Where We Started

Zac envisioned turning his property into an oasis, a place you would never want to leave. In 2019 he started the process of taking the backyard, which at the time was a field of Bermuda grass, clearing it out, and then mapping out his plan. He wanted the design to echo the type of place he and his dad would often visit on their trips while he was young. He wanted his pool to look like it had always been there, and the house was built around it. As he planned and prepared, he also had to work around the trees and structures that had been there for 40 years. 

In 2020, excavation started. For 4 months, he shaped the land and brought in rock. A highlight was two months in when we invited family, neighbors, and friends over to help pull the liner for the pool. It was our own version of a barn raising and also helped cement our vision of building a community.  

We filled Salamander Springs the first week of May 2020. Within days we had 12 new to our yard species of birds visit. We had frogs move in overnight. And slowly, we saw things start to change, and so did our vision.  

In the fall of 2021, we noticed a monarch butterfly by our milkweed plants that were next to our pool. Within weeks we had more caterpillars than we could count, though we tried and lost count after 100. We talked to leaders in Monarch conservation in our state who said they hadn’t seen numbers like this in years. It was decided that the natural pool must have been the tipping point that made our yard more inviting to the butterflies. And this event also made us start to think bigger. 

By having a water source that wasn’t full of chemicals and was a full habitat with plants, fish, and movement, what could be possible? We noticed more and more birds all through the year. More lizards were moving in and reproducing. And though we don’t use pesticides, we noticed a serious decline in our bug population. More birds were building nests in the area around the pool. We had regular visits from hawks and herons. Our habitat was thriving. With patience, we watched as pests were kept under control as nature took over.  

The community we dreamed of started to show as we opened Salamander Springs to tours and classes. And sure enough, no one ever wants to leave.  

We look forward to sharing our little oasis with you and helping you design and build one for your own enjoyment.