Edmonds Planning Board to hold public hearing Jan. 22 on renaming Demo Garden for Susie Schaefer

Susie Schaefer (Photo courtesy City of Edmonds)

The Edmonds Planning Board will hold a public hearing at its Wednesday, Jan. 22 meeting on a proposal to rename the existing Edmonds Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Demonstration Garden as the Susie Schaefer Wildlife and Native Plant Community Garden.

A longtime Edmonds resident, Schaefer spearheaded the effort in 2009 to create the garden, which involved removal of dense thickets of invasive species, such as blackberries, and the planting of hundreds of native plants in their place.  The garden was officially opened in 2010 and, with Schaefer’s help, was certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). In addition to that, the garden played an instrumental role in getting the City of Edmonds certified as Community Wildlife Habitat, becoming only the 41st city in the country to receive that recognition at the time.

The garden is located next to the Willow Creek Hatchery off Highway 104, near the Edmonds Marsh.

The location of the Edmonds Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Demonstration Garden. (Map courtesy City of Edmonds)

According to a letter from Pilchuck Audubon Society Executive Director Brian Zinke that recommended the renaming, the installation of native plants was only part of Schaefer’s vision. “Her dream for the garden was to combine learning with hands-on opportunities and knowledge that participants could then take home and apply to their own residences or shared community spaces,” Zinke wrote. “To facilitate that, she coordinated frequent classes and programs about local wildlife and plants, hosting them at no-cost to attendees at the hatchery classroom on site.

In a November 2020 My Edmonds News story highlighting an online celebration for her 80th birthday, Schaefer said: “My goal has always been to get more people that will support wildlife in Edmonds and not just live in a real sterile suburbia.”

Zinke wrote in his letter to the city: “We believe it’s time we repay our debt to Susie. Please join us in celebrating her contributions to the city and community by renaming the garden she envisioned, and brought to reality, in her honor.”

Also on the planning board agenda:

– A staff briefing on the Neighborhood Centers and Hubs code update.

– An introduction to STEP Housing. State House Bill 1220 requires changes to the city’s development regulations to allow four specific housing types: emergency shelter, transitional housing, emergency housing and permanent supportive housing.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the third-floor Brackett Room of Edmonds City Hall, 121 5th Ave. N., Edmonds. You can also attend remotely via Zoom at this link. The meeting ID is 873 2287 2194 and the passcode is 007978. Or attend via telephone at US: +1 253 215 8782,

You can see the complete agenda here.

 

  1. Susie Schaefer put her heart and soul into the Edmonds Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Demonstration Garden, as well as support for the Edmonds Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary and any other environmental project in Edmonds. She is an Edmonds treasure! And I fully support this recognition.

  2. This is fabulous news! Susie is certainly an Edmonds environmental icon and deserves this recognition and support. I remember looking at that overgrown patch of shrubs, berries, weed and invasive ground covers and shaking my head …. But now look at it – all because of Susie’s leadership.

  3. This is a wonderful and completely appropriate honor to bestow upon Ms. Schaeffer. I greatly admire her vision, tenacity, and plain hard work for so many years! Thank you so much, Susie.
    (The birds and other critters thank you as well…)

  4. Susie Schaffer is an excellent choice for such an honor for our fair city. I have known her for more than forty years and I can attest to her character, dedication, and follow through for many projects.
    She has been a uniting force for civil projects from local, statewide and federal endeavors.

  5. What Susie has done is amazing! She has worked tirelessly to create this Demo Garden over the years and has always been at the forefront organizing volunteers. So wonderful that it is being named for her. Well deserved! Thank you so much Susie!!

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