Restoring Pittsburgh’s Great City Parks and Public Green Space
New Trees Planted in Canopy Gaps
page 4 International Urban Parks Conference
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By Lisa Conti
n October 12, 2007, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy celebrated the successful conclusion of its capital campaign, A Community Partnership for the Renaissance of Pittsburgh’s Great Parks, by hosting a dinner at the Pittsburgh Golf Club. PPC wishes to extend an enormous thanks to the over 6,000 donors who contributed. The campaign began January 1, 2003 with a goal of $27 million and concluded September 30, 2007 with a total of $30.2 million raised. The Parks Conservancy exceeded its goal by 12%! The campaign succeeded in large part because of the leadership and vision of its co-chairs, George C. Greer, Chairman of Capital campaign co-chairs George Greer (left) and Jim Rohr (right) are pictured with the Eden Hall Foundation, and James E. PPC President Meg Cheever and board member Audrey Hillman Fisher at the October capital campaign celebration dinner. Rohr, Chairman and CEO of The PNC Financial Services Group, who recognized “Our foundation and other funders have been pleased to the vital role parks play in our region’s quality of life. be a part of the strategic approach to revitalizing the Thousands of contributions during this campaign funded parks which the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the six major capital projects and many park programs. City have adopted. Their commitment to excellence is “It has been a privilege to co-chair this campaign obvious and demonstrated.” which has done so much for our city,” said Rohr. “We Again, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy would like to applaud the commitment to quality that the Pittsburgh thank every donor who supported this campaign, which Parks Conservancy and the City have shown in this has made a substantial difference in the quality of our restoration work. Its value is reflected in the increased community’s free park spaces. numbers of people using our parks.” Below you will find photographs of some of the many “Parks are critical to quality of life,” added Greer. projects made possible by funds raised in the campaign.
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Top: The Riverview Chapel Shelter’s steeple and dormers were restored. Bottom: Donors honor loved ones in Schenley Plaza’s garden rooms.
Charles Uhl
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Melissa McMasters
Madcap Masquerade
The restored Entry Garden provides a beautiful and inviting setting for visitors to Highland Park.
Mary Jane Bent
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Capital Campaign Goal Exceeded by $3 Million
Melissa McMasters
Curator of Parks Hired
Winter 2008
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
Maintaining and Sustaining Our Treasured Park Spaces
ear Friend of Pittsburgh Parks, ----Our non-profit organization has just celebrated eleven years in business. We have raised over $37 million since we were incorporated in December of 1996. More than $30 million of that total has come through our just-completed capital campaign, A Community Partnership for the Renaissance of Pittsburgh’s Great Parks, cochaired by George Greer and Jim Rohr (see page one). I hope you’ll agree that we have accomplished a lot over these past years — forging a working partnership with the city, jointly completing a master plan to renew the city’s four largest parks, and then completing a first round of capital improvements to the parks according to the plan. Among the notable projects are: Schenley Plaza, including the PNC Carousel; the Schenley Park Visitor Center; the Phipps Run Trail corridor in Schenley Park; the Highland Park Entry Garden; the Highland Park Babbling Brook; the Frick Reynolds Entrance restoration; and the 99% complete Riverview Chapel Shelter and Landscape Restoration in Riverview Park. We’ve also proudly planted over 10,000 new park trees. We have worked with the city, with you, our community of park lovers, and with many institutional partners to develop a strong volunteer effort in the parks and to produce educational and recreational programming. Some of the most popular programs have been
Richard Kelly
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BioBlitzes, Landscape Exploration programs, movie nights, lunchtime concerts, and the UPMC Health Plan Healthy Living Lecture Series, to name a few. But our organization is still searching for financial sustainability. Unlike the Zoo, Phipps Conservatory, and the Aviary — or even the city and county parks — we receive no Allegheny Regional Asset District (ARAD) funding. We have applied three times for ARAD but have always been turned down. So the way we stay in business and continue improving the parks is through foundation and government grants, corporate support, special events, and your generous individual gifts. I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Ravenstahl and the City of Pittsburgh for being enthusiastic partners in the cause of parks restoration. We deeply appreciate all of the donors and friends of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy who have made it possible for us to continue working to improve Pittsburgh’s Great Parks. You have made a genuine contribution to the health of our community. And we ask for your continued support in 2008. We plan to carry on our conservation and restoration work throughout the parks. We will also host the International Urban Parks Conference, Body & Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities, in September. We expect 350 park experts from around the world to visit our region for this conference and we are eager to showcase all the wonderful green assets that Pittsburgh has to offer. On behalf of all of us at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, I wish you a splendid 2008.
