Today we’d like to introduce you to Walker Wilson
Hi Walker, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started with an interest in the environment and in History, both of which I studied in college, but like a lot of my peers, had a hard time finding a good job in the field. I wanted to have work that I could feel good about, where I could do something positive for the environment, and not solely for profit. I thought about our historical moment, and how much our environment is in crisis, with climate change, species extinction and habitat loss. I had developed a deep interest in plants and botany over time, and realized I wanted to work with native plants, as they are the literal foundation of habitat and our environment.
It also seemed to me that governments and organizations just weren’t doing enough, and that I had to contribute somehow. However, work I found in habitat restoration was physically taxing, and other work was inconsistent. Tired of spraying roundup and pulling weeds, with little say in what I did, and not getting great pay either, I decided to just strike out on my own.
I started with native plant landscaping, using techniques I learned in habitat restoration to create landscapes that were made of local native plants, creating habitat fro local animal species, and saving people some money on their watering bills.
This way I started to collect my own funding to start Walkers Wildlands nursery. I built a network through volunteering with local environmental groups, nonprofits and land conservancies, like the Chaparral institute and Fallbrook land conservancy. There I found a few customers, and eventually someone who had land available for me to start a nursery.
It has been a lot of tight budgeting expenses, living at home with the folks, and a lot of construction and research, but now I have a stable foundation and acreage to grow native plants for restoring our unique San Diego habitat.
Plants that are beautiful and functional, that belong out on our hillsides and canyons, and also our yards and landscapes.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been a lot of difficulties in starting a nursery, especially as just one person. I have had plenty of help from friends and family, even volunteers who believe in the mission of environmental restoration, but there are still so many things to juggle. From collecting seeds in the wild, researching and growing plants, website design and development, construction of furniture and greenhouses, marketing, and attending meetups with local orgs to spread the word and cooperate. Though I studied environmental science, I had to learn a lot of others things on my own, or from community members.
Funding the project has also been a challenge. Starting as a recent college grad with little in the way of assets, I had to take money from my work with native plant landscaping, and use it to reinvest in the business, and then skimp on nearly everything else. Doing things this way has perhaps been slower than I’d like, but it has allowed me to avoid debt. A lot of hours have to be spent on laying the ground work that won’t pay off until the future.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I grow California native plants for habitat restoration landscapes and gardening. I also do consultations about how to make designs for landscapes and help people with their installations too.
I specialize in growing just the native plants that are part of our local environment. We don’t create or sell our own cultivars or hybrids, just the wild plants that someone would use to create or restore habitat. These are the same plants that grow wild on our hills and nature trails. This way people can learn about the environment just by interacting with our business.
When out on a hike or nature walk, you can see beautiful wildflowers, shrubs, vines and trees, and then come to the nursery and buy those same plants to have in your own yard or patio.
We have more species of plants in California than any other state in the U.S, and San Diego has more endangered species than any other county in the continental U.S. Growing native plants wherever you can here in San Diego makes a big difference. A big part of our business is introducing people to a world of native plants that many are unaware of.
I like to think that amazing biology of plants and animals here in San Diego can be just as exciting as those captivating nature documentaries we often see of exotic, far away places, full of wild endangered species. In reality, San Diego is one of those places and there is an easy, straightforward way to help rebuild it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I have been pretty lucky in meeting people locally who are passionate about native plants and game to help out with the nursery or give advice.
I happened to meet a few people early on who were family friends, like Rick Halsey at the Chaparral institute, dedicated to educating people about our unique local Chaparral habitat, and helping to preserve it. He and others like Ed Schwind, one of the first employees at Moosa creek nursery, among other local enthusiasts and volunteers, all shared their passion and inspiration with me.
Native plant knowledge isn’t taught much if at all in school or University, so I leaned on the community for knowledge and advice throughout the process of starting the nursery.
Pricing:
- Most 1gallon size plants $10
- Most 5gallon plants $40
- -landscapes cheap
- -no irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides needed
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Walkerswildlands.com
- Instagram: walkers_wildlands
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556539446030
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/walkers-wildlands-fallbrook
Image Credits
All photos taken by Walker at – Walkers Wildlands
