We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Yant recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

We looked to our native plant palette, so our company name, Twistleaf, is inspired by the twistleaf yucca (Yucca rupicola). Its leaves have evolved to funnel water to the center of the plant during rains, and it also has a beautiful symbiotic relationship with the yucca moth. These are some really interesting and uplifting ecological adaptations for Central Texas and our tough climate. We’re in love with this evergreen, drought-tolerant plant, and we all need to find inspiration as our region faces challenges from booming development, population growth, increased water demands and a changing climate. We’re rooted in Austin and the Hill Country, and land conservation and stewardship are an important part of our mission. Our name speaks to the innovative design solutions and ecological focus we bring to every landscape project.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We’re a women-led land design studio, and our projects range from master-planned communities and commercial spaces to ranches and retreat centers. I’m a 7th generation Texan and grew up on my family’s heritage ranch in northeast Texas. Ranch life on the Blackland Prairie instilled my love for native flora and fauna and respect for conservation and set me on the path I’m on today.

I’m most proud of leading the design development and construction of Horseshoe Bay Nature Park (hsbpark.org), a free, 11-acre park in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. The nature park opened to the public in December 2021 and was built entirely through community efforts. The story of the people of Horseshoe Bay coming together to found a nature park on land slated for high-density development is one that we hope will motivate other communities. Sandra and John Smith, owners of the land, made this beautiful parkland possible by their generous donation.

Horseshoe Bay Nature Park is the Highland Lakes region’s leading resource for community wellness and education about land and water conservation, wildlife habitat, biodiversity and native plants. The nature park preserves and provides habitat for hundreds of species of plants and wildlife native to the Hill Country. Highlights include a half-mile walking trail, observation deck, bird blind, land restoration, native seeding, wildlife watering station, wildlife brush piles, nesting boxes, beehives and more.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We really believe in and support the nature park and our role went beyond design and construction. We coordinated the design of the park’s logo and website, collaborated with the park’s nonprofit board on fundraising, built a team of park nature photographers and created interactive activities for children. We’re especially passionate about getting kids outside, and the park website ‘Just for Kids’ section includes our Pocket Guide to Birding, Scavenger Hunt and Coloring Pages featuring plants and wildlife found in the park. We hope that kids will come away with an appreciation for the natural world. Now is the time to build the next generation of land stewards, and this is something that drives us every day.

A big part of being a successful entrepreneur is building the right team, and this is one of the parts of my job that I enjoy the most. We had an ambitious vision for what Horseshoe Bay Nature Park could be, and the success of the nature park is due to the strengths of the diverse team of designers, donors, consultants, photographers and vendors that we put together. Our efforts supplemented those of HSB Park, Inc., the park’s conceptual planner, and local advisory groups like Travis Audubon, the Highland Lakes Birding and Wildflower Society, the Highland Lakes Chapters of the Native Plant Society of Texas and the Texas Master Naturalists, and more.

I’ve worked in Austin’s landscape design industry since a four year stint as a nursery manager and landscape designer at Big Red Sun starting in 2005, so relying on the network I’ve built over the last 17 or so years was indispensable to building the team we needed. Participating in the nature park really expanded my network too, and I was able to connect with so many new and wonderful people through this conservation project. All of the numerous groups and individuals who contributed to the founding of the park are celebrated on site at the observation deck’s donor wall.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Most importantly are our wonderful clients and project collaborators who see our passion for land design firsthand and believe in our work. Word of mouth has always been the most powerful way for us to build and maintain our reputation, and we’re so grateful to all of these folks who provide testimonials. We’re known for our attention to detail, responsiveness, communication abilities and skill at project management.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twistleaf.com/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/twistleafdesign/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/twistleafdesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twistleaf/
• Other: http://www.hsbpark.org

Image Credits
01: Weston Carls 02: BorjaVisuals 03: Paige Newton 04: BorjaVisuals 05: Brittany Dawn Short
06: Teodora Pogonat 07: BorjaVisuals 08: United Earth Photography 09: Weston Carls