International Urban Parks Conference to be Held September 21-23 By Melissa McMasters
hat can park managers, advocates, volunteers, funders, and elected officials expect when they arrive in Pittsburgh for the 2008 International Urban Parks Conference this September? Visit the conference website at www.urbanparks08.org to learn about what’s in store and why Pittsburgh’s park system is setting an example to parks leaders around the world. Sign up to be notified when online registration becomes available so you can take advantage of early bird prices through May 1, 2008. You can also learn more about the conference program, book accommodations at a special rate, and join our e-mail list to receive updates about conference activities. Body and Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities is presented by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in association with the City of Pittsburgh and our national partners, the City Parks Alliance and the National Association for
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Olmsted Parks. In addition to cutting-edge ideas about how parks can strengthen a city and its people, a schedule of exciting events is taking shape, including: - Keynote addresses by Teresa Heinz, co-author of This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Keynote speaker Teresa Heinz Future; Luis Garden Acosta, human rights and environmental justice advocate; and Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder (made possible by a grant from the Garden Club of Allegheny County) - Pre-conference activities including a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, a visit to the Olmsted-designed town of Vandergrift, a kayak excursion on the Allegheny River, and a workshop on historic landscape maintenance - Tours of many of Pittsburgh’s “green” features, including green buildings, riverfront redevelopments, and the newly reconstructed Point State Park - Mobile workshops outlining success stories in Pittsburgh’s great parks To become a conference sponsor, contact Roy Lenhardt at 412-682-7275; to become an exhibitor, contact Helen Goodman at 412-521-6663.
In our summer issue, we listed National City as a company offering matching gifts to the PPC. We have learned that National City only offers matching gifts to educational institutions. We regret the error.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy 2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-682-PARK (7275) Fax: 412-622-0160 www.pittsburghparks.org
Staff Meg Cheever, President and CEO Debbie Beck, Chief Financial Officer Philip J. Gruszka, Director of Park Management and Maintenance Policies Roy E. Lenhardt, Director of Development Susan M. Rademacher, Parks Curator Laurie Anderson, Grants Manager Kim Barner, Accounting Assistant Beth Bodamer, Executive Assistant Joyce Collier, Membership Assistant Lisa Conti, Development Coordinator Erin Copeland, Restoration Ecologist Amy Gelzheiser, Special Events Coordinator Melissa McMasters, Online and Community Advocacy Manager Jake Milofsky, Field Ecologist Gudrun Wells, Volunteer Education Coordinator
Board of Directors Government Representatives: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, City of Pittsburgh Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Allegheny County State Representative Dan Frankel Duane Ashley, City of Pittsburgh Guy Costa, City of Pittsburgh Noor Ismail, City of Pittsburgh Alan Ackerman Robert Agbede Joe Belechak Meg Cheever G. Reynolds Clark John Diederich Helen Faison Karen Wolk Feinstein Audrey Hillman Fisher Elise Frick Ethel Hansen Harry Henninger Dan Holthaus Dorothy Horvath Elizabeth Howard Mark Kamlet
Becky Keevican Robbee Kosak John P. Levis, III David Malone Brian Mullins Marlee S. Myers Susan Nernberg Eliza Nevin Illah Nourbakhsh Robert Petrilli Richard Reed, chair James Rogal Ritchie Scaife Tom Schmidt Alex Speyer Jr. Gerald Voros Michael Zanic
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
What’s New With the Frick Environmental Center
UPMC Health Plan Sponsors Madcap Masquerade
By Susan M. Rademacher
