Red Monkeyflower
Mimulus puniceus
Woody subshrub, dark green narrow leaves, crimson to brick-red flowers.
John Caruana
Owner/Vice-President
With some 25 years of landscape construction experience, John’s primary focus is habitat restoration construction and installation, in which he takes an active, hands-on role.
The native Californian developed his love of nature growing up where the smells of coastal sage scrub and chaparral were imprinted in his mind at any early age. With canyons and rivers as his playgrounds, he saw first hand how natural habitats were affected by storms and fires and how they recovered from them.
Formally educated in the areas of horticulture, irrigation design and landscape design, John holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture and is responsible for research and development of new ideas and operations, irrigation design and equipment management. In fact, he was instrumental in designing the company’s proprietary steep slope imprinter and continues to work on other advancements in restoration design and implementation.
Michelle Caruana
Owner/President
With primary responsibility for internal oversight of Nature’s Image financial performance, Michelle has15 years of wide ranging experience in the native habitat restoration and mitigation industry.
Michelle’s dedication to making a positive difference in the environment is inspired by her lifelong love for animals and a determination to preserve and rebuild the habitats they need to survive. Her grandmother’s advice to strike a balance in life has been a motivating factor in bringing balance back into the many habitats Nature’s Image creates and restores.
Armed with a BS degree in environmental and systemic biology, Michelle began her career in maintaining large-scale restoration projects in Northern and Southern California. For the last 15 years she has worked exclusively on installing and maintaining restoration projects throughout California. She also has extensive experience in endangered bird survey on active military bases.
In addition to being a licensed landscape contractor in California, Arizona and Nevada, Michelle is a certified pest control advisor and holds a qualified applicator license. Her professional affiliations include Society for Ecological Restoration, California Exotic Pest Plant Council, California Agricultural Production Consultants Association and California Landscape Contractors Association.