MiniNature Reserve

Urban development is rapidly replacing natural ecosystems with concrete, eliminating native plants and reducing biodiversity. In Ventura County, the fastest-warming county in the continental United States, this is accelerating drought, extreme heat, and wildfire risk.

Based in the region, MiniNature Reserve is a grassroots nonprofit working to restore native plants and biodiversity in urban environments. Through community-built green spaces, they transform underutilized land into ecosystems that support wildlife and improve climate resilience.

MiniNature Reserve approached me to redesign and rebuild their website, moving away from Wix to a custom solution tailored to their needs. As the organization expanded and began applying for major grants, the limitations of the existing site became clear. Important information was buried, the site suffered from slow load times, and the experience broke down on mobile.

They needed a platform that could scale with their growth. It had to allow them to easily create and update content, present a modern, clean brand experience, and support e-commerce.

I created a design system to bring consistency and structure across the site. Working within their desire for a monochromatic green palette, I paid close attention to color contrast to ensure readability and accessibility, and introduced flexible content blocks that highlight their nature and event photography instead of relying on carousel-heavy layouts. I also introduced dark mode and subtle animations to create a more modern and engaging experience.

Built around reusable components, the system allows new content to be created quickly while maintaining structure, clarity, and consistency as the site grows.

I redesigned the information architecture to make the site easier to navigate and understand. Pages were consolidated and content was reorganized into a clear, story-driven flow that guides users from understanding the mission to taking action.

The navigation system includes a responsive mega menu and global search, surfacing key content and reducing complexity so users can quickly find information or explore the site.

A flexible block-based content management system that allows the team to manage content without engineering support. It includes features like draft versioning, split-screen live preview, rich text editing, and SEO tools, enabling confident publishing while maintaining structure, consistency, and performance across the site.

I migrated the e-commerce system from Wix to Shopify, including all products, customers, and order history. The new system supports filtering, sorting, standard shipping, local pickup for live plants, and digital downloads, giving the team flexibility in how they sell and manage products.

A built-in blog system allows the team to publish updates, educational content, and community stories. Paired with a rich text editor, it supports structured, media-rich content that is easy to create and edit.

A global search system that helps users quickly find content across pages, programs, and resources. Designed for speed and relevance, it reduces friction and makes information easy to access.

The site includes a team management system for contributors, advisors, and board members. Profiles include rich text bios, personal websites, and social links, with the ability to give team members access to write blog posts. This keeps the team structured, visible, and easy to manage as the organization grows.

A “Find a MiniNature Reserve Near You” feature using ArcGIS to map active locations and make them easily accessible to the community. Users can explore nearby projects, learn about each site, and connect with local restoration efforts.

The site automatically matches the user’s system preference for light or dark mode. It reduces eye strain and keeps the experience consistent across the site.