August 31, 2015 by pittsburghparks

Projects Underway: Schenley, Cliffside and Frick Park Updates

The parks as you know them are getting even better.

With four Parks Conservancy Capital Projects currently in the works, areas that you know and love (and maybe some that you don’t!) are undergoing exciting changes. Get the scoop on what’s going on with these projects:

Project: Westinghouse Memorial and Pond

Rendering of the restored Westinghouse Memorial and Pond.

What’s happening:
Nearly 85 years after its original dedication in Schenley Park, restoration of the Westinghouse Memorial and the surrounding landscape are underway. The $2.5 million plan includes aesthetic and structural improvements to the monument, Lily Pond restoration and aeration system installation, and stormwater projects to better the overall health of the Panther Hollow Watershed.

Parks Conservancy President/CEO Meg Cheever and Mayor Bill Peduto unveil the Westinghouse Memorial rendering at the groundbreaking ceremony.

How to learn more/stay involved:

Project: Panther Hollow Watershed
greenstreet

What’s happening:
For more than a decade, we’ve been working to restore the health and ecological function of the Panther Hollow Watershed in Schenley Park. Most recently, we’ve been working with the community and designers to reduce stormwater runoff along Schenley Drive. The Schenley Drive Green Street Project aims to improve the health and function of the park by curbing stormwater and creating a safe transportation corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

How to learn more/stay involved:

Project: Cliffside Park

Rendering of the revitalized Cliffside Park.

What’s happening:
We’re proud to be partnering with a coalition of Hill District partners on a comprehensive plan for green space in the neighborhood. Called the Greenprint for the Hill District, this plan includes a renovation of Cliffside Park, a beloved community playground. This month, community kids are helping shape this project by contributing to a children’s art piece to be displayed at the park.

How to learn more/stay involved:

Project: Frick Environmental Center

The new Frick Environmental Center, reaching for the sky.

What’s happening:

Currently in the first phase of construction, the Frick Environmental Center will serve as a welcome facility and a gateway to the woodlands of Frick Park where educators use the parks as classrooms. The new Center is quickly taking shape. Designed to meet the Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum standards for energy efficiency, each feature of this unique building is more exciting than the last. Most recently, a 15,000-gallon rainwater harvesting cistern was brought to the site!

Our Zone Gardener Rosie stands beside the rainwater cistern for scale.

How to learn more/stay involved:

Get updates on these and other exciting projects and programs in the parks by signing up for email updates here!

August 11, 2015 by pittsburghparks

Healthy Watersheds, Greener Streets

Imagine for a moment that you’re a doctor. But instead of treating people, you’re charged with healing a watershed.

The meadow at Bartlett Street in full bloom.

Like the human body, watersheds are complete systems; one part of the system influences another. If you get a fever, it’s usually the result of a chain reaction inside resulting from any number of ailments. Likewise, too much runoff, pollution, and chemicals like pesticides cause a ripple effect throughout a watershed.

Keeping watershed ecosystems healthy requires work and persistence. Over the past decade, the Parks Conservancy, along with partners Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and the City of Pittsburgh, have been nursing back to health an ailing Panther Hollow Watershed. Read more about the history of this project here.

Some symptoms are visible (sediment build-up in Panther Hollow Lake), while others are below the surface (combined sewer overflow, or CSO events after major rains).

Two of the last remaining above-ground streams in Pittsburgh flow in Schenley Park.

So, what’s the prognosis? With a holistic approach (a comprehensive restoration plan), it’s looking better and better. The recently installed meadow at Bartlett Street and infiltration berms at the Bob O’Connor Golf Course will help absorb rainwater, naturally letting it replenish the water table.

The next treatment to better the health of the watershed involves Schenley Drive.

Making up a large portion of the impervious surface of the park, Schenley Drive acts as a sort of autobahn for rainwater, channeling gushing gallons into the sewer system every year. Estimates for the Schenley Drive Green Street project that 70,000 bathtubs of water would be diverted from the sewer system every year. Plans for this road are just starting to take shape, with the second public meeting having been held on July 29th. Thanks to the feedback of so many park users, bikers, walkers, neighbors, and community members, this project will be shaped not only to better the health of the park, but to better serve as a “complete street,” accommodating all park and road users.

Help us in shaping this next step in the Panther Hollow Watershed restoration — give your feedback on what you’d like to see happen on the Schenley Drive Green Street!

Click here to take the Green Street Survey.

Keep abreast of projects going on in Schenley Park here on our website.

October 23, 2014 by pittsburghparks

Happening in the Parks: Fall 2014

Fall foliage flares
Everyone flocks
To their parks
A Pittsburgh parks haiku

Mission Ground Truth students in Frick Park

What pulls you to the parks in autumn? This season, the parks are bustling with kids’ events, volunteer days, learning opportunities, and much more. Here’s a rundown of what’s been happening and what’s to come:

What’s been happening

Die-hard Buccos fans celebrating the 54th anniversary of the 1960 World Series.

