Sound Native Plants was founded in 1991 by Susan Buis and Ben Alexander. Ben Alexander continues to manage the business, and he is joined on staff by Amee Bahr, Melanie Pischalko, Ned McGinley, Chad Stemm and Amber Fox. We share work experience in complementary fields such as: restoration in national parks wilderness, ecological fieldwork and analysis, environmental education and outreach, environmental permitting, and watershed planning. Our nursery crew is comprised of students in ecology and agriculture from nearby colleges.
Ben Alexander
Ben is co-owner of Sound Native Plants. He oversees the installation projects, and provides consulting services on project planning, design and permitting. Ben's experience includes:
- Creating and implementing plans for steep slope stabilization, including reconstruction of banks using live cribwalls, vegetated geogrids, willow fascines, geotextiles, and native plantings.
- Designing and installing restoration projects for streams, marine bluffs, wetlands and wetland buffers, and lakeshores in western Washington.
- Compiling and evaluating weed control techniques for invasive species commonly found on restoration sites in western Washington.
- Designing and installing low-flow irrigation systems for restoration sites.
- Serving as Environmental Planner for Thurston County Stormwater Program for five years; primary author of comprehensive drainage basin plans.
- Supervising the activities of the Thurston County Stream Team.
- Developing and managing wilderness restoration projects for Olympic and Yosemite National Parks.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Planning from the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, and is qualified to conduct the Riparian Function and Fish Habitat modules for Washington Department of Natural Resources Watershed Analyses.
Ben has several publications to his credit, including: McAllister/Eaton Creek Comprehensive Drainage Basin Plan, Thurston County, WA, 1994; "Restoring Yosemite's Wildlands" in the Bulletin of the Yosemite Association, CA, 1989; contributing author, Oaks of California, ed. John Evarts, Cachuma Press, CA, 1992; Photographic Documentation: Soleduck Revegetation Project, USDI National Park Service, Denver, CO, 1991. E-mail Ben.
Susan Buis
Susan is co-founder of Sound Native Plants and is a recognized authority on propagating northwest native plants. Currently, Susan works as a horticulturist for the Washington State Department of Transportation. She continues to consult and give workshops for Sound Native Plants on occasion.
Susan is a contributing editor to the Native Plants Journal and speaks widely on the subjects of writing specifications for native plants for restoration and mitigation projects, native plant propagation and other topics. She has taught classes and workshops for the University of Washington, Society of Wetland Scientists, the Society for Ecological Restoration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Transportation, the Washington Native Plant Society, and numerous local community projects and groups. Susan's professional experience also includes:
- Designing and installing wetland mitigation projects in the Puget Sound area.
- Creating and implementing plans for restoration of stream banks, marine bluffs, and lakeshores in western Washington.
- Producing a model native plant nursery propagation and management program for the City of Kent.
- Authoring a National Park Service guide to propagating and using common native plants for restoration purposes in western Washington.
- Developing and managing wilderness restoration projects, including nursery operations, for Olympic and Yosemite National Parks.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, and has pursued continuing education in horticulture. E-mail Susan.
Ned McGinley
Ned, who doesn't like having his picture taken, became the nursery crew supervisor for Sound Native Plants in 2010. Before coming to SNP, Ned was already well established in the Olympia plant world, having spent 6 years managing the nursery portion of the Black Lake Organics store, and 12 years running his own landscaping business. Ned also raises various animals for milk and meat (he claims his animals eat better than he does) and tends to a small but vocal pack of American akitas.
In addition to Ned's nursery duties, he has also written and published a book, The Pitfalls of Natural Selection. Ned blogs on The Daily Kos, and his blog entry about Sound Native Plants in fall 2011 was featured in the Community Spotlight. In a past life, Ned was a high school wrestler, but you would need an active imagination to picture it.
Ned studied philosophy, theology and history at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA and at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY. E-mail Ned.
Amee Bahr
Amee worked for Sound Native Plants as a dedicated member of our nursery crew from 2000-2002. She re-joined the business as office manager in December 2003. In July of 2009 she became the nursery manager for Sound Native Plants. Amee is also a restoration ecologist with the business and performs wetland delineations and monitoring services. Amee's experience includes:
- Twelve years' experience working for nurseries and greenhouses in Washington state, the majority spent working with Pacific Northwest native plants in the Puget Sound area.
- Managing the school greenhouse for Spokane Community College, including training new students and creating propagation and maintenance plans.
- Performing wetland delineations using the US Army Corps of Engineers methodology and applying the Washington State Wetland Rating System.
- Propagating and maintaining a wide variety of western Washington native plants.
- Monitoring and compiling reports on a wide range of mitigation and enhancement projects.
- Creating theses projects on topics such as food safety, agriculture, ecological footprints and restoration ecology.
Amee holds an Associate of Applied Science in Horticulture from Spokane Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington. E-mail Amee.
Melanie Pischalko
Melanie is a restoration ecologist with Sound Native Plants and has been the Olympia-based installation crew leader since 2007. Melanie also worked as a member of the installation crew from 2005-2007. Melanie 's experience includes:
- Installing and maintaining restoration plantings.
- Installing erosion-control plantings and bioengineering projects on steep slopes.
- Surveying and monitoring vegetation for WA Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.
- Propagating and maintaining a wide variety of western Washington native plants.
- Soil sieving as part of bulkhead removal monitoring.
- Volunteering with the Native Plant Salvage Project including salvaging plant material and potting up salvaged plants.
Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington. She has completed course work in botany, ornithology, restoration ecology and marine biology. E-mail Melanie.
Chad Stemm
Chad joined SNP in 2002 and has been the crew leader for our Vancouver, WA - based installation crew since 2003. Chad 's experience includes:
- Developing invasive plant management and native habitat restoration programs for an organic farm and wildlife refuge on Snoqualmie River.
- Creating and maintaining a native plant nursery to supply restoration projects.
- Owning and managing a gardening and landscaping business in Seattle.
- Installing and maintaining a wide variety of restoration plantings.
- Growing and selling retail plants in Seattle.
Chad has completed science and music coursework through Pacific Lutheran University. He manages the installation and maintenance of restoration and mitigation projects in the greater Portland/Vancouver region for Sound Native Plants. Since 2009, Chad has also run his own organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Vancouver. E-mail Chad.
Amber Fox
Amber has been a member of our Vancouver, WA - based installation crew since 2004. She supervises our mobile irrigation services and installs and maintains restoration and mitigation projects throughout Clark county. Amber's experience includes:
- Supervising crews for landscaping projects including installing irrigation and plantings.
- Installing fencing and maintaining fields for small farms.
- Management experience including hiring staff, ordering from suppliers and developing work schedules.
- Developing and managing the fund raising and adult education programs for a natural science education non-profit organization.
- Planning and implementing a habitat restoration project designed to protect wildlife migration corridors.
- Developing and implementing public education programs for both children and adults for a historical society and museum.
Amber has volunteered with numerous community organizations including Mentor Portland Adventure Youth Mentoring and Growing Gardens in Portland. Amber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism from the University of Idaho, with an emphasis in Environmental Education. E-mail Amber.
