HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc.
HELIX Environmental Planning (HELIX) is a leader in environmental planning and natural resource sustainability. Established in 1991 and with offices in San Diego, Sacramento, and Riverside counties, HELIX provides a broad range of environmental consulting and design services throughout California and the western United States. HELIX has extensive experience helping public and private clients comply with environmental laws and regulations, manage natural and cultural resources, and design and construct sustainable projects. Our wholly owned subsidiary, HELIX Environmental Construction Group, specializes in habitat restoration and the installation and maintenance of native habitat.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Consulting firm
- Industry Type:
- Environmental Management
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
- Year Founded:
- 1991
- Employees:
- 101-1000
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
Please, visit the following links for more info:
About Us
HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. (HELIX) is a leader in environmental planning and natural resource sustainability. Established in 1991 and based in California, HELIX provides a broad range of environmental consulting and design services on a variety of project types located throughout California and the western U.S.
HELIX has extensive experience helping public- and private-sector clients comply with environmental laws and regulations, manage natural resources, and design and construct sustainable projects.
Our wholly owned subsidiary, HELIX Environmental Construction Group, Inc. (HECG), specializes in the installation and maintenance of native habitat and low-water-use landscaping.
Community Service
HELIX staff are involved in their communities and professional organizations.
Professional
Our staff have served on:
- CalMentor Program
- San Diego Association of Environmental Professionals Chapter Executive Board
- California Native Plant Society
- County of San Diego Technical Advisory Committees (Noise, Visual, and CEQA Compliance)
- Port Public Art Committee
- Association of Environmental Professionals, San Diego Chapter
- City of San Diego Land Development Code Monitoring Team
- City of San Diego Presidio Park Council
- Sigma Xi
Educational
Our staff have participated in:
- Madison High School Job Shadowing Program
- University of San Diego — Expanding Your Horizons Conference
- Association of Environmental Professionals College Career Day Speed Networking
- Francis Parker High School Senior Internships
- College-level instruction – Southwestern College and University of San Diego, Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, Implementing Sustainability Through Environmental Regulations
- Instruction for Wetland Training Institute – Vernal Pool Plant Identification, Vernal Pool Restoration, Wetland Delineation, and Wetland Restoration
Charity/Other
HELIX has supported staff participation in:
- Relay for Life (American Cancer Society)
- Camp Pendleton Mud Run (ASYMCA)
- Meals on Wheels
- Lakeside Riverpark Conservancy
- AIDS Walk San Diego
San Diego Habitat Conservancy
In 2000, senior management at HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc. (HELIX) formed the Helix Community Conservancy (now the San Diego Habitat Conservancy, or SDHC). The SDHC strives to share knowledge and appreciation of the natural environment, encouraging participation in the stewardship of our region’s precious open space. The organization was formed as a nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation and was granted federal 501(c)(3) non-profit status by the IRS in 2002.
The SDHC is completely separate from HELIX, but was formed in an effort to 'give back' to the region and communities where HELIX employees live and work, with the stated mission being: to acquire, manage and protect land in perpetuity that supports sensitive habitats and species, and to educate and inspire people and communities as stewards and advocates of their natural environment. HELIX regularly donates a portion of its profits to SDHC.
Currently, the SDHC manages a number of open space easements throughout the San Diego region, preserving and managing the sensitive habitat and species on those easements that are unique to Southern California. Individuals interested in learning more about the SDHC should visit its website at: www.sdhabitat.org
Deepening Our Shade of Green
HELIX’s current program to strengthen our internal sustainability includes:
- Increasing our use of office products containing recycled content, including lunchroom products, tissues, desktop products, and restroom supplies. Our goal for 2009 is for 65 percent of our office products to contain recycled content
- Transitioning to only biodegradable restroom, kitchen and cleaning supplies
- Employing a Green Seal Certified janitorial service
- Expanding our office-wide recycling program beyond ink/toner cartridges, paper, plastic, glass and cans, to include batteries, compact discs, plastic bags and other items that might otherwise go to the landfill
- Implementing a lunchroom composting program with an on-site compost system; compost is available for interested employees’ home use
- Implementing a voluntary shift away from disposable lunchroom products such as paper plates/cups and plastic flatware by providing non-disposable dining sets for interested employees
- Using document production paper and letterhead from Mohawk, the first paper manufacturer in the U.S. to receive Green Seal Certification
- Continuing to patronize “green” vendors such as Mohawk, Office Depot (recipient of 2009 Outstanding Environmental Leadership Award), and “green” janitorial service, catering services, and more
- Changing our document font, as well as the layout of our letterhead and margins to maximize the use of space on the printed page, thus reducing overall paper consumption
- Encouraging double-sided printing and reuse of scrap paper whenever feasible
- Promoting increased awareness of sustainability and environmental issues for employees through the HELIX Green Intranet site
- Providing subsidized monthly passes for employees who wish to travel by public transit to and from the office
- Developing a Green Operations Plan to direct HELIX’s internal sustainability efforts
- Undergoing energy and water audits to identify potential operational efficiency improvement opportunities
- Installing drought-tolerant and native landscaping with a retrofitted irrigation system
- Supporting an employee-driven Green Team to explore continued opportunities for operational improvement
