Local, sustainable wood is more than a material choice. It’s a connection to land, community, and story.

In this episode, Land Language hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark sit down with Lynn Morgan, Director of Community Engagement at Sustainable Northwest Wood, to explore how regenerative forestry, ethical material sourcing, and cultural stewardship can transform the landscaping and building industries.

We dive into the mission that sets Sustainable Northwest Wood apart: a business founded in 2008 to sell only responsibly harvested, regionally sourced wood—no offsets, no greenwashing, no hidden supply chains. Lynn shares their journey of thoughtful expansion, including a new Seattle distribution center, and why transparency and community trust define every step.

The conversation moves from forest ecology to personal lineage: Appalachian resourcefulness, the emotional weight of forest loss, and the joy of choosing materials with story and meaning. From pests like the emerald ash borer to blue pine salvage, selective harvesting, and the cultural loss of “enough,” Lynn offers a grounded vision for how the landscape and construction industries can shift toward regenerative practice.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why local wood matters for climate, culture, and accountability

• How Sustainable Northwest Wood built a fully regenerative supply model

• The ecological and emotional impact of pests like the ash borer and pine beetle

• Selective harvesting and what a truly healthy working forest looks like

• How to choose materials that nourish ecosystem integrity

• The cultural grief and opportunity inside today’s forest management conversations

• Why “enoughness” is a critical value for regenerative design

• How story-rich materials change the client experience

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:33 Meet Lynn Morgan (Sustainable Northwest Wood)

01:05 Lynn’s Journey: From Interior Design to Sustainable Lumber

03:37 A Lifelong Relationship with Forests (Not Just a Resource)

05:41 Juniper Origin Story: Restoration Wood & Watershed Comeback

08:52 Juniper Durability, Beauty, and Best Uses

11:53 Designing With Juniper: Length Limits, Character, and Install Tips

14:27 Cutting Through Greenwashing: FSC, Chain of Custody, and Vetting

16:36 What Sustainable Harvesting Looks Like on the Ground (vs Clearcuts)

23:00 PDX Airport Remodel: 800,000 Board Feet + Local Forest Collaboration

27:52 Why Traceable Materials Matter

29:39 PDX’s Responsibly Sourced Wood & Restored Watersheds

30:44 Climate Change, Drier Summers & Cedar Decline

31:30 New Species, Long-Term Planning & Zena Forest

33:21 Price, Values & the Power of Wood’s Story

35:40 Tribal Sourcing, Rebates Back to Forests & Buying Local

37:45 Slow Down, Ask Questions, Build Better

39:16 Why This Lumberyard Is Unique & What’s Next

41:09 Appalachia Roots, Stewardship & Caring for the Land

44:18 Sustainability Isn’t Luxury: Limits, Gratitude & A More Rooted Life

46:31 Forest Tour + Broader Forestry Questions: NZ, FSC & Using Beetle-Kill/Ash

52:04 Close

Follow Lynn:

Sustainable Northwest Wood: https://www.snwwood.com/Lynn-Morgan

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website: https://www.landlanguage.org/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelandlanguage/

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram @thelandlanguage or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape...

Growing food isn't about producing bushels of vegetables or becoming self-sufficient—it's about cultivating connection, wonder, and daily rituals that nourish both body and soul. In this episode, Brit Sastrawidjaya and Bethany Rydmark talk with garden writer and cookbook author Willi Galloway about integrating edibles into landscapes, discovering overlooked plant parts, and building a breakfast routine centered around garden-fresh vegetables.

Willi shares her unconventional journey from college English major to test garden manager at Organic Gardening Magazine to two-time cookbook author. Along the way, she challenges yield-obsessed gardening culture, celebrates the magic of nasturtium leaves on avocado toast, and explains why growing a single bean plant that reaches eight feet tall in a few months is a profoundly life-affirming act.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

00:39 Meet Willie Galloway: From Organic Gardening to Cookbook Author

01:54 Willie's Early Gardening Influences

03:19 Journey to Organic Gardening Magazine

05:21 Discovering the Joy of Growing Food

10:17 Incorporating Edibles into Your Garden

19:13 Companion Planting and Garden Maintenance Tips

22:42 The Psychological Benefits of Gardening

23:27 Mindfulness in the Garden

25:11 The Joy of Growing Your Own Food

26:01 Designing Gardens for Wellness

28:24 Incorporating Food into Ornamental Gardens

29:15 Veggies for Breakfast: A New Perspective

33:08 Creating Rituals with Garden Herbs

37:11 Exploring the Northwest Floral Garden Festival

40:14 Connecting People Through Gardening Stories

44:23 Conclusion

Follow Willi:

Website

Willi Galloway on Instagram

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website

Follow on Instagram

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.

Regenerative landscape design isn’t just about plants — it’s about teaching people to be in right relationship with land. In this episode of Land Language, hosts Brit Sastrawidjaya (CEO, Blueprint Earth; stormwater expert) and Bethany Rydmark sit down with New Zealand landscape designer and author Xanthe White to talk about process-driven design, soil and water as living systems, and why restraint is one of the most sustainable design tools we have.

Xanthe has spent decades crafting gardens in Aotearoa/New Zealand, writing about “good dirt,” and leading a studio that treats makers, gardeners, and designers as a single ecology of practice. This conversation is a masterclass in how to practice landscape design that is regenerative, human, and site-honoring.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

04:25 Xanthe's Journey into Landscape Architecture

07:43 The Philosophy of Landscape Design

11:58 Challenges and Innovations in the Field

23:33 Water Management and Design Stories

38:51 Material Choices and Sustainable Practices

46:03 Future Projects and Inspirations

47:13 Closing

Follow Xanthe

Xanthe White Design

Follow Land Language:

Land Language Website

Follow on Instagram

Connect with Us:

Got questions? Ideas for future guests? DM us on Instagram or visit our website to share your thoughts. We're building this together.

About Land Language:

Land Language is a podcast for landscape professionals, plant lovers, and anyone who wants to understand what it really takes to build regeneratively. Hosted by contractor/designer Brit Sastrawidjaya and designer Bethany Rydmark, each episode brings you expert insights, practical tools, and honest conversations about transforming the landscape industry from the ground up.