Highland Park Entry Garden

Daffodils and Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa)

Hyacinth ‘Jan Bos’

Mellon Park Walled Garden

Daffodil ‘Tete-a-Tete’

Lenten rose (Heleborus orientalis)

Riverview Park

Daffodil species

Daffodil ‘Ice Follies’ at the Riverview Park Chapel Shelter

Magnolia blooming

Schenley Park Cafe and Visitor Center

Blue hyacinth and pink tulips

Schenley Plaza

Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths

Daffodils

Mixed daffodils

Species tulip ‘Lady Jane’ and white daffodils

Various daffodils

We’re always looking for help with our gardening projects. Our seasonal weeding Tuesdays at Mellon Park Walled Garden kick-off on May 14 and Weeding Wednesdays at Highland Park Entry Garden begin May 1. For more information, visit our Horticultural Volunteer Activities page or email volunteer@pittsburghparks.org.

Learn more about The Daffodil Project and how you can help plant new bulbs throughout the regional parks.

Students surveying the stream

Parks as Classrooms

For the Mission Ground Truth:21 program, teachers are responsible for leading 3 discovery activities that introduce students to the concepts they’ll be testing and analyzing on their field day. During these sessions, students use Google Earth to investigate the landscape they will be studying in the field to make predictions about its health, identify interacting organisms within woodland food webs, and practice making predictions about water quality based on different human impact scenarios.

Propel students sampling the stream

All of these activities lead up to the field session where students have the chance to be scientists for the day. The all-day field session is taught in Frick Park by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy staff. Students spend 3 hours hiking through Frick Park’s woodland and 3 hours wading through the Nine Mile Run stream using hands-on scientific methodology and instrumentation to gather and analyze data about the health of these ecosystems. They’re learning that science doesn’t just take place in the lab, it’s happening all around us and it’s relevant to our everyday lives.

Bailey Warren is the Education Program Assistant at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy through a 10-month apprenticeship with Public Allies Pittsburgh AmeriCorps program.

Educational Partnerships

Propel teachers learn how to use dichotomous keys to ID tree leaves.

Teacher trainings are an important part of developing a partnership between informal educators and classroom teachers. We have different styles, different objectives, and different experiences to bring to the table. The training was a chance for everyone to get to know each other, establish appropriate roles and expectations, and to introduce new teachers to the content of the program. We wanted to provide a space where they could ask questions, give feedback, and learn from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy staff and teachers who have previously gone through the program.

Many of the teachers had limited experience teaching outdoors and wanted some tips to prepare their class and themselves. As an informal educator myself, two of the most integral aspects of a successful program are ensuring that students are dressed appropriately for the weather (nothing is more distracting than discomfort) and having an enthusiastic and involved teacher on board. Really, it all comes back to communicating expectations to others. We had a great conversation about how helpful it is for the teacher to model the good behavior we expect from our students. As much as the training is for the teachers to become comfortable and acquainted with the program, it was also a space for us to get feedback on the curriculum content. From these discussions, we developed an Environmental Education tip sheet to share with all of our program partner teachers.

Calculating the area of Frick Park using Google Earth

At the end of every discovery activity simulation, we always came back to the overarching goal:  We want the kids to have hands-on experience outdoors doing what scientists do. They’re getting the chance to see what it means to be an ecologist. That means doing research and making predictions, then going out into the field to test those predictions and analyze their data. Both elements are essential. Once they understand that, then they can work through the details that make it all happen.

Be sure to check out part two of our blog next week to learn more about Mission Ground Truth:21 and how we use parks as classrooms.

Bailey Warren is the Education Program Assistant at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy through a 10-month apprenticeship with Public Allies Pittsburgh AmeriCorps program.

Urban EcoSteward Crew Leader Training

Unlike most trips I make to REI Southside, I wasn’t here this morning to get a new piece of gear, although I’ll admit I did look. I was here for the Urban EcoSteward Crew Leader Training. This wasn’t my first time learning to lead crews. In fact, my crew leading experience began right here in Pittsburgh three years ago when I attended the 2010 Urban EcoSteward Crew Leader Training and became a crew leader that summer. I enjoyed working with volunteer crews so much that I soon journeyed to Southern California to lead volunteers in trail maintenance on the Pacific Crest Trail. It wasn’t long before I was off on my next adventure leading crews of college students throughout the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming.

