Meet the Team
Earth Day in Down Town Novato. We had fun planting the large concrete pots on Grant Ave!
Michael Henley Alvarado
Owner
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo 2012
Bachelors of Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Design.
Michael has had a passion for being in the garden from a young age. It was through weekends spent at his grandparent's house in San Rafael that his curiosity for botany and horticulture began. After graduating High School in Sonoma County, he attended the SRJC where Environmental design and Natural Resource Management caught his interest. Eager to save the world, he attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and received his Bachelors of Landscape Architecture. He now enjoys working with residential clients to help them achieve their garden goals and create spaces where people can spend beautiful times with their loved ones.
Michael works with several local contractors to offer construction services and managment, including working with Rayner Landscaping Inc; one of the industry leaders in Marin County for Design/Build Residential Landscapes. His work helped to earn Rayner Landscaping the award of "Best Landscape Design" in Marin's Pacific Sun 2017, and 2018.
A native to Sonoma and Marin counties, the 2017 fires in Santa Rosa hit very close to home. Many of our friends, and community members have been affected first hand by the sad occurrence. Since then, Michael has been attending various community meetings and conversations around the Sonoma County Recovers efforts, and volunteered to help homeowners create plans for their personal landscape rebuilding process. If you have been affected by the fires and have questions about how to navigate the landscape rebuilding process, please contact us a free consultation on your project.
Carla Willey
Operations Manager
Carla comes to us with vast and invaluable knowledge of the industry network and operation details. Clients consider her a delight to spend time with, and a pleasure to do business with. We are lucky to have her as a part of the team.
You may also bump into Carla...
- Playing tennis
- At a concert or Warriors game
- Walking her two dogs
Odalis Diaz
Designer / Project Manager
I came across landscape architecture and fell in love with the eco-friendly aspect. I graduated from Berkley with a BA in Landscape architecture. I worked at a small firm beforehand, and I was indoors all day. I then learned more about MHA Creative Landscapes and found myself outside and loved every minute of it. I love the full aspect of design, seeing it from start to finish. I get to work with clients, and different materials all the time in different locations and it always keeps me engaged.
My Favorite Plant: Salvias—there are so many different varieties and purposes, and they are great for attracting pollinators. They are also low maintenance, not requiring much water or attention.
My Favorite Season: " I love Spring; it's a breath of fresh air. Plants are starting to grow, and it is the beginning of sunshine, which makes me want to go outside."
My Approach to Challenges: I approach site-specific challenges head-on, keeping in mind what one solution will have an effect on the project as a whole, and move forward from there. I also enjoy talking to my coworkers and seeing their perspectives on specific challenges.