Over the last year, Jones & Jones has maintained its “perennial” size of 40 staff, according to marketing manager Pamela Morris Shields. Gross fees for 2000 totaled $5 million and $5.3 million for 2001.

The practice emphasizes nature and culture-based design, including zoological and botanic gardens, nature and interpretive centers, museums, parks, trails, greenways, river corridor restoration, scenic byways and waterfront development.

Two significant Jones & Jones projects opened in 2001.

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center, located in Cedar Falls, opened in September. The design includes an exhibit hall, library, classrooms and meeting rooms. The landscape architecture includes courtyards and native plant communities, including living roofs of wildflowers.

The Arctic Ring of Life, a 4.2-acre exhibit at the Detroit Zoo, features a 2.5-acre polar bear tundra and taiga habitat, as well as seal, arctic fox and owl habitats. Visitor and interpretive areas include two underwater viewing galleries and an 80-foot underwater tunnel.

Design continues on Montana’s Wildlife Highway, U.S. Highway 93, across the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. The context-sensitive highway design was developed with Skillings-Connolly, consulting engineers. Wetland restoration and wildlife crossings are reconfigured in a unique heritage corridor.

“The biggest challenge facing our firm for 2002 is the continued degradation of our environment,” said Shields. “We will continue our work.”