s the snow flies, so is there a flurry of activity aimed at defining how a new environmental center in Frick Park will operate. Since a devastating fire severely damaged the Frick Environmental Center (FEC) in The Frick Environmental Center building today. 2002, Citiparks staff has resourcefully found ways and means to continue providing quality programs to park visitors. Since that time, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the City and the community, has been exploring potential approaches for re-visioning and rebuilding the FEC. The work to date has included research in other cities, identified the social value of an expanded environmental center, and developed a set of design values for a new facility. The community has focused on the opportunity to more than simply replace what was there, but instead to put something better in place. The mission – “Education through Restoration” – emphasizes using the Park as a classroom, the Building as a teacher, and the Center as an education hub for children, teachers, and families. Now PPC is taking the lead in developing a business plan to put the final pieces in place. We are working with consulting firm Root Cause to create a roadmap for growth and provide a path towards allowing the new FEC to be financially sustainable. The result, set for completion at midyear, will be an operating model with budgets and timeframes for putting the business plan into action. The FEC project is being made possible through the generosity of the Grable Foundation, the Laurel Foundation, the Colcom Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
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Mary Jane Bent
From the devilish to the debonair, over 500 parks supporters came dressed to thrill at the PPC’s third annual Madcap Masquerade on October 27. Presented by UPMC Health Plan, the event raised valuable funds for the parks and dazzled attendees with entertainment from the Zany Umbrella Circus, Nego Gato Capoeira, One Voice Gospel Choir, and more. This year the runway played host to both the “Couture du Monde” fashion show and the finalists for the Best Costume Prize, all of whom set the bar very high for next year’s Masquerade.
George Mendel
Melissa McMasters
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Top: Madcap Masquerade Honorary Chair Diane Holder and husband Jerry came dressed as the Queen and King of Narnia. Bottom: The Zany Umbrella Circus wowed the crowd with aerial acrobatics.
By Jake Milofsky
his summer and fall, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy enjoyed a partnership with the Men’s Garden Club of Pittsburgh, whose dedicated members helped with maintenance of the Highland Park Entry Garden. Two times per month from June through October, MGC’s group of “wacky, wonderful Wednesday weeders” met at the Entry Garden to volunteer for several hours, beautifying the garden and enjoying its progression over two-week intervals throughout the growing season. For close to 70 years, the Men’s Garden Club of Pittsburgh has stayed active in helping to maintain public gardens throughout the region. These activities and others, such as hosting tables at the May Market in Mellon Park, are the avenues by which MGC achieves its goal of “making Pittsburgh and the surrounding region a better place to live through gardening.” Welcoming its first female member in 1993, the Men’s Garden Club today boasts a wide variety
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of members who meet monthly for tours of notable nurseries and gardens in the region. MGC’s June meeting brought the club to the Highland Park Entry Garden, where PPC’s Phil Gruszka led a tour covering the garden’s history and the exciting process of its restoration. Members also gained insight into the maintenance needs of such a large horticultural undertaking and offered to work with PPC and the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works to keep the garden looking great for the many park users who enjoy it every day. “The Men’s Garden Club has been most happy and honored to be able to work with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in maintaining the Highland Park Entry Garden,” said Harriet Kruman, club secretary and a regular attendee at Entry Garden volunteer events. During the bi-monthly events, volunteers removed weeds from the perennial beds, “deadheaded” flowers, assisted with plant ID and labeling, and had a wonderful time. “I just love to weed!” said Melaine Kachmar, another club member and frequent Wednesday weeding attendee. And weed they did. Crown vetch, nutsedge, various grasses, and even small trees were removed from the garden so that the many perennials could thrive to their fullest. Volunteer efforts are a key element in the restoration of Pittsburgh’s four great parks and
Jake Milofsky
Men’s Garden Club “Wednesday Weeders” Steward Highland Park Entry Garden
Melaine Kachmar of the Men’s Garden Club removes weeds from a section of the Entry Garden.
