About BaelinAbout Baelin

Who We Are

Baelin began in 2004 as a family owned and operated business whose primary focus was on the green renovation of homes and lands that had experienced deferred maintenance. An area of intense training and attention for Baelin over the last four years has been on the importance of environmental efficiency – the efficient use of environmental resources.

The first property purchased and renovated by the company was a five-bedroom single-family lakefront home in Clearlake, California.  Green renovations and practices included the following:

  • Construction waste recycling and reuse
  • Low flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads
  • Energy efficient lighting and controls
  • EnergyStar appliances
  • Skylight installations to maximize natural daylight
  • Clay plaster wall finishes
  • Low-VOC paint
  • Replacement carpeting made with 25% recycled content
  • Native plant drought tolerant landscaping
  • Lake ecology enhancement.

Before the company was formed, the owners renovated a three-unit property in Santa Rosa to include:

  • Title 24 compliant insulation upgrades
  • Dual pane window upgrades
  • Low flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads
  • Energy efficient lighting and controls
  • EnergyStar appliances
  • Clay plaster wall finishes
  • Low-VOC paint
  • Landscape drip irrigation

Our continuing mission at Baelin is to provide high-quality ecological restoration services and certified green homes to North Bay communities. Our company is dedicated to addressing the challenges of climate change and resource degradation and supports local community organizations that champion this goal.

The Baelin Family

Team Baelin

(707) 321-1859

Baelin, Inc

11528 Occidental Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Key Personnel

 

J. Michael Baeli

J.Michael has a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies, Conservation and Restoration, with a minor in Biology from Sonoma State University. J.Michael has worked for several ecological restoration non-profits, including the Galbreath Wildland Preserve, The Laguna Foundation, and, most recently, as Ecological Restoration Project Supervisor at Circuit Rider Productions. He has also worked as a Solar Technician for a local solar company, BES Solar. Prior to attending college, J.Michael served in the United States Air Force and is a Gulf War era veteran. He then studied the culinary arts at the Art Institute of Seattle and has worked in Restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Seattle and California. J.Michael grew up working in the construction trades and was a crew supervisor for his family run business Sheridan and Sons. He is the Responsible Managing Officer for the Landscaping (C-27) license #926613, holds the qualified pesticide applicators license #117739, and is certified as an EPA WaterSense Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper. J.Michael serves as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager for Baelin.

 

Andre Gauthier

Andre holds a bachelor's degree in Conservation and Restoration, which he received from Sonoma State University in 2003.  Since his graduation, Andre has worked and developed experience in the fields of Sudden Oak Death research, native plant restoration, fisheries population studies, erosion control, and prescribed fire.  In recent years, he has often found himself facing such formidable opponents as Phytophthora ramorum, which causes Sudden Oak Death, and the invasive riparian plant Arundo donax.  Andre came to Baelin in 2009 as a Restoration Technician and has worked on various field projects including invasive plant removal, native plant installation, drought tolerant landscaping, and living roof installation.

 

Shane Morgan

Shane began pursuing his career in ecological restoration in 2006 after leaving the world of finance. He increased his understanding of ecological restoration by attending courses in natural resource management and grew his expertise through hands-on experience as a field supervisor for a local nonprofit eco-restoration company. Shane holds a Qualified Applicator License for pesticide application and has worked on several projects including native plant restoration, invasive weed eradication, hedgerow plantings, irrigation system design, and landscape development. He has found fulfillment in a field that allowed him to get his hands dirty while restoring our ecosystems to their natural state. In 2010, Shane joined Baelin as our Restoration Project Manager and has been a wonderful and knowledgeable addition to our team.

 

Chris Frenette

Chris has over six years of experience in all components of building and remodeling homes within the construction field. He has been directly involved in projects beginning with digging the foundation and has seen them through to the finishing touches that turn a house into a home. In the time that Chris has dedicated to construction, he has remodeled more than 20 homes in the Sacramento area, completed numerous additions in San Jose, and helped to build many new structures in Idaho, including a beautiful three-story lakefront cabin. Most recently, he has been working to expand his expertise into the field of green renovation, examples of which include the use of clay plaster interior finishes and exterior stucco, as well as reusing materials to reduce waste. In addition, he has become experienced in the use of new technologies, such as Pex plumbing and radiant floor heating. In 2010, Chris became a member of the Baelin team as our Green Renovation Specialist and has continued to excel within this field.