Now, I’m happy to be back in the City of Pittsburgh where it all started, working as the new Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Greenprint Park Steward. The Greenprint is a comprehensive plan that aims to build on the natural landscapes throughout the Hill District. These greening projects will add value to the neighborhood by raising property values, providing community gathering spaces, and improving air quality.

Cliffside Park

Even with my extensive crew leading background, I gained a lot from the Urban EcoSteward Crew Leader Training session. It’s important to review all of the responsibilities and techniques that go into being a crew leader to keep both you and your volunteer’s safe throughout the project. Parks Conservancy education program coordinator, Taiji Nelson, covered how to properly use, carry, and store tools. Joe Divack, Allegheny CleanWays DumpBuster Coordinator, explained how to lead crews through garbage clean-ups and how to handle worksites on steep slopes. Allegheny CleanWays project coordinator Leah Thill wrapped up the day by running us through some real life volunteer day scenarios. This gave us the chance to practice our public speaking and to test some of the skills we had learned throughout the day.

Taiji and Joe showing our current and future crew leaders proper ways to handle tools and worksites.

All of these skills will be helpful in providing a safe, productive, and fun experience for our Hill District greening projects. We are looking for more leaders to help us implement the projects outlined in the Greenprint for the Hill! If you are interested in becoming a leader, or being involved as a volunteer in the Hill District, please contact Jake Baechle at jbaechle@pittsburghparks.org. You can also stay tuned to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy website for future trainings and volunteer days.

The Urban EcoSteward program is a collaboration between  Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, Frick Environmental Center, Allegheny Cleanways, Allegheny Land Trust, and Nine Mile Run Watershed. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit our Urban EcoSteward webpage.

Jake Baechle is the new Greenprint Park Steward for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. In his role, Jake will lead volunteer coordination and community outreach in the Hill District focusing on Cliffside Park and other Greenprint priorities.

Through the Carnegie Science Center’s “Take a Hike!” program sponsored by The Sprout Fund, our own director of education, Marijke Hecht, shows us what we can do in our own backyard to help keep area watersheds clean and thriving.

For more information on the Nine Mile Run Watershed or Panther Hollow Watershed, visit our website www.pittsburghparks.org. To learn how you can get your own rain barrel to help divert extra water from the sewer systems, visit the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association website at www.ninemilerun.org.

Wintry Schenley Park

Tufa Bridge in Schenley Park

The day started with lunch at the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center which was restored by the Parks Conservancy in 2002. Rumor has it, Patty’s Smoked Mac and Cheese was the big hit of the day! After a brief overview of the participating organizations, the day continued with a celebration of 2012 successes and what the EcoStewards have to look forward to in 2013.

Urban EcoSteward celebration at the Schenley Park Cafe and Visitor Center

The group then bundled up and strapped on their snow boots for a one-mile hike around the Lower and Upper Panther Hollow Trails.

Headed down for a snowy hike through Schenley Park

Looking up at Panther Hollow Bridge from the Hollow

Led by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Education Program Coordinator, Taiji Nelson, the group discussed winter tree identification, soil erosion, and emerald ash borer along the way.

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Education Program Coordinator, Taiji Nelson, explaining soil erosion to the EcoStewards

Lesson in destructive tree identification

The day ended with an overview of Phipps Run and Panther Hollow Watershed’s and restoration efforts being implemented in the area.

Hiking along Upper Panther Hollow Trail

Urban EcoStewards give back to their communities by adopting a specific section of park land that they agree to maintain. Stewards receive training from Parks Conservancy staff and other program partners and visit their site throughout the year to remove invasive species, plant native flora, slow erosion, and clean up trash. EcoStewards report to a coordinator, who will accompany them on at least one site visit per year to determine maintenance needs.

If you’re ready to take on your own little piece of the park, sign-up for our next training date on our Urban EcoSteward webpage. For more information, please contact our education department at 412-682-7275 ext. 232 or volunteer@pittsburghparks.org.

Volunteers from NRG planting balled and burlap trees in Allegheny Commons

My ability to wake up almost exactly a minute before I set my cell phone alarm to sound is uncanny. I use the 60 seconds I could have spent sleeping to make the decision: do I start my morning routine or do I preemptively silence the alarm and roll over? The fact that the digital clock on the face of my phone reads 6 a.m. and I hear rain falling outside my window weighs heavily to one side of the argument, but I inevitably force my feet to brave the cold floor so I can put on my already muddy work pants, rain jacket, and formerly waterproof boots.

