Adam Braun is a strong believer in environmental sustainability.
That's why after many years in the landscaping industry, he founded Belleview Landscapes in 2020, with the main goal of creating a fully green operation that focuses on sustainability.
“Sustainability is at the top of our core values, it is our main focal point,” said Braun
According to Braun, many companies in the industry throw around the term, “green” or “sustainable,” but in his opinion being sustainable is more than just a label.
“It's easy for a landscape contractor or anyone who works outdoors to say that they're green, but I don't think that that's a proper assessment, working outside doesn't inherently make you green,” said Braun
Belleview is always looking at ways to make themselves more environmentally friendly. They use gardening and tree care techniques that allow for future growth and preservation of plant material. The Cambridge landscapers also minimize their carbon footprint as much as possible and are planning on making their entire vehicle fleet all electric.
“We make decisions on how we can reduce our carbon footprint. All of our equipment is battery powered and every time something new comes on the market, we're going to pursue that. We have a goal of being the first company in Ontario that can say they're fully electric,” said Braun.
When going into a new space, Braun and his team research plant material native to that specific area to make sure they are not planting any invasive species. They also take into consideration water drainage and storm water management. Braun said, It’s all about long term resiliency and whether it can withstand a number of different outside negative factors.
“Whenever we're designing a garden, we're making sure that it’s done in a way where we're improving the condition of the soil and we have the appropriately sourced mulch and it’s contributing positively to the environment,” said Braun
The green contractor also thinks that a lot of local climate issues can be solved by landscapers.
“I think a lot of the issues that our communities face with climate can be solved by landscapers. We can improve storm water management through, effectively designing landscapes and gardens,” said Braun.
Belleview is starting to offer the building of food gardens to help people grow their own produce, especially in times where prices of food are skyrocketing. They also have bees at their farm up north and are looking at getting more people into beekeeping. If someone chose to have berry bushes or other food producing plants, these bees would help pollinate and add to the renewal of the environments in which they live.
“If communities, homeowners and business owners are using the spaces that they have to have chickens, bees, grow food, grow herbs, then that's answering a lot of issues in our community,” said Braun.
They want to make sure that every aspect of their company is keeping with their core value of sustainability. This bleeds over from just their work and into how they treat their employees. Braun said, they pay their workers more than the average contractor and want their employees to be able to live comfortably.
Belleview’s mission is to impact every place they work on, transforming it into an environmentally sustainable and usable space. Braun stressed that this is not a scary idea and can be done affordably and effectively.
“Sustainability in your own space, in your home and your office is attainable and it's accessible. It's not a scary endeavour, you just need the right professionals to help you guide you through that process to help you make the right decisions,” said Braun