a wonderful way to strengthen community throughout the city. As MGC Vice President Jack Albert noted, “Working in the Entry Garden is much different than working at home in your own backyard. It’s fun to garden in a public setting where people walking by will stop to say thanks or have a conversation.” Sentiments such as these signal a healthy appreciation for gardening in Pittsburgh, and our parks benefit from that appreciation. To learn about volunteering with MGC, visit www.mensgardenclubofpgh.com.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
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By Erin Copeland
s the PPC field crew walked through Schenley Park last August the day after a fierce summer storm, we marveled at the storm’s power and its impact on the park’s woodlands and hollows. Strong winds had toppled 40 trees in landscaped areas and at least 30 in the woodlands. Without warning, Panther Hollow was dramatically changed. In one place, what had once been a wooded hillside was now a cliff of shale outcroppings. Although the area appeared barren, it will not stay that way. With trees gone, the increased sunlight and reduced plant competition for water and nutrients will allow the site to change naturally over time through succession, the process by which ecosystems transition from meadows to shrubby areas to forests. In the city, though, the natural process of succession is often stymied by storm water runoff, invasive plants and trees, and deer overcrowding. As storms pass through park areas, rain hits impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots, and manicured lawns. With nowhere to go, the rain water flows into storm sewers and often overflows into yards and down hillsides, causing erosion, mud slides, and “gullying” – strong narrow channels of water that can wipe out any plants in their path. In these disturbed areas, seeds from invasive plants species will flourish and crowd out native plants and trees. Further compounding the natural development of park woodlands is the large population of deer within the city’s boundaries. White-tailed deer feed on the tender leaves and twigs of native tree saplings and rub their antlers on the thin bark. Young trees often lose the battle against storm water runoff, invasive species, and deer and never reach maturity. Over time, the loss of these trees changes the woodland habitat, which can reduce the diversity of birds and other wildlife that inhabit the area.
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To combat these problems, PPC field staff, with the support of Urban EcoStewards and other volunteers, work to remove invasive species, sow native seed mixes in stormdisturbed soil, create natural water barriers on hillsides, and build deer exclosures. We also plant native trees in woodland gaps created by storm damage, the removal of invasive vines that choked tree growth, or the removal of invasive trees themselves (e.g., Norway maples, tree of heaven). This past year, PPC Left: Trees near the Anderson Playground in Schenley received grant funding Park sustained heavy damage in the August storm. Above: Volunteers from the University of Pittsburgh from the McKenzie worked in teams to plant trees in Panther Hollow. Foundation to plant trees in woodland gaps found in each of the four regional parks. Last fall, PPC planted 150 large, landscape-sized trees of diverse variety: sugar maples, trembling aspens, hickories, basswoods, oaks, tulip trees, and others. Selected sites were the Chapel Shelter in Riverview Park, Panther Hollow in Schenley Park, Seasonal Pools in Highland Park, and the Nine Mile Run restoration area in Frick Park. Planting larger trees is more difficult, but they are better able to ward off competitors. And the tree planting is made easier through the help of the Department of Public Works (DPW) crews and equipment and many volunteers. With funds remaining from the McKenzie Foundation grant, another 20 trees will be planted this spring as part of the continuing effort to restore the ecological health of our parks’ natural areas.
The Invasive Advisor
The emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) has devastated ash tree populations in five states, killing more than 25 million trees in only five years. Last June, it was spotted for the first time in Pennsylvania, in an office park in Cranberry. Studies of ash trees indicate that it has been in the state for several years. To learn more about EAB, visit http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=144707.
