Bio
Ms Megan Richards is a registered landscape architect and senior consulting ecologist in Integral’s San Francisco Bay Area office. She is also a certified arborist and a qualified firescaping professional with a background in horticulture. Her horticultural and arboricultural expertise give her practical and nuanced insights into strategies for successful landscape installation, establishment, and maintenance, which she applies to landscape and arboricultural projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Valley and northern California coast.
At Integral, she manages and contributes to a broad range of project types, including habitat restoration, trail and open space, and urban ecology projects. Ms. Richards is experienced with all stages of design from master planning through construction, including outreach, tree preservation, and production of detailed plans, specifications and estimates. She excels at coordinating and interpreting the varied expertise and interests of clients, stakeholders, ecologists, and engineers to prepare and communicate clear and effective design solutions.
Prior to joining Integral Consulting, Ms. Richards was a senior associate at H. T. Harvey & Associates where she worked for five years.
Relevant Experience
Ecological Restoration
Pacheco Creek Reserve Restoration Project, Santa Clara County, California — Managed construction documentation, bid support, and construction oversight phases of this restoration project for the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, a project to create, enhance, and restore stream channel, willow/mixed riparian, California sycamore alluvial woodland, freshwater pond, and seasonal wetland habitats.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Shoreline Study, Horizontal Levee Ecotone Plans, Specs, and Estimates, San Jose, California — Managed the development of plans and cost estimates to drive the schedule and design-build construction approach for revegetation of a new flood risk management levee and constructed ecotone near Alviso in Santa Clara County.
Union Road Bridge Replacement, San Benito County, California — Led the development of plans and specifications and provided construction oversight for 2.65 acres of riparian mitigation planting. After powerful storms caused the river to migrate during bridge construction, collaborated with ecologists to drive the adaptation and redesign of the planting approach and extents with no permitting or construction delays.
Coyote Creek Trail, Mabury Road to Empire Street Project, Watson Park Off-Site Mitigation Site at Corie Court, San Jose, California — Directed development of construction drawings for a 2.3-acre riparian mitigation site. Collaborated with the City of San Jose to identify best management practices to establish mitigation plantings that, as required by regulatory permits, include host species for invasive shothole borer. Directed construction support services and supported preparation of biological as-built report.
Parks
Shoreline Lake Cove and Hill Project, Mountain View, California — Serves as project manager and landscape architect leading the design of accessible pathways and landscape improvements. The project aims to improve planting and accessibility at a public park, and must meet aesthetic, habitat, and maintenance goals, conform to a strict timeline and budget ceiling, and comply with the requirements of regulatory and planning documents. The team has completed schematic design and 95% construction documentation is beginning preparation of 100% plans, specifications, and estimate for erosion control, earthwork and grading, site improvements, irrigation, and planting.
Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, Morgan Hill, California — Provided arboriculture and landscape architecture input on various mitigation elements of the project, including inventory and assessment of more than 1,700 trees and development of conceptual and schematic plans, specifications and estimate for future restoration of recreational and landscape features at Live Oak Park.
Bay Rise Park Project, Burlingame, California — Provides design support and quality control review of construction documents for a new 9-acre waterfront nature-based park and education center with an emphasis on sea level rise and climate change. Park features include a section of the San Francico Bay Trail and water access with a new stop on the Water Trail. H. T. Harvey led efforts to receive State Lands Commission approval, develop feasibility and concept studies, and ran public outreach and coordinated with stakeholders.
Wallis Ranch Community Park, Dublin, California — As a project manager in a prior firm, developed concepts for a new community park, produced materials for and led a multi-stage, multiple format outreach effort in collaboration with the department of Parks and Community Services in the City of Dublin. The process culminated in selection of a preferred concept and theme that reflected community input, while addressing specific gaps in the City’s active recreation facilities, and respecting budget constraints.
