History

Zech Strauser started Strauser Nature's Helpers in 1998 while coaching mogul skiing in Vermont at the age of 20. Starting with a push mower he bought from a golf course and cutting 2-feet tall grass at bank-owned homes, he would split the profits with whichever friend he had convinced to drive him to a site that day. Twenty years later his team of 20-50 people, depending on the season, passionately serve as Strauser Nature’s Helper.

Rooted in environmentally-responsible lessons learned from generations of Pennsylvania farmers, Strauser’s green thumb sensibility is grounded in their passion for nature, respect for the seasons, and commitment to seek a better way to care for what grows.

A Better Way to Live, Work, and Play

The Strauser systems and processes revolve around what they call A Better Way Performance Program which is established to deliver a better return on investment for clients and value driven personal service with attention to the health and safety of the environment. At Strauser, being Nature’s Helper also means being a steward of the greater business community that drives economic growth and, above all, being an advocate for high quality public and private green spaces as fundamental to profitability and a better way to live, work and play. 

Some of the environmentally friendly practices Strauser Nature’s Helpers uses seek to do the following:

• Reduce stormwater runoff and filter environmental wastes using rain gardens, improved drainage, constructed wetlands, and bioswales.
• Reduce water use through the design and implementation of smart irrigation alternatives, cloud-based irrigation technologies, remote-control water-monitoring practices, water-tolerant plantings, and better landscaping techniques.
• Use integrated pest-management practices to monitor infestations and control disease.
• Use native plants in meadows, understory plantings, and woodland edge reconstruction.
• Create a healthy soil environment with beneficial microbes, naturally-derived fertilizers, soil conditioners, and compost.
• Integrate and adopt renewable energy and sustainable alternatives, including LED lighting, propane, solar, battery, and robot-powered equipment.