Rivers Casino volunteers with two truckloads of invasive garlic mustard

As the volunteer coordinator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, I’ve waged this internal battle every weekend during the spring and fall volunteer seasons for the past two years. Ultimately, my love of the outdoors and passionate belief in the work we do always wins out. I can’t think of a better place to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning than in the park and revel in the instant gratification of seeing a finished project at the end of the day when you’re sore, tired, and covered in mud. I’m still dumbstruck when I remember that I actually get paid to do this.

High School Urban EcoSteward from City High watering a recently planted tulip poplar

What’s most amazing to me though is that hundreds of people face the same decision the morning of volunteer days – do I wake up or roll over – and choose to volunteer for nothing but pizza and healthy dose of good karma. They’re students with a full course load and late Friday nights, professionals who work a full 40 hour week, or retirees who earned their right to sleep in on the weekend.  Individuals, families, coworkers, student organizations, and religious groups all turn out to plant trees, remove invasive plants, tend the gardens, or clean up dump sites in all weather and seasons. Without their dedication and the generous support of funders, donors, crew leaders, and partners, we couldn’t do what we do and our parks wouldn’t be the same amazing spaces to connect with nature, observe beauty, and find wonder.

Here’s what our volunteers accomplished in 2012:

• 1023 volunteers at our work days gave 3432.5 hours of service totaling a contribution of $74,794.18.
• Volunteers planted and protected over 1000 trees and shrubs at our work days, improving biodiversity and the ecological health of our parks.
• 52 active Urban EcoStewards gave 897.5 hours of service totaling a contribution of $19,556.53 for UES partner organizations (The Parks Conservancy, Mount Washington CDC, Frick Environmental Center, Allegheny Cleanways, Allegheny Land Trust, Nine Mile Run Watershed Association).
• 210 people were trained through the Urban EcoSteward program on things such as tree and shrub ID, planting techniques, erosion control, invasive plant removal, native seed collection and others, to arm them with the skills to advocate and care for our parks.
• High School Urban EcoStewards from City Charter High School, Sci Tech, University Prep, Perry, Westinghouse and the Ellis School had a total of 535 individual visits where students made observation and reflections through nature journaling, learned about the ecosystems and ecology of our parks, and performed stewardship (which included planting and protecting 186 trees and shrubs).

Volunteers after planting 99 trees along Tranquil Trail in Frick Park

A huge ‘thank you’ to all of the volunteers who turned out this year – it was great meeting you and I hope to work with you all again in 2013.  See you out there!

Taiji Nelson is the Education Program Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Ready to be volunteer number 1024? Be sure to check our Volunteer Work Days page for upcoming spring 2013 days and events or email our education department at volunteer@pittsburghparks.org.

Westinghouse student using lopper to cut away invasive species

“And how mad were your parents when you decided not to go to Law School?” joked Phil Thompson, Coordinator of the Lighthouse Project, as we walked back to the truck after lunch. “It didn’t matter, I found something I love,” I smiled back at him. It’s a surprisingly warm day at the end of November; we are out with a group of students from The Academy at Westinghouse for our High School Urban EcoStewards program. The students have adopted a quarter acre plot of land in Frick Park, and have come out this year once before and learned how to properly identify and remove invasive species and plant native trees at their site. Today’s session is a park walk; we spent time doing stewardship removing invasive vines within their site before setting out on a long hike through Frick Park to learn about managing ecosystem health within our city parks. One of our field ecologists has also joined us to talk about restoration practices in the park and to introduce the students to some different jobs in the Environmental Science field.

Sawing invasive vines

I began working in Environmental Education when I was a summer camp counselor at the Frick Environmental Center in 2010. I was majoring in Politics and Philosophy at Pitt, all set to continue on to Law School when I realized I didn’t have a job lined up for the summer.  I heard about Frick Environmental Center from one of my friends in the Geology department. I grew up outside with my brothers LARPing in Slippery Rock’s local woodlands, hiking all over McConnell’s Mills, and swimming in Moraine State Park. I needed a summer job, and they had an opening where I could work outside.  I went into it thinking it would be a fun thing to do for the summer, but it actually changed the course of my career. I got paid to teach lessons about the natural world and enjoy the outdoors with children. Could it get any better?

