Rewild Spokane: How Native Plants Are Reshaping the Urban Landscape
In a city like Spokane—where wild landscapes surround our urban footprint—there’s a quiet movement taking root: rewilding. It’s not a buzzword. It’s a strategy that blends beauty, sustainability, and ecology, and it’s exactly what inspired Zachary Record, Landscape Architecture Intern at Bernardo Wills, to create a resource called Rewild Spokane.
This internally developed booklet, which started as a simple plant list for a residential project, has become a growing reference for our entire team. Its purpose? To reconnect Spokane’s built environment with the plants, pollinators, and wildlife that have always called this region home.
What is Rewild Spokane?
Zachary describes Rewild Spokane as a booklet that “highlights some of the native plants that will do really well in the built landscape here in Spokane,” with a focus on species that are not only regionally appropriate but also widely available at local nurseries.
The booklet divides Spokane County into ecological regions—Northern Rockies (Mount Spokane), the Palouse Prairie, and the Channeled Scablands (West Plains)—and features plants specific to each area. It also maps relationships between plants and local wildlife, such as pollinators, birds, and mammals. These are categorized by strength of relationship, from "strong" (such as larval host plants for butterflies) to "moderate" and "occasional."
Why does this matter? Because these relationships help us understand how each plant contributes to an ecosystem—not just in appearance, but in function.
“There are so many native plants that are just not used all that often,” Zachary explains. “They provide so many benefits—they're drought tolerant, low-maintenance, and incredibly important for local wildlife.”
The Spark: One Client’s Vision
The idea for Rewild Spokane began during work on a residential project for a Spokane homeowner who wanted to remove their lawn and restore native habitat in their yard. “They were looking for a landscape that would bring wildlife back into their space,” Zachary says. “Something that would give birds, bees, and small animals a place to thrive.”
That small ask turned into a deep dive into the ecology of our region. As the plant list grew, so did Zachary’s desire to tie these species to their pollinators and natural behaviors. Soon, he was creating a complete reference guide—one that could be shared with other designers in the office and eventually, with our clients and broader community.
Native Plants as Problem-Solvers
So what makes native plants so powerful?
First, they’re adapted to local conditions. “Once established, many of these plants require little to no supplemental watering,” Zachary says. In Spokane’s dry summers, this isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity.
Second, native plants support biodiversity. Take showy milkweed, for instance. It’s the sole larval host for monarch butterflies, making it irreplaceable for their survival. Or the Ponderosa pine, which provides shelter and food for countless bird and mammal species.
Finally, native landscaping has benefits beyond beauty. It reduces urban heat island effects, improves air and water quality, and strengthens soil on steep sites or disturbed areas. “They stabilize hillsides, filter runoff, and help keep our urban systems functioning naturally,” Zachary adds.
From School Projects to Regional Change
Zachary’s interest in native species was sparked during his studies at Washington State University. “We were taught about the benefits of native plants for climate resilience and wildlife habitat,” he says. But his real turning point came through collaboration with local Native American tribes, who shared traditional knowledge about native species, their uses, and their cultural importance.
That experience stayed with him. “I try to carry that knowledge into all my work—whether in school, in the office, or in projects like this.”
While Rewild Spokane began as an internal tool, Zachary hopes it might evolve into something more widely available. “It would be amazing to make it more accessible to the general public. There’s definitely room to grow.”
What Does It Mean to “Rewild”?
To Zachary, rewilding is about restoration—not in a nostalgic sense, but as a forward-thinking way to mend broken systems. “Rewilding means bringing back the ecological processes that were here before urban development,” he says. “It’s a way to allow people and nature to coexist, without completely pushing out what was already here.”
In practice, that means planting for pollinators, reducing lawn coverage, and choosing plants with a purpose. It can also include small additions like bat houses, bird boxes, and pollinator hotels.
What’s a pollinator hotel? “It’s usually a bundle of small wooden tubes where solitary bees and wasps can nest,” Zachary explains. “They lay their eggs inside, seal them off with mud or plant debris, and provide a safe place to develop. It's a great way to support pollinators in urban settings where natural nesting areas are harder to find.”
Getting Started in Your Own Yard
Feeling overwhelmed? That’s normal. But rewilding doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
“The first step is site analysis,” Zachary says. “What’s your sun exposure like? How’s your soil? What’s the drainage?” Once you’ve observed your conditions, start small—add a few perennials, wildflowers, or a shrub or two.
“There are so many resources online to help, and local nurseries like Plants of the Wild in Tekoa are doing great work with native species,” he says. “Even small changes can have a big impact.”
The Takeaway
Rewilding is more than a landscaping trend. It’s a way to bring ecological resilience back to our communities—and that benefits everyone.
“I hope people understand that native plants are important,” Zachary says. “They serve a purpose, and we’re part of the same ecosystem. Whether it feels like it or not, even in the middle of the city, we’re all connected.”
By embracing native plants and thoughtful design, we have an opportunity to make Spokane not just greener, but wilder—in the best way possible.