Emerald Ash Borer
Common name: Emerald ash borer Scientific name: Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire Natural range: China, Japan, Korea, Eastern Russia DESCRIPTION: The adult emerald ash borer is a green beetle no larger than a penny. Its larvae are creamy white (making them hard to spot) and carve out distinctive S-shaped galleries in the interior of ash trees. ECOLOGICAL THREAT: The larvae feed on the tree’s inner bark and phloem, rendering it unable to transport water and nutrients. Adult beetles emerge through D-shaped holes in the bark and are active from May through the end of summer. It may take over a year to detect an infestation. Signs include branch dieback, thinning or yellowing leaves, vertical bark slits, woodpecker damage, and shoots growing primarily from the tree’s base. Trees typically die within three years of an infestation. HABITAT: All species of ash in North America are susceptible to infestation by EAB. Ash trees, which are characterized by compound opposite leaves, make up about 3% of the tree population in Pittsburgh’s parks. LOOK-ALIKES: The six-spotted green tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata) has a similar appearance but preys on small insects. MANAGEMENT OPTIONS: EAB has no natural predators in North America, so management is extremely difficult. Forestry officials in states where EAB has been detected have imposed quarantines on moving firewood and nursery stock and have cut down ash trees in a half-mile radius of an infestation. You can help by using only local firewood--transporting infested firewood can greatly accelerate the ash borer’s spread. WHAT TO DO IF YOU SPOT IT: Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 1-866-253-7189 or send an e-mail to badbug@state.pa.us.
EAB adult and larva photos courtesy of www.emeraldashborer.info
Photos: Melissa McMasters
The Ever-Changing Woodlands of Pittsburgh’s Parks
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Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
Susan Rademacher: Conservancy’s New Designing Woman By Laurie Anderson
ou might find Susan Rademacher, PPC’s new Parks Curator, choosing the grout color for stone curbing, poring over a historic plan, or leading a project meeting. Just as a museum curator is charged with the care of collections, Susan is responsible for the artistic or design aspects of the parks’ “collections,” that is, the parks themselves and their historic structures, sculptures, gardens, and so on. As Curator, Susan researches the parks and their built elements, explains their value to the public, ensures that restorations are true to historic design, develops master plans, and recommends fitting improvements. What drives her is a passion to create beautiful and healthy spaces for others to enjoy, where they may develop a greater sense of community. “The position of Parks Curator is new to the field of urban parks management,” says Meg Cheever, PPC’s President and CEO. “Susan’s expertise and holistic approach to the care and preservation of park assets will allow PPC to set a new standard of excellence.” Susan comes well-qualified for the position. When she became founding Executive Director of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy in 1991, she faced the same problems that confronted PPC in its infancy: a neglected park system and little, if any, funds available from the City. Louisville’s 18-park system is of
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Susan Rademacher in her element.
particular historic importance, as it is Frederick Law Olmsted’s most fully realized achievement of creating a system of parks connected to treelined parkways. Through Susan’s leadership, LOPC developed a nationally renowned master plan, completed numerous historic restoration projects, created an innovative volunteer program, and increased public support. Susan’s interest in landscape and design began early. As a child, she delighted in her mother’s flower garden and helped her father design and plant their grounds. She later
combined her talents as a writer with her love of landscape design as a founding editor of Garden Design magazine, and as Editor-inChief of Landscape Architecture from 19841987. She has lectured and taught in such institutions as the Smithsonian, University of Pennsylvania, Colonial Williamsburg, and Harvard University. In fact, Susan’s national reputation in parks restoration brought her to Pittsburgh as a speaker at PPC’s first fundraising event in 1997. Meg had met Susan while visiting Louisville to investigate possible models for the then-new PPC. A decade later and Susan is back for good--working on a range of projects from park signage to a Mellon Park garden restoration, from Schenley Plaza programming to a new overlook in the Hill District. Susan already feels at home in Pittsburgh. Its topography, rivers, and lush green character resonate deeply for her. Like most newcomers, she is taken with the City’s distinct neighborhoods, access to great museums and libraries, and rich cultural life. She looks forward to putting her “boots on the ground” and exploring the parks to find new special places. So if you’re walking in a park and see a woman with a sketchbook, mesmerized by the play of shadow and light on the landscape, welcome Susan Rademacher to Pittsburgh.
