc. then volunteered for the Peace Corps in Kenya and Vanuatu. In 2007, he joined Forestoration, Inc. as a Principal.
Though she would vigorously deny this, Hailey is our resident encyclopedia on plants, bugs, and soil. She has been with Forestoration, Inc., and Center for Native Plants since 2011. She is also the Coordinator for the annual Free the Seeds event held in Kalispell, MT. Hailey studied Elementary Education at Lewis-Clark State College. Before joining our team, she worked at Mountain Meadow Herbs and as a Farm Apprentice with Michael Pilarski. What describes Hailey more than anything, though, is her favorite quote by John Muir: “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
Sharing her knowledge of native plants combined with an endless quest to wear work gloves and carry pocket tools all day long, Kate found her match at Forestoration, Inc. and Center for Native Plants.
With a degree in Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology, she has worked as a Research Scientist performing wetland delineations and botanical inventories, and also with the USFS where she documented vegetative composition and hydrologic attributes aimed at conservation of Bull Trout and Steelhead Salmon spawning grounds in the Columbia River Basin.
Known in some circles as Plant dork, Quick-fixer, and Mistress of mud.
Carleton has called Montana home since 2005, when he moved here to attend Salish Kootenai College, a tribal college. Here he earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. As a member of the Cherokee Nation, that experience was especially meaningful and helped shape the path he has taken in his work. He later worked in Glacier National Park, contributing to whitebark pine restoration by collecting cones from rust-resistant trees, planting seedlings in remote alpine environments, and monitoring their survival. That experience deepened his appreciation for the land and led him to his current role at the Center for Native Plants, where he continues to stay connected to the environment in meaningful ways.
Outside of work, Carleton values time with his wife and children. Whether outdoors or at home, those are the moments that matter most.
Jim received his B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana in 1983 and is a certified Tree Farm inspector, Forest Stewardship Advisor, and member of the Missouri River Resource Advisory and Big Elk Divide Restoration Committees. As a consulting forester Jim works with private landowners helping them manage their forested properties. He has extensive experience managing forest health and wildlife improvement projects on highly visible and environmentally sensitive lands. Jim has worked closely with Montana Fish Wildlife, and Parks wildlife biologists and park managers developing, coordinating, implementing, and successfully completing forest health and wildlife habitat improvement projects within Montana Wildlife Management Areas and Montana State Parks.
Jim has written Environmental Assessments, Wildlife Assessments, Baseline Reports for Conservation Easements, Forest Management Plans, Biomass Feasibility Studies, and Wildfire Mitigation grant requests. He has managed complex timber sales, wildfire mitigation and wildlife habitat improvement projects throughout Montana for private landowners, municipalities, state and federal agencies, The Nature Conservancy and numerous land trusts. He has also served as an expert witness in 15 forest litigation cases and is an expert in Montana forest ecology, timber cruising, forest insect and disease identification, Montana Best Forestry Practices, and the Montana Streamside Management Law.
Jim lives in Helena with his wife Colleen and son Logan. He is an avid skier, “peak bagger”, golfer (with the yips) and boater.
Mark has practiced forestry for over 40 years primarily in the management of large tracts of private timberlands in Upper Michigan and Wisconsin. He earned a B.S. in Forest Resource Management from the University of Idaho in 1983. His experience ranges from field forestry work to managing 1 million forested acres in the Upper Great Lakes. He has extensive knowledge in sustainable forest certification standards that includes FSC® and SFI® and has worked collaboratively with State and Federal agencies to protect and conserve water quality, wildlife and other natural resources while profitably managing for timber production. In addition, Mark has significant experience in the forest carbon markets and conservation easement sales.
In 2021 Mark and his wife Trish moved to Bozeman, Montana to be closer to family and is now enjoying his time going back to his roots as a “boots on the ground forester”. Avid nordic skier, runner, mountain biker and grandpa.
Leslie’s fascination and love of the outdoors has resulted in an in-depth holistic view of the environment, ecosystems and native plants. She has developed and taught courses on native grasslands, native plants and wildlife buffers and corridors. She works on projects that are diverse from residential design to dog parks and food forests and is interested in Holistic Land Management and Japanese Garden design.
