Who We Are
We are an Oakland based
|
We are a Bay Area landscape design and build company, dedicated to creating ecologically sound gardens that are beautiful and well-crafted. At Mariposa, we fuse art and ecology into the landscape, bringing beauty to the practice of sustainability. In every garden, we see a unique opportunity to reconnect a space with its natural systems. Exposing nature’s existing elegant patterns allows us to create artfully designed spaces that complement urban environments.
Mariposa is committed to restoring ecologically sound outdoor spaces in urban areas. We do this by sourcing local materials, combining low-water and native plants, building dry stacked stone structures, and understanding water in order to effectively conserve water in the garden. |
Our team is knowledgable and passionate.
Andrea Hurd |
In rural Oregon, Andrea’s family lived on an acre of land that supported fruit trees, berries, a large vegetable garden, and many flowers, especially roses. Growing up, Andrea would always spend her Saturday mornings in the garden with her mom, learning how to care for it all. In the early 90s, at Prescott College, Andrea earned her Permaculture Design Certification. Andrea has used Permaculture as the guiding design principle for all of the gardens that she works on and designs. As a member of The Stone Foundation, an international stonemason’s trade association, Andrea has gained training in the art of dry-stacked stone building in England, Scotland, Mallorca, and Cambodia. Andrea’s garden designs feature her love for nature, her artistic eye, as well as her love for well-built dry-stacked stonework.
|
Julia Bell |
Julia Bell has worked in ecological landscape design and restoration in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas for the past 20 years. Her background in fine art, design and botany fuse with a love for California wild-landscape. She sees gardens as living sculpture as well as part of the greater ecosystem. Working within a cooperative reflects the rich collaborative process among designers, clients, horticulturalists, contractors and craftspeople that propel each project through to a successful ecological landscape.
Formal education from UCSC (BA Art, BA Biology), Cabrillo and West Valley College (Landscape Design & Architecture, Horticulture, Engineering Technology, Graphic Design, etc) has provided a solid backdrop for continual ongoing studies. Special interests include: California native plants, pollinator attraction (birds, butterflies & bees), edible/ usable gardens, succulents, Permaculture, and forging the future of sustainable land management. |
Dan Cordie |
Raised in the lakes country of Minnesota Dan created a strong connection with nature at a young age. He attended school at the University of North Dakota to study entrepreneurship and marketing. Over the following ten years his time was heavily invested in launching startup projects and growing online communities. A few years ago he became inspired by permaculture and received his permaculture design certification. Next up he wanted to be a part of work that had a greater impact while positively affecting our planet. Two years ago he launched a non-profit to reestablish school gardens, educate young people, develop community, and fight for food justice. He is excited to be a worker owner with Mariposa Garden & Design Cooperative where he focuses on garden care and the installation of habitat gardens.
|
Gina Trautner |
Gina grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and spent much of her youth outdoors, skiing, hiking, backpacking and camping which gave her an early appreciation for the natural environment. While attending Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, she became interested in learning more about gardening and plants while tending to a plot at the campus community gardens. She enjoyed her time in the garden so much she decided to focus her studies on a related topic and graduated with a Environmental Science degree with a focus on ecological restoration. She went on to study landscape architecture and received a Masters of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. She has over 3 years experience working in the residential landscape design field and works part time developing base maps and working in garden care and installation for Mariposa.
|
Amy Wilson |
Amy was bred in the California suburbs. Seeking a larger view of the world she spent a few years travelling--creating connections with many different people and places within our pale blue dot. She eventually returned to the United States to get her Master’s Degree in Resilient Leadership with an emphasis in Climate Justice at Naropa University, deepening her connection to land and its inhabitants. Her cultural and educational experiences combined with innate organizational skills and love of communication have led her towards supportive administrative positions--where she gets to put her systems thinking to good use! She thoroughly enjoys: learning, laughing, food, and reading. She is unashamedly obsessed with her four ducks and two cats.
|
|
Lauren grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been an outdoor enthusiast her whole life. From a young age, she enjoyed camping trips with her family, regular skiing trips to Lake Tahoe, tide pool adventures on the coast, and hiking all over the peninsula and Marin. With a passion for the natural world, she pursued a Bachelors of Science degree in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley where she deepened her understanding of sustainability and the importance of conserving and restoring habitat for beneficial insects and birds. She worked at a CA Native Plant nursery for 3 years growing plants for restoration projects around the bay area. With a solid background in the cultural requirements of hundreds of CA Native plants she started her own landscaping company building and maintaining habitat gardens. She soon moved on to working with Mariposa as Crew Leader and project manager, seeing our beautiful designs to completion. She enjoys traveling, cooking, soaking in hot springs, hiking with her little dog Pip, and gardening in her urban homestead in Oakland.
|
Lauren Bennett
|
Sarah loves being outside, learning new skills and techniques, and being a part of a team that builds beautiful habitat and structures with best practices in mind. Outside of work Sarah loves to travel, bike, drink coffee, gawk at strangers' dogs, and catch up with wonderful friends.
|
Sarah
|
License #1038752
|