Mazeroski Day
Every October 13th, the Game 7 Gang flocks to Forbes Field to relive Bill Mazeroski’s tremendous home run in the 1960 World Series. Fans young and old dust off their Pirates memorabilia and pull up a lawn chair and head to Schenley Plaza to listen to the original broadcast of the game. We’re happy to report that the game always ends with a “W” for the Bucs!

DCNR Open House
Every five years, states nationwide craft outdoor recreation plans, outlining how they will use important federal funds to maintain and grow programs, policies, and programs. In early October, dozens of Pittsburghers used their outdoor voices at a public open house to give their feedback to help shape Pennsylvania’s new plan. The open house at Schenley Park, hosted by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), was an important step in making sure that Pittsburgh interests are represented. If you missed the open house, you can still give your feedback on the 2014-18 PA Outdoor Recreation Plan by heading this way before October 31st.

Native Plant Propagation Training
The Parks Conservancy, with special guest Kathy McGregor from Sylvania Natives, led a group of parks pals on a gorgeous morning to identify native plants in Frick Park through the Urban EcoSteward program in mid-October. The training took the group through trails to collect small seed samples of the local flora to propagate on their EcoSteward sites or in their backyard habitats. Along the way, the group found sassafras, spice bush, elder berry, hackberry, aster, and much more.

Bump in the Night
Almost 400 kids and adults ventured out to Frick Park after dark this month to meet nocturnal animals, carve jack-o’-lanterns, roast marshmallows, sing with Dr. Boo, and enjoy fall outdoors at the annual Bump in the Night. The event, geared towards kids ages three to 10 and their adults, encourages outdoor exploration while learning about the creatures that go bump in the night.

Panther Hollow Extravaganza
Now in its fifth year, the Panther Hollow Extravaganza started our fall volunteer season off with a bang. More than 115 energetic volunteers battled invasives, planted native trees, and beautified the park. All told, these fantastic folks removed 20 bags of trash, collected 240 pounds of red oak acorns for DCNR, planted 21 trees, and improved 80 feet of trails. All that, not to mention they cleared four sites of invasive plants, did some erosion control, build a retaining wall, AND established a rock crossing on a stream. Thanks to everyone that came out to help!

What’s to come

Dan Kiley
Dan Kiley (1912-2004) was one of the most important and influential Modernist landscape architects of the 20th century. After his passing, The Cultural Landscape Foundation assembled a special traveling photographic exhibit on his life and career. On November 7th, this exhibit will be on display at the Wood Street Galleries. Join our Parks Curator Susan Rademacher and Carol Brown, president of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, for the opening reception. (And be sure to order a copy of Susan’s new book, Mellon Square: Experiencing a Modern Masterpiece (Modern Landscapes, Then and Now) today!) Find more information here.

Night Explorers
For kids ages 10 to 14 who have a sense of adventure, a love of learning, and can roast a serious marshmallow, Night Explorers is a not-to-be-missed event. There will be nocturnal animal presentations, owl calls, a community campfire, and plenty of fun to go around. Registration and more information can be found here.

Volunteer Days
Missed the Panther Hollow Extravaganza? There are plenty more opportunities to join the ranks of our volunteer crews this fall. Visit the observatory, Chapel Shelter, and bear pit in Riverview Park or meet the passionate residents greening up their neighborhood on the Hill at our upcoming volunteer days. Register and more information here.

Urban EcoSteward Planting Techniques Training
The Urban EcoStewards invite everyone to become a pro at properly planting native species. The training, set in gorgeous Emerald View Park, is free and open to the public. Register here!

Out enjoying the parks this fall? Send us your lusciously leafy shots via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

One year ago: A Play-full Event

Two years ago: Every Little Bit Helps — A Volunteer Extravaganza

August 8, 2014 by pittsburghparks

Pardon the Dust: Park Projects in Progress

The new Frick Environmental Center

Back in 2002, fire consumed the much-loved Frick Environmental Center, the learning space that welcomed families and park-goers at the Beechwood Boulevard entrance of Frick Park. This week, twelve years (almost to the day!) after that fire, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, in collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh, brought in the hard hats to begin phase one of construction of the new Center.

Hats off for the rebuilding of the Frick Environmental Center!

The new Environmental Center, to occupy the very same footprint of the old, burnt Center, will be filled to the brim with the awesome spirit of learning that our education staff inspires in everyone who visits the park. Built on a foundation of community input, the design of the new Center works in tandem with its woody setting, incorporating state-of-the-art sustainability design to soften its impact on the land. The building will:

Meet Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum standards.
Use 40% less energy than a typical building of its size in the northeast.
Power all electrical systems via solar panels.
Filter and treat all wastewater before releasing it naturally on site.
Be constructed using materials that are produced locally (whenever possible) and safe for both humans and the environment.

