History & Mission
Our History
Ben Alexander and Susan Buis founded Sound Native Plants in 1992, after they had worked together for several years implementing restoration projects for the National Park Service. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities to do meaningful work on ecological restoration, Ben and Susan decided to launch a business dedicated to all aspects of restoration.
From the beginning, Sound Native Plants was a different kind of company - one based on collaboration, openness and social responsibility. From a humble office in a converted garage on Olympia's westside, Sound Native Plants has completed hundreds of projects, grown millions of native plants, and established a reputation for integrity and quality.
Ben continued to manage the business after Susan moved on to new endeavors in 2003. In 2024, Ben retired and handed the reins over to a long-time employee and experienced restoration ecologist, Chad Stemm.
SNP employees share work experience in complementary fields such as: restoration in national parks wilderness, ecological fieldwork and analysis, environmental education, environmental permitting, and watershed planning.
Our Mission
Sound Native Plants' primary goal is to implement environmental restoration using a comprehensive approach to ensure project success. To advance our goal, SNP provides consulting, installation, and maintenance services. SNP endeavors to share our experience with customers and other professionals by offering public workshops, professional continuing education, publications, and training on environmental restoration and mitigation.
What We Do
SNP provides a comprehensive approach to environmental restoration.
Sound Native Plants works with individual land owners, government agencies, and corporations to provide quality restoration to all facets of society in our Pacific Northwest region. Any service you ask of us comes with the benefits of our inclusive understanding of the industry and the ecology involved. For best results, ask us to work on your plan from start to finish and we will make sure that your project succeeds.
We are dedicated to three main facets of restoration: installation and maintenance, consulting, and education.
Installation & Maintenance
Our crews install and maintain restoration and green stormwater infrastructure projects throughout the Portland-Vancouver and South Salish regions.
Consulting
SNP consults on a wide range of ecosystems and can help with every step of your project from initial planning to management. Scheduling is flexible: in-person or virtual.
Education
We also provide trainings to share what we have learned over the years. In 2026 we are working to modernize our education resources available on the web.
