01
Forest Management
- Timber sales & site prep
- Planting & pre-commercial thinning
- Management plans
- Mapping & inventory
NC · VA · SC · GA · FL
The right work,
on the right acre,
at the right time.
Science-led forestry from first assessment through long-term stewardship — keeping working forests healthy, productive, and resilient.
Our approach
Listen first.
Plan with purpose.
Every property has its own goals, conditions, and constraints. We take time to understand all three before recommending what comes next.
See how we work- 20+ Years Forestry work spanning academia and industry.
- Licensed & insured Registered forester in NC & GA; ground applicator & pesticide consultant.
- Safety-led OSHA 10 certified — safety in our work, every job.
- Research to operations From tree improvement at NC State to operations at Rayonier.
Forestry services
Complete solutions,
tailored to the land.
Stand management, mapping, operations consulting, and R&D — practical services shaped by hands-on work in the field and the nursery.
02
Operations Consulting
- Silviculture program review
- Operational excellence
- Nursery & orchard management
03
Research & Development
- Research trial installation, maintenance & measurement
- Pine breeding & cone collection
- Silviculture innovation partnerships
04
Forest Mapping
- Digitize existing stand records
- Map creation
- Inventory assessment & mapping
05
Forest Inventory Assessment
- Stand inventory collection & analysis
- Growth and yield projections
- Data-led management decisions
Specialist capabilities
Specialized support when the work calls for a broader set of tools.
Soil ScienceField sampling, site evaluation, and data-led prescriptions.
Aerial ApplicationLicensed helicopter and fixed-wing application.
Vegetation ManagementTargeted programs that manage competition and protect desired species.
Seedling DevelopmentBareroot and containerized pine nursery management.
How we work
A clear path,
from first walk to follow-through.
You’ll know what we’re doing, why it matters, and what comes next — from the first walk through ongoing monitoring.
- 01
Listen
We begin with your goals and a walk of the property.
- 02
Assess
We measure the site, review the data, and identify what matters most.
- 03
Plan
We turn the findings into a practical, site-specific plan.
- 04
Implement
We coordinate the work carefully, with safety and minimal impact in mind.
- 05
Monitor
We track outcomes and adjust as conditions change.
Every recommendation begins with your goals, not a template.
Start a conversation ↗
Across the Southeast
Growing tomorrow, together.
We help landowners and forestry organizations build lasting value through healthier, more productive forests — for the people who depend on them and the generations that follow.
Our valuesCredentials
Licensed, insured, and connected.
Professional licenses, industry memberships, and safety training that support every engagement.
Licenses & insurance
- NC commercial ground applicator
- NC forest pesticide consultant
- Registered forester — North Carolina & Georgia
- Licensed and insured
Memberships
- NC Forestry Association
- Georgia Forestry Association
- Society of American Foresters
- Soil Science Society of America
- FFA
Research affiliations
- Forest Productivity Cooperative
- NC State Tree Improvement Program
About us
Proven expertise.
Relationships that last.
We help landowners and forestry organizations make confident, informed decisions for their land. Success means healthier acreage, practical results, and clarity about what comes next.
Who we are
Kakalaki Creek is a new firm, backed by a team whose background spans forestry research, nursery management, field operations, and client service.
Joshua Steiger
Forestry & Operations
Jacksonville, Florida
- BS Natural Resources
- MS Forestry
- 20 years industry
- NC State → Rayonier
Joshua brings twenty years of forest-industry experience, from tree-improvement research at NC State to operational work at Rayonier. He holds a BS in Natural Resources and an MS in Forestry, with expertise spanning southern pine R&D, nursery management, silviculture, regeneration, forest productivity, land management, and forest finance.
Steve Alcaraz
Client Relations
Zebulon, North Carolina
- Bilingual
- North Carolina landowner
- Client relationships
Steve brings a customer-service background and a practical landowner’s perspective to every client conversation. Bilingual and based in North Carolina, he helps strengthen communication with clients and crews across the Southeast. As the owner of his own farm, he understands the day-to-day realities of stewarding acreage and making sound decisions over time.
Our values
- Research and field experience guide every recommendation
- Clear communication and client trust come first
- Safety comes first — OSHA 10 certified
- Quality and customer service are never compromised
Locations
- FloridaJacksonville, FL — Joshua Steiger
- North CarolinaZebulon, NC — Steve Alcaraz
NC, VA, SC, GA & FL — core service areas across the Southeast
Case studies
Applied forestry,
measured decisions.
A closer look at how field experience, research, and financial analysis shape decisions on working forestland.
The featured projects link to complete case studies. The experience notes below are selected work from Joshua’s prior forestry career.
Case study 01 · Stand management
Stocking reduction in a juvenile stand
Pre-commercial thinning program
Target stems per acre by site type and a modeled pre-commercial thinning cost ceiling gave the landowner a clear basis for choosing stands and treatment targets.
- Target stems per acre by site type
- Modeled pre-commercial thinning cost ceiling
- Program developed with PCT crews
Case study 02 · Site preparation
Pine control during chemical site preparation
Herbicide and timing evaluation
Across multiple regions, treatment mixes and spray windows were evaluated to improve decision-making for volunteer pine control before planting.
- Multi-region field evaluation
- Treatment-mix evaluation
- Spray-window guidance
Selected experience
More work from the field.
Additional experience from Joshua’s forestry career, presented separately from the featured case studies.
Let's talk land
Tell us about your property.
Call Joshua at (904) 430-7897, or send us a few details below.
We’ll follow up to learn more and discuss next steps.
Jacksonville, FL · Zebulon, NC
NC, VA, SC, GA & FL — core service areas across the Southeast
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