{"id":34213,"date":"2026-07-22T12:29:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?p=34213"},"modified":"2026-07-22T12:32:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T19:32:38","slug":"help-for-the-local-ecosystem-one-yard-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2026\/07\/22\/help-for-the-local-ecosystem-one-yard-at-a-time","title":{"rendered":"Help for\u00a0the local ecosystem \u2014 one yard at a time\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Lynne Robins moved to the Finn Hill neighborhood in Kirkland, Washington, in 1999, she fell in love with the forested slopes and verdant landscape. Over the years, however, she saw native plants replaced by chemical-dependent lawns due to development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWatching these changes was heartbreaking,\u201d said Robins, professor emeritus in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education in the University of Washington\u2019s School of Medicine. \u201cI began to wonder what one person could do to make a difference.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired to act, she decided to embody the words of award-winning landscaper Mary Reynolds, who said, \u201cIf you want to help nature, you\u2019re going to have to start with your own patch of it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the \u201cYard by Yard\u201d project began with support from a King County\u202fWaterWorks\u202fgrant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe project is built on a simple but powerful belief,\u201d\u202fRobins said.\u202f\u201cWhen many people choose to integrate native plants into their own yards, together we can create healthier habitats, support pollinators and wildlife, and strengthen our local ecosystem \u2014 one yard at a time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robins collaborated with Pollinator Pathway Northwest and the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance on the early work for the project. In 2025, she welcomed a new partner: UW Bothell\u2019s Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finding an institutional home<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of Robins\u2019 goals in creating the project was to ensure its future\u202fdidn\u2019t\u202fdepend on\u202fany one\u202fperson. She wanted to find not just a partner but a place for the project to call home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving spent years in academia, I saw how many good projects ended when the grant funding or principal investigator moved on,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why partnering with\u202fCoSEE\u202fhas been so important. The project now has an institutional home that provides continuity and long-term support.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading\u202fCoSEE\u2019s\u202fefforts in the project\u202fis\u202fDr. Veronica Cassone McGowan, faculty director for the collaborative, and Ash Putzke,\u202fCoSEE\u202fintern. For Putzke, who graduated with degrees in Earth System Science and\u202fin\u202fBiology in June 2026, the project served as a culmination of their UW Bothell experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was drawn to the project because it\u202frelated\u202fto making actual and immediate\u202fchange\u202fin the neighborhood where I live,\u201d Putzke said. \u201cBeing a part of a restoration project from start to finish was really appealing to me. This project has enabled me to take advantage of everything\u202fI\u2019ve done and learned about through my classes and\u202fCoSEE, and pushed me to be better and learn more, too.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putzke said they serve as \u201ca bit of a multi-tool\u201d in the project. From planning and community organizing to surveying and data collection, Putzke has been involved at every stage \u2014 including hauling dirt and picking up plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images credit: Ash Putzke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creating wildlife connectivity<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Robins\u2019 vision for the project centers around three steps: education,\u202finstallation\u202fand celebration. Through workshops and hands-on activities, the team helps residents understand how their landscaping choices affect pollinators, water\u202fquality\u202fand ecosystem health. Then, participating residents receive practical support, including garden design\u202fassistance, planting\u202fguidance and ongoing coaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, Robins said, they celebrate their accomplishments and share success stories to build community pride,\u202fmaintain\u202fmomentum\u202fand inspire others to\u202fparticipate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this latest round of the project, Putzke worked with the team to help decide what the priority should be \u2014 beyond the overarching goal of growing native plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was drawn to the project because it related to making actual and immediate change in the neighborhood where I live.\u202fThis project has enabled me to take advantage of everything I\u2019ve done and learned about through my classes and\u202fCoSEE.\u201d\u202f<\/p>Ash Putzke,\u202fBiology and\u202fEarth System Science \u201926 <\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy background is mostly in wildlife, and especially wildlife connectivity, so we decided that we would bring that into this round,\u201d Putzke said. \u201cWe focused on areas that would help reconnect existing fragments within Finn Hill or even create new crossover points for wildlife.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putzke surveyed the area and\u202fidentified\u202fkey areas that fit those parameters. Then, they got the word out to see who might be interested in participating. Through the selection process, they found several applicants\u202flocated\u202fin the areas they were looking to reinforce and create wildlife connectivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the spring quarter 2026, Putzke planned and organized work for three of the homes. Also involved in the planning was UW\u202falumna\u202fHadley Maisel (Landscape Architecture, \u201925), who served as the landscape architect for the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images credit: Ash Putzke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fostering peer-to-peer learning<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Homeowner Ben Luety first heard about the project from one of his neighbors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI liked the idea of using native plants because it helps the entire ecosystem, environment and the many birds,\u202fbees\u202fand other critters that we co-exist with in our neighborhood. After\u202fall, they\u2019re\u202fall just trying to live like everyone else,\u201d he said. \u201cThe project exceeded my expectations in all respects. The team went above and beyond, and the entire yard looks exceptional!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most exciting outcomes, Putzke and Robins agreed, has been seeing how the project brings people together. Homeowners volunteered to support plantings and invasive species removal on each other\u2019s properties, and\u202fthey\u2019ve\u202fbeen proud to show others their yards. For some, this was the first time\u202fthey had\u202finteracted with their neighbors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy selecting clusters of neighboring properties, we\u2019ve been able to strengthen habitat connectivity while fostering peer-to-peer learning and stewardship,\u201d Robins said. \u201cParticipants aren’t just changing their own yards \u2014 they\u2019re inspiring their neighbors to do the same.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, when a new bird or pollinator shows up in their yard, the neighbors also email the team and\u202fshare\u202ftheir excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really inspiring to see how many people locally are interested and motivated but just didn\u2019t feel like they had the tools,\u201d Putzke said.\u202f\u201cIt gives me a ton of hope for the future to know how many people are on board and just need a little bit of help getting there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Making changes in the neighborhood<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thus far, the\u202fYard by Yard\u202fproject has helped transform 16 residential yards \u2014 with\u202fnearly 2,000\u202fnative plants installed, creating\u202f7,000 square feet\u202fof habitat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe partnership with\u202fCoSEE\u202fhas taken the project further than I imagined. It has been the fulfillment of\u202fa long-held hope and gives me confidence that the work will continue to grow beyond my own involvement,\u201d Robins said. \u201cStudents, faculty and community members can build on previous work, maintain relationships with homeowners, and continue monitoring and expanding restoration efforts year after year.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although she plans to remain actively involved, Robins added that\u202fCoSEE\u202fwill increasingly serve as the\u202fproject\u2019s\u202fhub. A key part of the next phase will include bringing more paid undergraduate interns into the work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking further ahead, I hope Yard by Yard becomes a model that others can replicate\u202f\u2014\u202fone that combines homeowner education, hands-on habitat restoration, student engagement and community storytelling,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUltimately, I want it to demonstrate that meaningful environmental change can begin at the neighborhood level.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The\u202fCollaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement\u202faims to support wildlife, water quality and connectivity by helping homeowners create attractive native plant gardens.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":34214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,218,204],"tags":[],"school":[419,421],"class_list":["post-34213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-news","category-community-engagement","category-students","school-school-of-ias","school-school-of-stem"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nHelp for\u00a0the local ecosystem \u2014 one yard at a time\u00a0 - 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