I spoke with Lydia Martin, native plant extraordinaire, about her experiences rewilding her 9-acre home property, "Hidden Valley", located in Conestoga, PA. Lydia, who was awarded the Penn Future Women of Environmental Education recognition in April 2019, often shares her personal motto that “conservation is for everyone”, and this shows in her service to the broader community in a multitude of public conservation efforts;
Trails Advisory Committee in Martic Township- which helps to advance trail improvements of the Enola Low Grade Trail for public use, including advocating for native plant and pollinator friendly habitat along trail corridors.
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources PA Trails Advisory Committee- which serves all trails across PA and explores how to drive all ages, especially younger generations to be excited about trails.
Donegal Trout Unlimited (DTU)- serving on the Conservation Committee to advance education and outreach in the Fishing Creek and Pequea Creek Watersheds and on the Leadership Team for building out communications and fundraising for chapter programs including Trout in the Classroom, Youth Conservation School, and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Initiatives with the Trout Unlimited Women's Initiative.
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
Beyond her service to the broader ecological community, she has devoted innumerable hours of skill and labor making her home a habitat for an abundance of wildlife. She captured her journey from lawn to lush native habitat through a beautiful photo journalism story that includes her process of site prep, installation, growth, and management. The rewilding story of her home property is truly the poster child message shared by entomologist Douglas Tallamy, author of "Bringing Nature Home" and “Nature’s Best Hope”. A message that is resonating with a growing number of homeowners that are seeking to create a habitat right in their own backyard (front yards and side yards too!). Our human spaces, no matter how small, connect to create a tapestry of habitat spaces to rebound drastically dwindling wildlife (birds, bats, bees, butterflies, amphibians, etc.) populations. These critters are essential for sustaining our ecosystem food webs, providing pollinating services for our agricultural crops, and serving key roles in our cultural experience (ex: the experience of hearing song birds and spring peepers in the Spring and observing the magical metamorphosis of the Monarch butterfly in the Summer).
Lydia’s shared story below is a message of endurance, creativity, and of seeking solace in a garden (a message that resonates with many of us now during the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic). May her story encourage you to get your hands in the dirt to build a home for wildlife! Enjoy!
Native bee with Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata), Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
Lydia Martin’s “Hidden Valley” Rewilding Story:
(For more details, please view Lydia’s Powerpoint of the property’s full transformation process to native habitat.)
“Nestled in southern Lancaster County a drive by Hidden Valley in Conestoga showcases a glimpse of diverse and wildlife friendly plantings. A large 1957 rancher sits in the backdrop, the shade of a majestic silver maple visible rising high above the roofline and spreading its arms to encompass the surrounding landscape.
Like every place, Hidden Valley has its own story.”
Before Image of “Hidden Valley”, Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
After Image of “Hidden Valley” , Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
“In April 2010, inspired to take a trip to hike Shenks Ferry and observe the wildflowers, we took a wrong turn passing a hapless property up for sale along River Road. With thoughts of moving away from a busy roadway in eastern Lancaster County we called up our realtor to ask a few questions. By August we officially became owners of Hidden Valley, 7 acres of land with a massive ranch house in need of renovations and a landscape in need of tender loving care. Eventually we would add another 1 ½ acres.
Exploring the foundation plantings around the house and fragmented landscape yielded an abundance of invasive species and exciting finds like native pawpaws, swamp milkweed, silver dollar sized painted turtles, tadpoles galore, and more. Journaling the challenges and opportunities of Hidden Valley helped me to think through the rewilding process while being sensitive to the life already there. With a camera and often journal in hand, I documented the changes of the seasons, the big and the small things that attracted my eye and inspired me to live through nature’s revolving beauty.”
Before Image with lawn along driveway, Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
After Image planting a habitat along the driveway, Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
“Vines like Asian bittersweet, Japanese wisteria, mile a minute, Japanese hops and Japanese honeysuckle choked existing vegetation, intent on bringing down mature trees. Hundreds of tree of heaven (Alianthus altissima) dotted the fence line and were visible throughout the property. The sheer volume of invasive and nonnative plants would have made any naturalist (who loved native plants) cringe. My husband and I joked that the renovations of the house were his, rewilding the landscape was mine. That approach made for a happy marriage.”
Managing invasive species from “Hidden Valley”, Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
“Good things come through change. Rewilding meant seeing Hidden Valley’s potential, an exercise in observation, planning, implementation, and patience. Early morning walkabouts led to eventual sketches and lists of newly discovered plants and animals later entered into spreadsheets. Scratchy notes, admittedly hard to read at times, described the overwhelming magnificence of nature. Like a favored tree or food, I had my favorite place to restore at Hidden Valley motivated to work, watch it grow and transform in every season. For spring, the front, north facing slope, about 120 feet in length and 40 feet wide ---once all lawn, became my focus to highlight my favorite season. Native trees of chestnut oak, tulip popular, eastern hemlock, white pine, redbud, flowering dogwood, and shrubs like mountain laurel, blueberries, witchhazel, and viburnum were planted, the bones of the landscape. Envisioning a Hidden Valley swathed in wildflowers I bought flats of native plants as our budget permitted from reputable nurseries and collected seed---- growing thousands of genetically diverse native wildflowers. Family and friends graciously shared plants and seed --- wild ginger, hardy geranium, woodland phlox, jack-in-the pulpit, foamflower, leeks, sedges, and ferns. Building a diverse understory became a slow and rewarding journey, savored through every season. Hidden Valley would become our very own Shenks Ferry, surprises around every turn.”
Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), Photo credit: Lydia Martin
“Surrounded by young forests, wetlands, steep slopes, and over an acre pond---- the birds, turtles, fish, and abundance of wildlife were a welcome reprieve every morning regardless of weather. So much life to take in, at times it was emotionally overwhelming. This approach to assessing the landscape, creating a visual plan to rewild a beautiful place would become my solace, spark my creativity, and receive much of my devotion in between caring for family, the physical work to implement our rewilding plans, and thriving in my career in conservation.
During the earlier years of rewilding Hidden Valley I lost my mother, two of my sisters in back to back years, later my brother and several close friends and extended family. Grief spurred emotional and tough years. Renovations on the house continued thanks to all of us working together, and the generosity of family and friends. Besides the love and strength of my family, long days managing invasive plants, weeding, establishing our edible gardens, and restoring the landscape with native plantings were nature’s medicine. Every outdoor accomplishment or opportunity to give back to Hidden Valley became healing for me.”
“Hidden Valley” pond after invasive species removal and native plantings, Photo Credit: Lydia Martin
“As silly as it sounds many of my trees, shrubs, and understory plants have names thanks to generous people, family and friends. I have a number of Carls, a Marylou, a Lydia P., a Sylvia, a Katrina, a Warren, a Brooke and Pete, a Jim, a Nelson, a Joan, a few Daves and so forth. Through the years I have shared hundreds if not thousands of native plants or seed with family and friends. Like the movie Pay It Forward, extending the healing power of giving plants away, sharing knowledge about plants, and helping others understand and implement best practices (reducing lawn and planting lots of native plants) on their properties brightens my days and gives hope to all generations who are passionate about conserving the natural world around us.
It’s amazing to believe it will be 10 years this August. This wild landscape will not always be ours. Someday it will change hands and become someone else’s. Until that time Hidden Valley would deserve our very best as stewards of God’s earth.“
Have you enjoyed visiting “Hidden Valley”? Are you grateful for Lydia Martin’s ecological stewardship? Share your gratitude below by giving it a “like”, share, and/or comment below!