About Us
The goal of bombus is to apply nature-based solutions to create beautiful, living landscapes that encourage meaningful connections between people and place.
Brendan McKee, Founder of bombus
Meet Brendan (AKA B)
Brendan McKee (OALA, CSLA) is a registered Landscape Architect living in Kingston, ON Canada. He has over 8 years of experience working in the field of Landscape Architecture, in both public and private sectors.
Over the course of his young career, Brendan has had the privilege of being involved in the planning, design and implementation of various project types, including; stormwater management facilities, public trail systems, environmental restoration sites, native plant nurseries, golf courses, parklands, dog off-leash areas, horticultural display gardens and more.
Brendan is energized through his encounters with individuals that enthusiastically believe in the power of nature. He is eager to connect with individuals of different backgrounds and perspectives, to better understand the unique interactions that people share with place. He wishes to reposition the value of healthy environments in the public’s eye, and to create success stories that overshadow the doom and gloom that is increasingly seen on the front page of the news. Oh, and to have fun along the way.
In his spare time, Brendan can be found on the golf course, reading a book in a sunny corner of his garden, or exploring many natural areas of eastern Ontario, with his wife and dog. Eyes, ears and heart tuned into nature.
What bombus values most
Collaboration & Inclusivity
Working collaboratively with our clients to enhance the beauty, function and sustainability of their outdoor spaces.
Collaborating with other professionals and trades to advance the practice and prominence of ecoscaping.
Make efforts to appeal to a wide range of demographics.
Encourage neighbours and neighbourhoods to collaborate on joint projects to maximize value.
Personal & Environmental Well-Being
Provide nature-based design solutions that elevate the recreational, therapeutic, and educational properties of your home
Create space that encourages more outdoor time
Conserve and enhance the diversity and abundance of native vegetation to increase the carrying capacity and function of local ecosystems
Sustainability
Utilize green techniques that mitigate the effects of climate change
Create dynamic planting systems that are sustainable and capable of self regeneration
Develop efficient designs and management strategies that, once established, minimize maintenance requirements
Stewardship & Education
Share resources that will help our clients understand the factors that threaten biodiversity loss, and enhance stewardship for our precious land resources
Continue our education, to ensure that we are serving you best by meeting the best practices, as it comes to landscape design and management
Our Philosophy
The philosophy at bombus is that healthy environments are the key to healthy communities. The backbone to healthy environments lies in the diversity and abundance of plant life. In particular, native plant life.
Spending time in nature and engaging in outdoor activities has many proven benefits that contribute to physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. Healthy environments can be therapeutic and educational. They also contribute to the health of local and regional environments, by providing essential ecosystem functions that include cooling & cleaning the air, purifying water, sequestering carbon, and providing food and habitat to the many animals that we share the world with.
Unfortunately, the health of global ecosystems has been in rapid decline in recent years. So much so that the United Nations has declared this upcoming decade (2021-2030) as the ‘Decade of Ecosystem Restoration’.
There are many reasons for the impairment of environmental functions, including climate change, the proliferation of introduced species that displace native plant communities, and outdated landscape management practices. In many parts of the world (including our own here in eastern Ontario), nature has degraded to a point where it can no longer heal itself - it needs our help.
Bombus wishes to be the agents of change to take action to create a greener tomorrow.
Through thoughtful design and management of landscapes, we wish to leverage the power of plants - particularly dynamic, richly layered native plant communities - to create spaces that achieve personal and environmental goals.
We consider privately-owned lands to be the greatest opportunity to apply our efforts to enhance the beauty, biodiversity, and resilience of local ecosystems. That means homeowners, dwellers in multi-unit apartment buildings, and businesses all have an opportunity to serve a role in strengthening the health of our shared environment.
Because nature doesn’t simply exist in some far off preserve, it exists all around us.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact us to see how you can plant with a purpose.
Alternatively, our philosophy is expanded through content featured in our blog space - the B Hive.
