Conservation Stories: Sophie Ziliak

Sophie Ziliak stands in front of her home and newly planted native plant landscaping.

“I loved the benefit of creating a more sustainable ecosystem around my home, but as a new homeowner who was faced with an overgrown yard full of invasive weeds, the beautification of our property was a major draw too.” - Sophie Ziliak 

Brian Walker standing in front of his and Sophie's home with their new NNLP yard sign.

Sophie Ziliak and her fiance, Brian Walker, moved to Sudden Valley in May of 2023. “We wanted a beautiful place to call home and share with our loved ones. We adore the small-town-like energy that comes from living in a slightly remote and quirky area, and easy access to outdoor recreation from our neighborhood.” However, their new yard needed some rejuvenation. When they heard about the Neighborhood Native Landscaping Program (NNLP) and the myriad benefits of native plants, they decided to apply. 

“Native landscaping is appealing as it allows me to be a good caretaker of this place as it was for countless years before we arrived, instead of forcing it to be something it's not by keeping a lawn… Not having to water and mow grass is a welcome bonus!” 

Native landscaping provides benefits to the homeowners as well as the Lake Whatcom watershed. Native plants are adapted to the local ecosystem; they can thrive with little to no maintenance, irrigation or fertilizer. They provide habitat to native pollinators and wildlife, and also serve as natural filters, reducing erosion, pollutants and excess nutrients flowing into local waterways through stormwater runoff. 

Cedar leaves are cleared away from a newly planted evergreen huckleberry.

“We're really hoping to see more color in the landscape throughout the growing season. Hopefully, we'll have an easier time managing invasives like stinky bob as the groundcovers take over and the mulch smothers any new weed seedlings too! As a forager, I'm really excited for the Oregon grape, red huckleberry, serviceberry, elderberry, strawberry, and salal plants to grow so we can harvest some berries! It'll be so fun to see more pollinators like bees and hummingbirds around our landscape too.” 

NNLP is a program funded by the Lake Whatcom Stormwater Utility and jointly managed by the Whatcom Conservation District and Whatcom County Public Works. The goal is to convert existing lawns and landscaping into native plant gardens. The program provides homeowners with planning guidance, permitting assistance, site prep, mulch, and of course, native plants! An important part of NNLP is getting a group of close neighbors (generally within walking distance) to participate, resulting in a cluster of native landscaping projects installed during a neighborhood planting party.

Neighbors gather to begin planting at the Ziliak-Walker home.

“Working toward the collective goal of the NNLP created a greater sense of togetherness and trust. Not only were we building ecosystem resilience by adding these plants to our neighborhood landscape, we were also building community. I believe that knowing your neighbors is one of the most powerful ways to build community resilience in the face of obstacles, environmental and otherwise, and I love that the program is structured to further that goal.” 

We are currently in the process of installing over 20,000 square feet of NNLP projects (1,268 plants!) in Sudden Valley for the 2024 season. If you would like to be considered for selection in 2025, check out the NNLP Lake Whatcom Watershed Interest Form. Whatcom County is also partnering with Sudden Valley Community Association to install a native plant demonstration garden in 2025, from which residents can take inspiration for their future landscaping.