Recreation
Shoreline Lake Cove and Hill Project, Mountain View, California — Serves as project manager and landscape architect leading the design of accessible pathways and landscape improvements. The project aims to improve planting and accessibility at a public park, and must meet aesthetic, habitat, and maintenance goals, conform to a strict timeline and budget ceiling, and comply with the requirements of regulatory and planning documents. The team has completed schematic design and 95% construction documentation is beginning preparation of 100% plans, specifications, and estimate for erosion control, earthwork and grading, site improvements, irrigation, and planting.
Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, Morgan Hill, California — Provided arboriculture and landscape architecture input on various mitigation elements of the project, including inventory and assessment of more than 1,700 trees and development of conceptual and schematic plans, specifications and estimate for future restoration of recreational and landscape features at Live Oak Park.
Bay Rise Park Project, Burlingame, California — Provides design support and quality control review of construction documents for a new 9-acre waterfront nature-based park and education center with an emphasis on sea level rise and climate change. Park features include a section of the San Francico Bay Trail and water access with a new stop on the Water Trail. H. T. Harvey led efforts to receive State Lands Commission approval, develop feasibility and concept studies, and ran public outreach and coordinated with stakeholders.
Wallis Ranch Community Park, Dublin, California — As a project manager in a prior firm, developed concepts for a new community park, produced materials for and led a multi-stage, multiple format outreach effort in collaboration with the department of Parks and Community Services in the City of Dublin. The process culminated in selection of a preferred concept and theme that reflected community input, while addressing specific gaps in the City’s active recreation facilities, and respecting budget constraints.
Transportation
South of Java Shuttle Stop, Sunnyvale, California — Acts as landscape architectural design lead for a shuttle stop and food truck plaza. Developed schematic design for a vibrant, flexible plaza space while responding to multiple spatial constraints. Provides peer review during construction documentation.
Sunnyvale Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility, Sunnyvale, California — Acts as project manager and landscape architect for multiple segments of a network of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. Coordinates with a multi-disciplinary design team to determine the optimal alignment for the accessible pathway through heavily constrained urban areas, responding to multiple constraints including existing trees, utilities, and property ownership. Leads detailed landscape design and construction support. Provides arborist services for tree preservation and replacement from initial arborist surveys through plan preparation and construction.
Huff Parking Structure and Greenway Project, Mountain View, California — Served as project manager and landscape architect for the project. Prepared construction documentation and provided construction support for site improvements that include a multi-use trail, custom decking and seating, irrigation, and native plantings.
Arboriculture
Tree Holding Facility, Gilroy, California — Developed detailed layout and irrigation direction for an in-ground tree nursery. Assisted with selection and transition of the project to an installer/operator and provided initial oversight of horticultural practices and inventory management.
Caltrans District 1 Middle Mile Broadband, Mendocino County, California — Developed and oversaw data collection and safety protocols for an inventory of trees along over 150 miles of roadway. Coordinated and scheduled a team of 26 employees across multiple offices to complete remote fieldwork. Performed data analysis and quality control, and prepared memoranda of findings within a strictly limited and abbreviated contract timeline.
Fire Damaged Roadway Landscaping Project, Santa Rosa, California — While working as a landscape architect and certified arborist at a previous firm, managed the design of over 3 miles of planting and irrigation for roadways damaged during the Tubbs fire in Sonoma County. Led the project from concept design through community outreach and construction documents.
Education & Credentials
Highlights
More than 15 years of experience
Registered landscape architect
Certified arborist
Project management
Firescaping professional
Bid and construction period support
Community outreach
Proficient in Spanish
Education & Credentials
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley Extension, 2014
B.A., Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, 2005
Registered Landscape Architect CA #6246
ISA-Certified Arborist #WE-10882A
ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)
ReScape Qualified Professional, Firescaping
Professional Experience
Senior associate, H. T. Harvey & Associates, 2021–July 2026
Project manager, Certified arborist, Callander Associates, 2017–2021
Landscape designer, DES Architects + Engineers, 2014–2017
Horticulturist, Filoli House and Historic Garden, 2006–2014