Leslie has practiced as a Landscape Architect in Canada and the U.S. since 2008 and became a licensed Landscape Architect in Montana, British Columbia in 2011 followed by Connecticut and Michigan. Leslie has a Master of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Utah State University. Before training in landscape architecture, Leslie worked in theater and film design, and holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary.
Leslie shares her life with her husband Rick and two Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Kya and Leben. During her off hours, she can be found in the garden, on the ski hill, bird hunting, or shooting her bow.
Shiva developed a love for the land at a young age, exploring the rivers, meadows, forests, mountains, and lakes of Utah and Montana. Raised in a family of gardeners and conservationists, an everlasting intrigue for natural landscapes grew alongside an interest in learning how to both cultivate and restore landscapes.
These curiosities took her to Colorado where she received a B.S. in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Ecological Restoration. Her skills include landscape design, drafting, graphic design, and photography. If not in the office she can be found playing music or roaming nature with her family.
In 2016 Keith decided to make the move from Jackson, WY to Whitefish after working in the landscape industry for over 10 years. He now acts as project manager for various trail and landscape projects. When Keith’s had a chance to brush aside enough dirt and work sweat, he heads out to the trail to mountain bike or ride his off-road motorcycle. During the winter, snowboarding and snowmobiling rules.
Kody joined Forestoration, Inc. at the start of the 2018 season. Originally from Oregon, Kody has lived all across the west, working in both restoration and fisheries research. His passion for wild spaces motivated him to pursue degrees in Rangeland Ecology, Fisheries and Wildlife, and Soil Science from Oregon State University. When Kody is not at work, he can be found in the mountains, either trail running, skiing, rock climbing, or fly fishing.
Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Evan moved to Montana in 2010 for an Americacorps position with the Montana Conservation Corps. Although he is still a die hard Badger and Packer fan, Montana has been home ever since. After spending four seasons on a USFS trail crew in “The Bob” and four more on the Flathead Hotshots fire crew he’s now happy to be enjoying summer at home with his wife and two kids. Evan is an ISA Certified Arborist and project manager for our forestry projects.
Angus made tracks through Virginia, Bozeman, New Zealand, and then on to Whitefish. Prior to Forestoration, he worked in outdoor education, backpack guiding, trail work, carnival ride operation, snowboarding, and teaching. He now specializes in trail building at Forestoration. When Angus isn’t working, he’s riding his scooter around town, hanging out on the lake in summer and snowboarding in winter.
Matt is a long time Whitefish resident who worked in Glacier National Park as a forestry technician before joining Forestoration's forestry team. As an avid skier, Matt's passion lies in long days in the backcountry on top of the world or at Big Mountain, skiing with his wife and two kids. In the summer, you can find Matt mountain biking and cultivating his greenhouse and garden.
Luke moved to the valley recently and happily found Forestoration. He has been working here since June 2021. He has a forestry degree and has worked as a forest inventory and analysis forester with the Colorado State Forest Service. Luke also has experience working as an arborist and landscaper. He has worked on trails, in a nursery, and on an orchard. He is very happy to be able to use all of these past experiences while working at Forestoration.
Cayde was born in Texas and raised in Georgia. In June of 2019 he decided to move to Montana after spending a year in the Tampa Bay Area. He is an avid photographer who loves climbing, hiking, and jiu jitsu. He loves the solitude that this place offers and the endless amounts of wilderness to be explored.
Like most people born in Montana, Caitlin was instilled with love and respect for nature at a young age. She sojourned briefly in Bellingham Washington to study fine art at Western Washington University, before returning to the Flathead to be closer to family. Caitlin does graphic design and marketing for the Center for Native Plants in addition to her regular nursery responsibilities of sowing seeds, potting plants, and advocating for native plants and sustainable gardening practices. Outside of work Caitlin is an athlete, a poet, a potter, and a printmaker.
Monica has called the flathead Valley home for over 20 years and joined the CNP team in 2024. Her love for all things nature stems from years of experience guiding backpacking and river trips. She assists in all nursery related tasks from retail to plant inventory and care. In her free time, you can either find her floating, wandering the woods, or working in her garden.