In 2016 Stephanie Pruegel bought a modest house on a big lot with the intention of creating a native plant habitat in her yard and moving toward a net zero environmental impact of the energy useage in her home. In this video, Stephanie tells us how she made those changes and what she learned along the way...and the positive effects her efforts have had on her quality of life. She describes removing invasive (non-native) species, tearng out the lawn, working with a landscape designer, choosing local native plants, adding water features, and installing rain barrels to conserve water use. She installed solar panels to generate her own electricity. converted all her appliances from natural gas to electric, and had PG&E remove the gas lines and gas meter from her property. She uses heat pumps to more efficiently use electricity to heat and cool her home.