Planning Begins for Comprehensive Park Trail and Signage Project By Melissa McMasters
t’s easy to think about park trails as just the dirt beneath our feet or bicycle wheels, outlining for us the proper path to take through the forest. But the trails in our city parks are much more than dirt pathways, and their design and construction play a major role in the parks’ overall health. A well-constructed trail can provide safe passage for its users, slow erosion, contribute to good drainage, and discourage the spread of invasive plants. With all these concerns in mind, last summer the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh began the engineering phase of a multi-year comprehensive trail restoration program in the four regional parks. Funded by a $3 million federal transportation grant and startup grants from UPMC Health Plan, the Ryan Memorial Foundation, and the Laurel Foundation, the project will eventually include bridge repairs and the installation of a standardized signage system. Representatives from the engineering firm PBS&J have conducted aerial and GPS mapping of the parks to determine which trails need to be resurfaced, narrowed, regraded, or rerouted to make them safe and sustainable. This data will be used over the next several years as the project moves through all four parks. Because its trails are the most heavily used, Schenley Park will be the pilot site for repairs, which should begin in 2008. Plans for Schenley Park’s Panther Hollow Valley provide a snapshot of what users can expect to see in the other parks as the project unfolds.
Melissa McMasters
Broken bridges and fallen trees in the Panther Hollow Valley.
Illustration by Carlos F. Peterson
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This illustration shows the goal of the restoration project in Schenley Park: repaired bridges, sustainable trails, improved ecological conditions, and increased accessibility.
The Panther Hollow Valley is home to 80 acres of woodlands, streams, and trails. It gained some of its most distinctive features in the 1930s, when the Works Progress Administration installed several stone bridges to guide users across the streams. Today, these bridges are crumbling and the trails that go across them often provide rough passage due to downed trees and the spread of invasive species. The condition of the bridges mirrors the condition of the surrounding landscape. Repairing Panther Hollow’s bridges and trails will provide the foundation for restoring the entire area. The bridge and trail work will include attention to drainage issues, erosion control, and the use of proper surface materials to keep trails from washing out in storms. Trails that are too wide will be narrowed, and native trees and shrubs will be planted to extend the reach of the forest. New park signs will help users navigate established trails rather than unsustainable paths through the forest that disturb the woodland ecology. Repairs to the trails, which provide some of the best connections between urban dwellers and the natural world, will have a positive impact on park ecology as a whole. With better trails and appropriate new signage to lead the way and provide information and context, this project will be enhancing users’ park experiences for years to come.
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Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
Taking Stock of the Nine Mile Run Watershed
By Erin Copeland, PPC and Lisa Brown, Nine Mile Run Watershed Association
he Nine Mile Run Watershed Association (NMRWA) hosted its first State of the Watershed symposium on September 7 and 8, 2007. This public event was designed to share the history, current state, and desired future of the watershed, part of which is located in Frick Park. September 7’s event focused on the history of Nine Mile Run. The next day, NMRWA’s executive director Marijke Hecht spoke about the current state of the watershed. The good news is that there is improved stream habitat, including improved stream pH, lack of heavy metal contamination, and an increase in the numbers and diversity of aquatic organisms, including fish. However, Nine Mile Run is still experiencing extremes in flow, and both fecal coliform and E.coli concentrations continue to exceed the allowable standard even in dry weather, evidence of combined sewer overflows as well as chronic system leakage. Interestingly, the E.coli levels in both wet and dry weather decreased as the sample locations got closer to the Monongahela River, possibly indicating that the new wetlands are partially cleaning the stream. Also on Saturday, residents learned how they can participate in restoring the watershed. The Nine Mile Run stream winds through Frick Park. Melissa McMasters
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Tom Cahill of Cahill Associates, Inc. and Tavis Dockwiller of viridian landscape studio offered some watershed-friendly practices, such as installing permeable pavement and rain gardens. After the presentations, attendees were asked to brainstorm an ideal future for Nine Mile Run. During lunch, participants were divided into groups and given a map of the watershed. On this map, community members were asked to think of ways to emphasize that this urban landscape is a watershed and to describe how they would like to see the Nine Mile Run Watershed change in the next five years and in the next 25 years. This brainstorming event encouraged people to envision the best future for their watershed, including art installations, clean water, and reformed sewage and greywater treatment policies. Participants envisioned their children playing in a stream that was once so contaminated that no one wanted to go near it. These ideas will guide NMRWA as they plan for the future and continue to ensure the restoration and protection of the Nine Mile Run Watershed. For more information about the watershed, visit www.ninemilerun.org.
