Suffragist Grove Sprouts at Hartwood Acres |
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Support for Suffragist Grove |
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The Suffragist Grove was founded last month in Hartwood Acres on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. This park was selected as the site because Mary Flinn Lawrence, who owned the mansion with her husband before it was acquired by Allegheny County, had a long history of advocating for women's voting rights.
The inspiration to plant this stand of trees rose from the history of the movement. Following their release from jail, activists were encouraged to plant trees as part of their healing process. This grove, which was inaugurated with one ceremonial Tulip Poplar tree, will continue to receive trees as additional funds are raised. Visit the site in the vicinity of the parking lot just beyond the mansion's Great Lawn and look for an interpretive sign.
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald helped plant the first tree along with County Council member Anita Prizio and Allegheny County Parks Foundation Executive Director Caren Glotfelty. Several members from the social organization Women of Wet Weather (WOWW) were on hand to present the Parks Foundation with a check for $1,000 to expand the grove. Eisler Nurseries donated the tree and Allegheny County Parks and Tree Pittsburgh oversaw the planting.
Suffragist Grove is a joint project of Allegheny County and the Allegheny County Parks Foundation. For more information about contributing to this project, contact Caitlin Harpster at charpster@acparksfoundation.org or 724.327.7627.
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"Visit" your Allegheny County Parks from your couch! |
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Take a stroll through the Allegheny County Parks from your home in our latest video. |
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2020 Campaign for Allegheny County Parks |
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The Yuhas family, Michael, Kelsey and their son, Jackson, walk Lola at Hartwood Acres Park. |
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What comes to mind when you think about the Allegheny County Parks? Fishing, hiking, bird watching, "leaf-peeping" in the autumn, swinging at a playground, resting on a park bench under the shade of an old-growth tree? With nine parks spanning the borders of our region, there's something for everyone, 365 days a year.
We all need the parks every month of the year and the parks need you! The 2020 Campaign for the Allegheny County Parks offers you the chance to celebrate the parks you love today. The Allegheny County Parks Foundation, in partnership with Allegheny County, is planning fall tree plantings in Boyce and North parks and is putting the finishing touches on designs for historical restorations in South Park. These are just a few of the projects we hope to plan in 2020. Your support now will help sustain the parks you love and have relied on for recreation and relaxation during this difficult summer.
Please support your nine Allegheny County parks with a 100% tax-deductible donation.
We are always grateful for your support.
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Thank you to our 2020 Park Sponsors for
their continued support!
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Parks Advocate
J.P.Morgan Private Bank
Mascaro Construction
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Parks Fan
AECOM
Clearview Federal Credit Union
Dentons Cohen & Grigsby P.C.
Eat'n Park Hospitality Group
Ernst Conservation Seeds
Gateway Engineers
I.B.E.W. Local Union #5
KeyBank
Wade Trim
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Thinking about a home meadow? |
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Echinacea purpurea. Image courtesy of Ernst Conservation Seeds
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Start by bringing some of the native perennials you see in the meadows in the Allegheny County Parks to your own garden.
This is the perfect time of year to do that. The cooler temperatures make autumn planting less stressful for the plants, allowing them to focus on root development. The four plants described below are a great way to start. They love lots of sun and can tolerate dry periods, so no frequent watering next summer! Autumn can also be a budget-friendly time to consider perennials as some nurseries discount them after Labor Day.
Special thanks to the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County who prepared the following descriptions:
Echinacea purpurea: This purple coneflower grows 2-4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Plants bloom in midsummer and continue to bloom sporadically until frost. Allow seed heads to remain as food for the birds, particularly juncos and goldfinches.
Monarda fistulosa: Known as wild bergamot, this is an easy, trouble-free perennial, growing up to 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The pink- to lavender-colored flower blooms mid-June through August, with sweetly aromatic foliage,
Aster laevis: The smooth blue aster is a low maintenance perennial, growing up to 3 1/2 feet tall and wide. Dozens of lavender-blue flowers with yellow centers bloom in late autumn, often extending into November. It grows best in average, dry-to-medium, well-drained soil in full sun.
Coreopsis lanceolata: This easy-to-grow perennial has a yellow flower and grows up to 2 feet tall and wide. It blooms early-to-mid-summer. Bees and butterflies are attracted to its nectar. If these are not dead-headed they will self-sow and naturalize.
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Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres Update |
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Marcin Pikus of McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory works on Large Snail.
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Large Snail, Tillie Speyer
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The Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres took another step forward last month with the transformation of Large Snail, a realistic Carrara marble sculpture that has been on the grounds for about 40 years. It was carefully transported to its new exhibition site off the back porch of the Mansion. Conservationist Marcin Pikus of McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory in Ohio set up shop on site to work his magic.
After cleaning the sculpture's exterior, Pikus - moving at a snail's pace - repaired a crack across the mollusk's surface using marble chips and epoxy. The late sculptor Tillie Speyer, a native Pittsburgher, created it in 1965 and it is now welcoming a new era of visitors. Speyer was one of three women artists whose large-scale works are featured at Hartwood Acres. When completed this sculpture garden, which is a joint project of the Parks Foundation and Allegheny County, will be one of the largest public sculpture gardens in the region and a significant addition to our region's rich artistic legacy.
The Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres is made possible in part 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.
If you would like to learn more about this exciting project or make a donation, contact Caitlin Harpster at charpster@acparksfoundation.org or 724.327.7627. You can also make a contribution HERE.
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For the past three years, Labor Day week has signaled a unique way to squeeze one more fun event out of summer - the Pour at the Park in North Park. This has quickly become one of our favorite opportunities to meet supporters and other park lovers, all while enjoying brews and bites from some of the newest vendors in the area. In keeping with precautions mandated by COVID-19, the Parks Foundation regrets that our September 11 event was cancelled for the health and safety of our guests, volunteers and staff.
But with any luck you won't have to wait a whole year to enjoy our beer-tasting event. We're hoping to schedule our South Park Pour in May 2021 and return to the North Park next fall. You'll be the first to know once that happens!
In the meantime, we keep finding creative ways to make an impact in all nine parks and on projects such as finalizing a plan to remove acid mine drainage from Pinkertons Run in Settlers Cabin Park. But these projects have relied on the support of events such as the Pour at the Park. If you would like to support your nine Allegheny County Parks at a time when they have served the recreational and recuperative needs of more people than ever before, please consider making a 100% tax-deductible contribution today.
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Think of the Parks Foundation when making Amazon 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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