Michael Ogden- Natural Systems Engineering

Michael Ogden, P.E. is the founding director and principal engineer for Natural Systems International, an ecological engineering firm that applies natural systems (pond, marsh, meadow and woodland) to the problems of water pollution.

With degrees from the University of California (Berkeley - B.S.C.E.) and the University of Chicago (M.B.A. in mathematical methods and finance), a career as an advocate for natural systems did not seem likely. However, the mathematical rigor and systems training at Berkeley and Chicago, combined with a passion for fly fishing, lead Michael down the improbable path of making clean water as a career.

Michael has worked on more than 500 projects in over 40 states, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Bahamas, China, Afghanistan, and Australia. Recognizing that the work is more than getting a set of plans and specifications out the door, Michael has co-authored a textbook (Constructed Wetlands in the Sustainable Landscape), been a contributing author to a design manual published by the US EPA, written numerous technical papers, and patented a system relying on natural systems for the treatment of septage.