More About Dr. Laska
Dr. Mark Laska is a visionary and leader in the environmental industry, pioneering ecological consulting and introducing innovative nature-based solutions over the past two decades. His early concept of bringing an ecological approach to habitat design lead to the formation of Great Ecology in New York City in 2001. Initially focusing on restoration ecology in urban habitats in the North Eastern US, Dr. Laska has now expanded both his work and company across the United States and internationally. Dr. Laska continues to lead Great Ecology from its current San Diego headquarters as it surpasses 20 years in operation and celebrates more than 1,000 projects completed.
Dr. Laska’s technical specialization includes habitat restoration, ecological planning and design, mitigation banking, and he is a leading Natural Resource Damages (NRD) practitioner. Dr. Laska is highly experienced in taking projects of all scopes and scales from the conceptual stage through post-construction monitoring. His innovative ecological approach addresses ecological challenges and regulations while maximizing ecosystem services. He has extensive experience supporting environmental litigation through various scientific services and as a techincal expert/expert witness.
In 2022, Dr. Laska received the National Wetland Award, Business Category from the Environmental Law Instite recognizing his 20+ years of dedication to wetland restoration, development, and conservation. He has published numerous scientific papers, articles, and book chapters – most recently he is a featured author in the American Bar Association’s book, Natural Resource Damages: A Guide to Litigating and Resolving NRD Cases and published a co-authored peer reviewed paper in the December 2019 issue of Ecological Restoration. Dr. Laska holds a Doctorate in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University, a Master's in Ecology from Fordham University, and a Bachelor's in Biological Sciences from the University of Colorado.
In addition to his work at Great Ecology, Dr. Laska is the co-founder of Eco Endowment Solutions, a financial management firm for environmental endowments. He is also co-founder of Ecology Landwatch (part of Terradex), and Tellurium Partners, a mitigation banking company. He is also an active investor in real estate and when not in the office, he enjoys biking, skiing, hiking and hanging on the beach. Dr. Laska lives with his wife and four daughters in La Jolla, California.
