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Mission Statement
Create beautiful, sustainable landscapes that enhance biodiversity, improve urban ecology, and foster a harmonious relationship between humanity and our environment.
Our Motivation
Populations of beloved neighborhood creatures like bumblebees, butterflies, and songbirds have been in steady decline for decades. For instance, since 1970, America's songbird population has dropped by an alarming 30%. Scientists cite climate change, habitat destruction, and pesticide use as the main culprits of these declining populations. We want to do something about it.
Today in America, 40 million acres of land are devoted to turf lawn. To maintain that lawn, Americans consume 80 million pounds of pesticide, 3 million tons of fertilizer, and 800 million gallons of gas EVERY YEAR. The turf lawn is a resource vacuum that provides ZERO ecological benefit. Its prolific grip on the American urban landscape persists only because we are conditioned to think of it as the standard.
Ask yourself: What does your lawn actually do for you? How often do you use it? Could you live without it—or at least part of it?
We want to encourage and enable people to embrace a more ecologically impactful urban landscape design ethic. The designed prairie or meadow garden provides habitat, complex natural beauty, improves biodiversity, and instills a sense of connectedness with the local ecosystem. We believe we have the power to enact change.
Company History
Wisconsin LawnScaping is led by Joshua Gutman. Inspired by his love of the outdoors, Josh decided to start a lawn care and landscaping business in Manitowoc County during the spring of 2017. In the beginning all Josh had was his trailer, his mower, and a vision. Over the years, he accrued clients and built a reputation as a quality contractor.
As the years went on, Josh's vision changed. He became keenly aware of the waste inherent in traditional lawn care and wanted to transition his business away from those practices. Inspired once again, he dedicated himself to studying permaculture and the designed prairie garden.
In 2024, Josh decided to expand Wisconsin LawnScaping into Dane County, and make the sole focus of his business designing and developing landscapes which invoke harmony between people and natural ecosystems. We are excited to begin the next chapter of Wisconsin LawnScaping and are eager to work with our new communities in Dane County.
Meet the Team
Founder and Project Lead
Josh Gutman
As soon as he could drive, Josh bought a zero-turn mower and trailer and launched his own lawn care and landscaping business. Years later, with a Business Administration degree from UW–La Crosse and a wealth of hands-on experience, he found himself frustrated by the lack of ecological quality found in most landscapes. Determined to change that, he founded PrairieTech.
Josh is involved in every aspect of the business. While he enjoys his administrative responsibilities, his real passion lies in working directly with clients and using his hands to create landscapes that are beautiful, functional, and ecologically sound.
A lifelong outdoorsman, Josh draws inspiration from fishing, hiking, and camping to design yards that feel like a natural extension of the wild—spaces where people and nature thrive in harmony.
Co-founder
Zach Goetz
Zach joined PrairieTech after leaving a corporate career in search of work that was both exciting and meaningful. He was drawn Josh's vision of transforming unused turf grass into thriving prairie and is eager to that vision all throughout the Midwest.
Today, he manages the company's marketing, administration, communications, and supports in client project designs. He graduated from UW-Madison ('23) with a degree in Economics and minors in Data Science and Business Administration.
Although new to the landscaping industry, Zach approaches each project with a designer’s eye, a sharp analytical approach to plant selection, and a commitment to learning. His design skill can be seen in our website, marketing materials, and client projects.
Zach is a lifelong nature enthusiast and had strong horticultural influences early on through his father and grandfather, both avid gardeners. This early exposure helped Zach gain an eye for landscape design and an appreciation for the impact outdoor spaces have on us all.
Horticulture Specialist
Tristan
Tristan is our in-house expert on native plant species. He graduated from UW-La Crosse with a BS in biology with concentrations in plants and fungi. He also has four years of experience as a contractor and consultant for Native Lands and Waters LLC, overseeing native prairie restoration and forestry.
Tristan, like the rest of our team, has a deep love for the outdoors. He enjoys rock climbing in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region, tackling its rugged bluffs and hidden crags whenever he gets the chance. He also is a skilled guitar player, and loves performing on stage.