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.
“Watching these changes was heartbreaking,” said Robins, professor emeritus in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education in the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. “I began to wonder what one person could do to make a difference.”
Inspired to act, she decided to embody the words of award-winning landscaper Mary Reynolds, who said, “If you want to help nature, you’re going to have to start with your own patch of it.”
In 2024, the “Yard by Yard” project began with support from a King County WaterWorks grant.
“The project is built on a simple but powerful belief,” Robins said. “When 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 — one yard at a time.”
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’s Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement.