What's ahead in 2021?
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation has lots of projects planned for 2021. Find out what we're working on in partnership with Allegheny County.
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Planting trees in South Park with volunteers, Rangers and Parks Foundation staff. |
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Trees!
Every year, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation works with our partners at Allegheny County to plant trees. Besides offering beauty and shade, trees help restore the ecology by cleaning the air, absorbing excess storm water and providing food and habitat for birds and small animals. Last year we purchased 600 trees for Settlers Cabin, Boyce, South and North Parks.
With nine parks to choose from, how we decide where to plant trees? We rely on our Ecological Assessments to help make those decisions. These detailed documents, which are produced over the course of many months with our partners at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, outline the ecological condition of the park, spotlight unique and valuable vegetation and recommend measures for improvement such as removing invasive species, planting trees to increase the regional tree canopy and bolster the shorelines along streams to improve water quality. (More on Ecological Assessments below.)
We couldn't plant this many trees without a lot of help! The generosity of funders helps to defray the costs of materials, while volunteers help put them in the ground. If trees are important to you, please consider a donation!
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Constructed in 1931, the Cascades was a manmade water feature designed by Paul Riis, a landscape architect and the County's first park director. It was composed of stratified rock mined in the park to evoke a network of waterfalls and wading pools. It made for a summertime destination for families seeking a getaway from the city. Years of neglect led to the Cascades being reclaimed by nature. Now under reconstruction, the Cascades will provide the community with an historic, educational and fun escape.
Site work began in November 2020 and was promptly stalled when snow arrived in December. Most of the water supply, sanitary drain and electric line utility trench work has been completed. If there's a significant warm up, some site preparation could continue in the winter including tree stump and root removal and site drainage to the new rain garden areas.
Additional work has also been done installing an underground fiberglass water treatment system vault. The vault contains the pipes, valves and pump needed to supply, treat and re-circulate water through the Cascades. Activity is on pause until March 2021 when warmer weather returns. The Cascades is expected to be completed in 2021.
Funders are Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Pittsburgh Penguins Operation Restore, Thirty/Three Foundation, South Park Friends, Allegheny County, Allegheny County Parks, Allegheny County Parks Foundation and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
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With 88 miles of streams running through the nine Allegheny County Parks, our region has significant aquatic life to study. That’s exactly what the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and Allegheny County Parks are doing over the next three years.
The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards program of Allegheny County will be taking samples of stream water to determine the composition of the waters. This will provide an assessment of their chemistry, biological community, stream channels and riparian vegetation. The data will provide valuable insight into impacts on the stream systems and identify sites where stabilization and/or restoration is needed within all nine county parks. The Parks Foundation will use these studies to identify potential funding sources for improvement measures and for volunteer opportunities. This study, which is being funded by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, will complement the series of Ecological Assessments we have conducted of several parks.
Three teams of stewards will conduct monthly assessments of the chemistry and macroinvertebrate populations of the streams in three of the nine parks each year for three years. They will study Boyce, Hartwood Acres and Settlers Cabin Parks this year. Visual assessments of the stream channel and riparian vegetation in each park will be done concurrently with the chemical and biological assessments and recorded by photographs tagged by GPS.
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Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres |
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We've been watching nearly monthly progress on the Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres since work began in 2020. In 2021, we are expecting to see much more.
The story of this site dates back to the 1980s when 12 sculptures were gifted to Hartwood Acres Park, the region's art and culture park. A thirteenth sculpture was added years later. The expert art conservation process is nearly complete on this valuable collection and the Sculpture Garden is taking shape after several years of planning.
When completed, the sculptures will be repositioned on new concrete foundations in cohesive groupings that will help visitors better appreciate their grandeur and significance. An additional sculpture is expected to be commissioned this year for placement in the collection. The Sculpture Garden will feature ADA-accessible walkways connecting the sculptures, new native landscape plantings and reconfigured driveways and parking areas, designed to “green” principles.
Funding for this signature project is ongoing. To date, funders include the Allegheny County Conservation District, Charity Randall Foundation, Fox Chapel Garden Club, Opportunity Fund, PNC Charitable Trusts, Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, individual donors and Allegheny County. The Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres is also made possible by the RADical ImPAct Grant program, which was launched in celebration of the Allegheny Regional Asset District’s 25th anniversary with the intention of funding bold, forward-looking, creative projects that will have a radical impact on the region.
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Ecological Assessments - Round Hill and White Oak Parks |
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Rare Water Oak tree species in White Oak Park |
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Work is well underway on two Ecological Assessments to add to our knowledge of the natural condition of the Allegheny County Parks. (View our previous reports on Boyce, South, Hartwood Acres and Settlers Cabin using link below.)
Our partners at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy began their in-park investigations of Round Hill and White Oak Parks last year. Researchers divide the park in sections, capture photos of their on-site observations and conduct deep research of the history that paints a comprehensive picture of the park. They share some of their findings along the way, such as the identification of the rare tree species pictured above in White Oak.
When completed later this year, these reports will suggest what measures to take to conserve rare or protected species and which areas to improve by removing invasive species and plant native shrubs and trees. Both assessments are funded by Benedum Foundation grants.
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2020 International Women's Day Trail volunteers |
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International Women's Day in the parks
If you've ever wondered the impact that one person can have to improve the parks, sign up today for the volunteer Trail Project. It's one of the activities planned by the Allegheny County Rangers in honor of International Women's Day, which is being celebrated on Monday, March 8 this year.
Three events are planned this year and it's not too early to sign up!
Saturday, March 6: History Walk through Hartwood Acres
Saturday, March 6: Hike through South Park (Waiting list)
Sunday, March 7: Trail improvement project in Round Hill
Interesting details will be shared during each event about the impact women have had in the Allegheny County Parks.
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Mark your calendars. Stay tuned. Cross your fingers. |
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Pour at the Park South Park
Saturday, May 15
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Twilight Picnic for the Parks
Saturday, August 21
Hartwood Acres Park
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Pour at the Park North Park
Friday, September 10
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Support your Allegheny County Parks by sponsoring these events! Learn more by emailing Barbara Brewton or call her at 412-606-9692.
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Think of the Parks Foundation when making Valentine's Day purchases. |
Whenever you make a purchase on Amazon Smile, select the Allegheny County Parks Foundation as your charity recipient. At no cost to you, the AmazonSmile Foundation will make a donation to the Parks Foundation! It's a simple click away.
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Boyce Park | Deer Lakes Park | Harrison Hills Park | Hartwood Acres Park
North Park | Round Hill Park | Settlers Cabin Park | South Park | White Oak Park
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Allegheny County Parks Foundation | 675 Old Frankstown Road | Pittsburgh, PA 15239
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