Our Team

Haven Ecology and Research LLC

We believe that people have always been an integral and creative part of nature. With our Pacific Northwest ecosystems facing unprecedented challenges, our stewardship of the land is needed now more than ever before.

Our mission is to empower land managers with the knowledge to make strategic decisions for ecological restoration and sustainable timber production. We help land managers implement adaptive management practices by integrating field surveys with cutting-edge lab technology and data analytics. Through data-driven decision making, we help our clients accomplish more with their available resources, leading to successful projects and resilient ecosystems.

We offer a range of environmental services, including:

  • Vegetation surveys and ecosystem monitoring
  • Laboratory analysis of soils and environmental DNA
  • GIS, data analysis and data visualization
  • Review and interpretation of scientific literature
  • Consultation on plant ecology, soil science and forest stand dynamics

Haven Ecology and Research LLC is licensed and insured in Washington State.


Dylan Mendenhall

Owner | Principal Ecologist

Dylan Mendenhall is the founder and principal ecologist of Haven Ecology and Research LLC. He draws on over 15 years of experience in the practice and study of ecological restoration, including as the co-manager of a small family forest. His professional background includes commercial biotech research and community-based ecosystem monitoring.

With an MSc in Forestry, Dylan’s graduate research focused on the cascading effects of an invasive herbivore on the plant and fungal communities of Haida Gwaii. Previously, he conducted research on the effects of Indigenous resource management on the structure and diversity of Pacific Northwest old-growth forests.

Recognizing that we have limited resources to address the challenges of climate change, land-use transformation and species invasions, Dylan started Haven to bridge the divide between modern science and the ecological needs of our community.

In addition to his professional work, Dylan serves on the Kitsap County Noxious Weed Control Board.


Angelica Amesquita

Ecologist

Angelica Amesquita is an applied ecologist with a diverse background in botany and land stewardship. She serves as the botany specialist at Haven, having previously worked as a botanist for the US Forest Service and other private consulting. Her professional experience includes forest inventories, ecosystem monitoring, NEPA plant surveys and seed collection forays for rare plant species. She is familiar with both native and non-native plants in the Pacific Northwest, in part owing to her prior experience working as a crew lead at a local forestry company where she implemented forest restoration projects in cities across the Puget Sound region.

Angelica has a BSc in Plant Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She also maintains a WSDA herbicide operator’s license certification, with agricultural weed, aquatic weed and right-of-way weed endorsements.