Nature journaling and photography

It did. Here I am two years and some odd months later and the kids teach me more than I could ever hope to teach them. If there’s one thing I consistently take away from my job as an informal educator it’s inspiration, particularly with this group. Today we’re working with students who are part of the YMCA Lighthouse Project at Westinghouse. A few of them have done the High School Urban Eco Stewards program before, for some it’s their first time. This forces us to be flexible, sometimes letting the returning students take the lead, sometimes going into more depth about concepts they’re already aware of.  This is one of my favorite aspects of my job:  every day is different.  While this is the third High School Urban Eco Stewards park walk of the week, it’s the first walk in Frick Park and because of the Lighthouse’s media focus; there are new components we haven’t covered with previous schools.

Capturing a different perspective for nature photography

Every session of High School Urban Eco Stewards incorporates a journaling component for students to practice making good scientific observations. Sometimes we sketch or we’ll write poems, other times we’ll free write for a determined period of time. But today is different. The Lighthouse has a photography module the students can choose to participate in, and while only a few of the students here today are also in the photography module, we jumped at the chance to incorporate photography into our science lessons. We were able to obtain a digital camera for each of the students to use. After our Education Program Coordinator, Taiji, briefly introduces some strategies to compose a good shot, with the Lighthouse coordinator adding a few thoughts, each student searches for one thing they find beautiful and one thing they find intriguing. The trick is that they get just one shot each. They must take their time utilizing their observation skills we’ve been developing to locate that one beautiful thing or that one intriguing visual. After they’ve decided what they want to capture, they must move around, change their perspective, change the lighting patterns, until they find that perfect shot.

Then they write about it in their journals. I prompt them to justify their decisions. I hear myself tenaciously asking why? I try to play it cool and be discerning about their choices when photographing but inside I am just thrilled. At 15 or 16 years, old these students are incredibly inspiring. Learning about their lives and aspirations is refreshing; these students are dedicated and hardworking. To be able to share my love of the outdoors with them and possibly cultivate that same feeling within them is a unique opportunity I am grateful for every day. They stay after school at the Lighthouse until 7:00pm Monday-Thursday (mind you their school day starts around 7:00am), they argue about who is going to be valedictorian, and at times they really challenge me, asking, “Why are we out here doing this when there are people starving?”

The Academy of Westinghouse High School Urban EcoStewards and our Education Team

As I’m compiling all of their photos, from the day I can’t help but smile and think about what Phil had asked me about law school. I eagerly abandoned a potential life of working long hours stuck behind a computer, working my way up to someday maybe occupying that corner office with the view. At best, I’d sit at my desk captivated by the magic occurring on the other side of my window, only to look glumly back at all of the paperwork I had to do. As an informal environmental educator, I spend days at a time in “the field,” teaching students about ecology, watersheds, and biodiversity while facilitating a deep and informed appreciation for and relationship with the natural world. “No,” I smirk “my parents aren’t mad at all.”

Below are a few of the breathtaking photos the Westinghouse students took during the day. The students meticulously set-up each shot and there are no filters applied to these photos. It’s so powerful to see nature through someone else’s eyes.

Dayvon’s Site Photo

Kielle’s Site Photo #1

Kielle’s Site Photo #2

Ramon’s Site Photo

Shawn’s Site Photo

Bailey Warren is the new Education Program Assistant at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy through a 10-month apprenticeship with Public Allies Pittsburgh AmeriCorps program. Visit our website to learn more about our High School Urban EcoSteward program and how you can get involved.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy was thrilled to be included when the Women’s Committee asked us to be involved. Our tree pays homage to the Conservancy’s signature event, the Spring Hat Luncheon. With the theme Hats of the World’s Fair, the Parks Conservancy tree features images of hats and hat advertisements from 1851-1939 as well as photographs that pay tribute to several of the supporters of our annual fundraising event, the Spring Hat Luncheon. In each photo the friend of the Conservancy is wearing a hat that is either a replica of, or inspired by the fashions of the World’s Fairs.

We used nearly 3,000 LED lights to make this big guy shine

We held our breath as the art handlers hoisted our hand-made 3-foot top hat tree topper onto the highest branches.

Almost there!

Among the vintage hat advertisements and Hat Luncheon photos you’ll find miniature one-of-a-kind hats fashioned from recycled materials by Trinkets of Life.

The final tree is surrounded by dozens of hat boxes which were generously donated by a long-time Parks Conservancy supporter.

