Our Services
We offer a variety of services to aid in development and restoration projects
Environmental Assessments
We provide various types of environmental assessments including Natural Heritage Evaluations (NHE), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), Development Assessment Reports (DAR) and Oak Ridges Moraine Conformity Statements. We complete projects within a small to moderate development range such as, residential homes, property severances, multi lot developments and small subdivisions. The ecological studies are used to provide technical evidence that a proposed development will have minimal impacts on the natural features or ecological functions of the subject property and adjacent lands. These studies typically involve natural science investigations, liaison and consultation between clients and approval agencies, and recommendations for mitigation and/or compensation based on a complete understanding of the existing biophysical conditions.
Ecological Restoration
At Insight Environmental Solutions Inc., we apply our expertise to create, enhance and restore altered habitats to their natural state. We specialize in the creation of meadow, tallgrass prairie, woodland, riparian corridor and wetland habitats. Projects also include compensation planting plans, edge management plans, buffering strategies, approved SAR plant salvage and transplanting, storm water management pond naturalization planting and low impact development features.
Species at Risk Assessments
Species at Risk (SAR) surveys determine if SAR individuals or populations are present in a given region and evaluates whether the study area contains potential habitat features of target species. SAR Impact Assessments involve consultation with local and regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP), who is charged with ensuring provincial protections allotted to SAR are upheld under the provincial Endangered Species Act (ESA), 2007. This process may involve negotiating applicable mitigation measures or attaining an Overall Benefit Permit and completing the required offsetting measures and post-project monitoring. At Insight Environmental Solutions Inc., we work to maintain an understanding of the current procedures for implementing the ESA and remain up-to-date on Recovery Plans and species status updates.
Arboriculture
Insight Environmental Consulting Inc. provides tree inventories, tree preservation plans and assessments for small to moderate sized projects. We have strong backgrounds in ecology, botany and are certified with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Our Arborist reports are comprehensive and adhere to applicable municipal policies and regulatory requirements. We also work with public and private sector clients to provide specialized advice about native stock procurement, tree planting and establishment, and tree compensation. We also conduct Butternut Health Assessments under the provincial requirements of the Endangered Species Act (2007).
Aquatic Surveys and Permitting
We provide the necessary knowledge to aid in the completion of fisheries and aquatic based projects. Insight Environmental Solutions Inc. staff are able to consult with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to help attain the required permits on behalf of the client, based on our understanding of the Fisheries Act, Drainage Act and Species at Risk Act. We collect supplementary field data to support permitting requests through aquatic habitat assessments and benthic macroinvertebrate sampling. Staff are certified in the Ontario Stream Assessment (OSAP) Protocol and the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network (OBBN).
Geographic Information Systems
Field investigations involve the collection of GPS data to ensure an accurate representation of natural heritage features and Species at Risk individual locations and habitats. We utilize this data to analyze potential constraints on the proposed development and create high quality maps for our clients.
