Tidal mangrove creek in Southwest Florida

About us

A Fort Myers Practice Built on Local Knowledge

Founded in 2012 by Barrett and Christina Stejskal — consultants, ecologists, and a husband-and-wife team serving Southwest Florida.

Barrett and Christina Stejskal on the Southwest Florida coast

Who We Are

Meet Barrett and Christina Stejskal, the husband-and-wife team behind BearPaws Environmental Consulting, established in 2012. As lifelong residents of Southwest Florida, we bring over 40 years of combined experience and an unparalleled understanding of the region's environment, from its unique flora and fauna to its specific regulatory needs. We're dedicated to providing timely, professional, and economically feasible environmental consulting services for a diverse clientele, including single-family, multi-family, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and governmental projects. Our expertise covers everything from your initial due diligence to full environmental services, including environmental resource permitting and post-permit compliance. Meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University, our shared passion for helping others and a deep love for Southwest Florida's outdoors and ecosystem guide our career and our commitment to this community.

Barrett & Christina

President & CEO — Vice President & CFO

Consultants & Ecologists

Barrett Stejskal

President & CEO · Consultant & Ecologist

Barrett, President and CEO of BearPaws Environmental Consulting, oversees all management duties and project coordination. As a consultant and ecologist, his expertise includes environmental permitting, wildlife surveys, wetland delineations, and comprehensive environmental reports. He is recognized as an expert in wetland and wildlife ecology and environmental land use in Lee County and has previously obtained his certification as an FWC Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent.

With experience dating back to 2002, Barrett has a proven track record in managing projects, conducting fieldwork, and delivering reports and applications for land use planning and development. His work encompasses environmental due diligence assessments, environmental land planning assistance, permitting and mitigation design for wetlands and wildlife, and construction compliance monitoring. Barrett is certified in ARC GIS I & II by ESRI and trained in AutoDesk ACAD, with further specialized education in gopher tortoise permitting and relocations from the Ashton Biodiversity Institute. He has sat on the board and previously contributed to the Lee County Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee and was a member of the Southwest Florida Association of Environmental Professionals.

Christina Stejskal

Vice President & CFO · Consultant & Ecologist

Christina, Vice-President and CFO of BearPaws Environmental Consulting, directs all financial aspects of the firm, serving a diverse clientele in both private and public sectors. In her role as a consultant and ecologist, she plays a key part in environmental permitting, wildlife surveys, wetland delineations, and other critical environmental reports. Her expertise in wetland and wildlife ecology is recognized in Lee County.

With a career beginning in 2003, Christina has a strong background in managing projects, conducting fieldwork, and producing comprehensive reports for land use planning and development. Her project portfolio includes environmental due diligence assessments, land planning support, and the design of permitting and mitigation strategies for wetlands and wildlife, as well as ongoing compliance monitoring. Christina holds certifications from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation and Management Training Program and the Ray Ashton Gopher Tortoise Natural History, Relocation, and Management program. She is an alumna of Florida Gulf Coast University, where she interned with Lee County's Environmental Development staff.

How we work

Field First

Our commitment to thoroughness means we prioritize fieldwork. While aerial imagery provides a starting point, critical data such as exact wetland boundaries, species presence, and detailed habitat characteristics are only obtainable through direct on-site observation. Desktop reviews simply cannot replicate the nuanced understanding gained from being in the field.

Agency-Ready Documents

We produce reports that serve a dual purpose: providing clear insights for our clients while also offering the comprehensive data necessary for approval by regulatory agencies like local governments, state water management districts (SFWMD & SWFWMD), US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Right-Sized Scope

We understand that every project is unique. Whether you're developing a single-family lot or a large-scale commercial site, we tailor our approach to precisely match the project's complexity, associated risks, and specific permitting requirements, ensuring efficient and effective outcomes.