First grade summer campers planted flowers to make the temporary trailers they currently use for indoor camp time a little homier.

We will be posting regular project updates on our website and marking any trail closures around the site as they happen. For general information on the project, we invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page and explore our website.

While we work on this exciting project, we will still be teaching hundreds of Pittsburgh-area kids about stream ecology, tree identification, and enjoying the parks. Join in by attending one of our upcoming Urban EcoSteward trainings!

High school Young Naturalists pose with Mayor Peduto on a walking tour near the site of the new Frick Environmental Center.

Schenley Park green infrastructure

Since we last wrote about the bike lane installation in Schenley Park, the Beacon Street demonstration project has really started to pick up steam. After the recent installation of the meadow (establishing itself now), the next step, infiltration trenches, has begun.

The infiltration system that is being installed between Beacon and Bartlett will capture and hold rainwater longer than if that water was allowed to keep rolling downhill. During big rain events, the trenches will help to sop up and slowly percolate this water back into the surrounding meadow, lightening the burden on overworked sewers.

These improvements — the meadow and trenches — are part of the larger effort to restore the Panther Hollow Watershed in Schenley Park. By using soil and plant roots to naturally filter water, we are preventing pollutants from roadways and sewers from finding their way into our water system and helping to address the issue of combined sewer overflow.

Watch as this project moves along quickly this summer! We’ll be posting regular updates of the Beacon/Bartlett site project on our website, as well as updates on greening the Bob O’Connor Golf Course greens, the next step in the Panther Hollow restoration.

Redevelopment of Cliffside Park continues this month as well. Stay tuned for updates on this project!

Members’ support is crucial in park improvements like these. Consider a donation to the Frick Environmental Center!

July 16, 2014 by pittsburghparks

Better Bikeways, Better Watersheds: Big Plans for Schenley Park

Standing in a semicircle of maps and renderings of Schenley Park and surrounding streets, Mayor Peduto, Bike Pittsburgh‘s Scott Bricker, and the Department of Public Works’ Patrick Hassett recently announced exciting and progressive plans for protected bike lanes in Pittsburgh.

Peduto, Bricker, and Hasset share the mic at the press conference.

The first of the three segments of this project that we’re particularly thrilled to see will run from Schenley Plaza, snake along Schenley Drive and Panther Hollow Road, and end at Anderson Playground. Partitioned with bollards and marked with paint, the new bike lanes make it so that “families can bike with their kids, older folks can bike all over the city, to get to life, to connect kids to their schools and people to work and grocery stores and places of entertainment,” as Bricker said in the press conference.

BIkers came out in support of the new lanes.

“Schenley Park is our backyard,” one family told us at the event. Living so close to Anderson Playground, they’re enthused to see the new lane help them get from A to B in a way that’s safe for their entire clan. The new, protected bike lane (the first in Pittsburgh!) is slated to begin this month, and all three sections will be completed by Labor Day.

The Levin-Boykowycz family at the Mayor’s press release.

Schenley Park, further down the road

These infrastructure upgrades in the park are only just the beginning. Mayor Peduto in his announcement of these soon-to-be upgrades touched on his administration’s attentiveness to improve not only transportation infrastructure, but also stormwater infrastructure — often at the same time.

The Parks Conservancy’s work in the Panther Hollow Watershed is the quintessential opportunity to merge stormwater and transportation improvements.

Schenley Drive creates a number of challenges in the Panther Hollow Watershed:

Winding through the upper sections of the watershed, it makes up a large part of the impervious surface of Phipps Run. This generates a large amount of runoff every time it rains, leading to erosion.
The too-wide roadway does not serve pedestrians, bicyclists, or golfers well.
Grassy golf turf traditionally require intense mowing regimes, fertilizers, and herbicides, which eventually harm the watershed.

Recommended in the Panther Hollow Restoration Plan is a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of solution:

“Create a “complete street” that welcomes people, mitigates stormwater runoff, increases baseflow and improves water quality. Infiltration Berms capture runoff generated by the compacted golf course lawn, allowing for increased infiltration that can support a natural meadow within “rough” areas. Vegetated Swales slow down remaining runoff. The street will be narrowed and a separate path created for pedestrians and bicyclists. This path could be porous asphalt and will include an infiltration bed to capture and infiltrate the runoff in the upper portions of the watershed. Where infiltration is not feasible in the lower portions of the watershed, the stormwater bed will slow the movement of runoff for slow release of treated water to Phipps Run.”

All in all, this comprehensive approach addresses stormwater issues (at least 70,000 bathtubs of water per year would be taken out of our overloaded combined sewer system!) while making the road more usable for everyone.

Before that happens, though, we’re working hard on other points of the Panther Hollow plan. Currently, the new meadow on Bartlett and Beacon Streets is being seeded and will be full-grown later this summer.

Stay tuned as these restoration projects progress, and be sure to take a spin on the new protected bike lanes when they’re installed.