Hi, I'm Marie.

I've been a West Seattle resident for over 35 years. I've had a lot of adventures in that time. I owned a landscape design and consulting company for 20 years.

I have been a volunteer with the West Seattle Garden Tour, Seattle Chinese Garden Society (before the garden was built), and I was the project manager for the former Triangle Park. I was on one of the committees that helped create Seattle's first Comprehensive Plan.

I've worked at Junction Hardware and West Seattle Nursery.

Along the way, I've done a bit of writing. I've collected some of those stories here.

I had the great honor of making a small contribution to this remarkable book.

If you are a PJ fan, you need a copy.

Blog Posts

The Bird Housing Shortage

I bought this little birdhouse 30 years ago from a local guy who said he built these little houses specifically for certain types of birds.

Marie McKinsey

May 23, 20242 min read

Could Amazon Save Westwood Village?

Let's think outside the box. Instead of a big retail anchor at Westwood Village, why not a big tech company? Amazon has all the resources ne

Marie McKinsey

Nov 26, 20235 min read

Sound Transit Presents an Excellent Case for the No Build Alternative

As time goes by, though, it is becoming clear that ST3 does not offer any significant benefit for the environment or for West Seattle.

Marie McKinsey

Sep 4, 20237 min read

Give Your Lawn an Environmental Make-over

From an environmental point of view, what it takes to maintain a typical lawn is a nightmare.

Marie McKinsey

Nov 6, 20222 min read

Leave Those Leaves!

The biggest lesson we have to learn from climate change is that we can't keep doing things the way we always have been

Marie McKinsey

Nov 5, 20222 min read

My Comments on Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

I am posting my comments here for two reasons: 1) According to "the rules," comments submitted by April 28th that address specific sections

Marie McKinsey

Apr 24, 20229 min read

When It Comes To Transit, Think Small

Think Small. This simple ad, which ran in the 1960s, was part of one of the most successful campaigns of all time. It was clever.

Marie McKinsey

Feb 5, 20225 min read

Why You Should Have A Commuting Budget

A commuting budget looks at both the amount of time you allocate for going to and from work each week, and what that commute costs you.

Marie McKinsey

Dec 4, 20215 min read

Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits

We've heard for decades that increasing population density is good for the environment. The theory is that it discourages suburban sprawl,

Marie McKinsey

Sep 24, 20212 min read

The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong

In 2013, a developer announced plans to replace these three beach houses with an 11-unit row house project in the Alki Beach neighborhood.

Marie McKinsey

Jun 5, 20212 min read

SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle

Did you know that trains don't run uphill? It's true. On level ground, those smooth metal wheels glide along those smooth metal rails,...

Marie McKinsey

May 18, 20214 min read

How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property

The EPA estimates that over 770 cities in the US combine waste water and stormwater in the same pipe and send it to sewage treatment...

Marie McKinsey

Mar 6, 20212 min read

Create a Bee Friendly Garden

Without bees, we wouldn't have much to eat and we would have far fewer herbs and flowers to enjoy.

Marie McKinsey

Jul 18, 20162 min read

The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11

I wrote this when I had become tired of pointing out the problems with this project. Our protests fell on deaf ears anyway. It was clear tha

Marie McKinsey

Jul 13, 20134 min read

Over One MILLION Gallons of Waste Water - Where's It All Going to Go?

In my last post, I explained how the Alki 11 rowhouse project on 55th Ave SW will add more than one million gallons of combined waste and st

Marie McKinsey

Jun 27, 20132 min read

Seattle Rain

My favorite book by local author, Tom Robbins, is "Still Life with Woodpecker." I have a well-worn copy that was given to me as a gift in...

Marie McKinsey

Aug 10, 20112 min read

Is This a Weed?

Horsetail and henbit and shot weed, oh my! Nettles that sting, geraniums gone wild, and "dandy" lions - these are a few of the plants referr

Marie McKinsey

Apr 22, 20113 min read

Do Trees Really Prevent Mudslides?

There was a mudslide in our neighborhood about a month ago. Seattle is a hilly city and after heavy rains, there's a good possibility that o

Marie McKinsey

Feb 22, 20104 min read