The trees will be on display through January 6, 2013 with museum admission. Send us your photos of it on twitter @pittsburghparks! Happy Holidays! 

To support the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in our mission to improve the quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with the City - donate here.

What You’ll Need

1. A cornucopia basket
2. Scissors
3. Clear Floral Tape
4. Wire
5. An Oasis Cube (the green spongy thing that holds the flowers together). Soak it in water for 5 minutes and then place it in the plastic tray that comes with it in the bottom of the basket.
6. Ribbon in your favorite autumn color.
7. Greens – we used Baker Fern and leaves we cut off the flowers.
8. Filler – we used Princess Lily, Goldenrod, and St. Johns Wort seed pods.
9. Accent flowers – we used two colors of Mums.

You can get these items at a craft store. For the flowers, you can go to a florist or even purchase an autumn flower arrangement at your grocery store and use those. Angela suggests standing while you arrange the flowers to give you a better perspective.

Secure the Oasis

Use the clear floral tape to secure the oasis to the basket. Go ahead and wrap the tape all the way around the outside of the basket – once all the flowers are in you won’t see it. When wrapping the tape around, make sure to create space between the strips of tape on the oasis so that you won’t have an area where you can’t insert flowers.

Cut Down Your Greens 

Use your scissors to cut the green leaves into smaller pieces. You want a variety of shapes and sizes. It can help to pull away some of the lower leaves so that you have a nice stem to put into the oasis.

Start on the Sides

Start by working the greens along the side of the oasis, allowing them to spill over the edges of the basket.

Cover the Mechanics 

Place the fern leaves in various sizes in the oasis cube so that you cover the cube and tape completely. Put the majority of them into the oasis at a horizontal angle so that you get good coverage. Angela recommends putting one large fern piece straight out of the front to balance the length of the cornucopia basket. The arrangement will look best if it appears horizontal because of the shape of the basket. Use a couple smaller ferns at the top sticking straight up so that the greens will appear to surround the flowers once they are placed.

Put in the Filler

For the Goldenrod, Angela suggests using two larger pieces – one at the front of the arrangement and one at the top – and then breaking the Goldenrod down into smaller pieces to be put in along the sides. As you add the more colorful elements it is important to maintain balance. “Don’t just work the top of the arrangement,” says Angela, “work the sides as well.”

I started to get intimidated when it came time to put in actual flowers. Angela assured me that while there are approaches that tend to be more appealing to the eye, there’s not a wrong way. “The nice thing about flower arranging is that it is open to interpretation,” she says. She suggests beginning by placing a few flowers near the center of the arrangement and then moving out to the sides. “Allow the flowers to spill over the edge,” she encourages. Cut the leaves off the stems before you put them in. I found that the flower stems were less rigid than the ferns, so it works best to hold the flower stem at the very bottom against the oasis to give it support and use your other hand to push from just under the petals to insert it.

 I loved the use of the St. Johns Wort seed pods with their friendly pink hue, but berries would give you a very similar effect. Make sure to cut away all the leaves and break the plants down into smaller pieces before you start placing them.

Accent Flowers

Your accent flowers should be a hearty, bright flower. We used two different colors of Mums. Remove all the leaves and break the flowers down into small groupings before you place them. Angela suggests creating a central cluster of three or so at the front of the arrangement and then using the rest of them to balance the arrangement. Don’t forget the sides! Remember that if you place this on a table, your guests will see it at all angles.

The Final Touch

There are a million ways to tie or shape your ribbon. For this one we looped the ribbon three times (trying to vary the size of the loops a little) and held the loops together at the base.

Use a piece of wire to wrap around the base of the ribbon loops and secure.

For a nice detail, you can make what Angela calls “fancy tails” at the ends of your ribbon by cutting little triangles into the ends. When you’re done, place the wire into the oasis at a place in the arrangement that could use a little something extra.

Congratulations – You’re Done!

Congratulations you flower arranging genius you. Now you have a beautiful arrangement to serve as a Thanksgiving centerpiece or a hostess gift. And when your very crafty friends ask where you got it you can say – “I made it, no big deal.”

The arrangement should stay fresh looking for about a week. You can water it every couple of days, though it is best to do it over the sink since it will leak through the basket for a little while.

Kathleen Gaines is a Development Associate at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Now if she could just learn how to cook!

Please consider supporting the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in its mission to improve the quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with the City. You can donate here!