Grand View Scenic Byway Park Expands Pittsburgh’s Park System By Lynne Squilla, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation he Grand View Scenic Byway Park (GVSBP) is a unique crown of green space encircling Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights. After years of grassroots, foundation, and city government dedication, this park has become an exciting reality, ready to welcome all who want to make it better. Called the Grand View Scenic Byway Park because it also borders the unique Pennsylvania Byway of Grandview Avenue, East Sycamore Street, and McArdle Roadway, these 230 acres of recreational parks and wild, wooded hillsides – some with trails and truly spectacular views – hold much promise for the near and distant future. Outdoor enthusiasts and those who appreciate the benefits of passive green space should rejoice! Plans are underway to make the GVSBP into a world-class attraction. Working with three different mayors and successive supportive city councils, the GVSBP was unanimously approved in December 2005, with the final 16 acres added in March 2006. A co-stewardship agreement between the City of Pittsburgh and the Mount Washington
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Community Development Corporation (MWCDC), which was modeled on the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s partnership with the City, was signed by Mayor Ravenstahl on Earth Day 2007. The staff and members of the MWCDC were instrumental in the formation of this unusual park. Beginning in 2002 with an effort called “The Emerald Link,” the MWCDC researched and compiled a list of 423 public and private lots, along with existing parks and greenways, in order to assimilate these open spaces into a green ring that would be a boon to the city and region. After the Heinz Endowments funded a Master Implementation Plan, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy environmental experts walked every acre to assess ways to restore, preserve, and improve the land. The result is a document the size of the Manhattan phone book aimed at enhancing plant and animal species, view corridors, and land and equipment conditions; clearing dump sites; and improving and extending existing trails and other amenities. Like the PPC in the parks it stewards, MWCDC seeks
to restore habitat and enhance the area’s recreational options for residents as well as the over one million local, national, and international guests who visit each year. This surprising urban park has produced great enthusiasm every step of the way, with tremendous support from volunteers, foundations, federal and state sources, and numerous other non-profits. According to Ilyssa Manspeizer, Park Resource Manager, “With the support of this great City’s wonderful people, and partner organizations like the PPC showing us the way, we look forward to all the future can bring to this wonderful regional asset and would love to welcome you to visit our City’s newest Regional Park!” If you would like to be part of this remarkable initiative as a visitor, committee member, or volunteer, please contact Ilyssa at imanspeizer@mwcdc.org or at 412-481-3220, or check out Grand View Scenic Byway Park online at www.mwcdc.org/gvsbp.htm.
How is the PPC involved? The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is showing its support for the creation of green space in the city by lending some of its expertise to the Grand View project. In addition to the knowledge of PPC staff, GVSBP will benefit from the signage, lighting, and bench standards being implemented in Frick, Highland, Schenley, and Riverview Parks. An example of a potential Grand View sign, designed in the park standard style, appears at right.
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
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Board Member Spotlight: Robbee Kosak, Development Committee Chair By Amy Gelzheiser
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Why did you choose to become involved with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Board of Directors? After moving back to Pittsburgh in 2000, I was really struck at how much of the renaissance had gone on in Pittsburgh’s business community. My husband and I are park lovers, and we were excited to learn of the PPC’s restoration projects. The parks are a very bright spot in our community, and they revitalize our physical as well as ecological living conditions.
Parks are the democratic space. They are the only place that anyone can go to and enjoy the benefit of the entity for nothing.
Which park do you visit most often? Schenley Park is my favorite because it has so many offerings tucked away, and is full of great surprises. Schenley Plaza is an area that I visit regularly on the weekends, and it is a great oasis even in the wintertime. Why do you think parks are so important to our city? Parks are the democratic space. They are the
only place that anyone can go to and enjoy the benefit of the entity for nothing. What is your favorite PPC project? My favorite showcase project is the restoration of the Highland Park gardens. This project was the most dramatic in the level of involvement, with several different neighborhood organizations working together throughout the restoration process. This project shows how restoring a park to its appropriate condition becomes a magnet again for a community, and it has served as a home for groups to use for their events. Do you have any special park memories? My favorite park memory happened at Schenley Plaza one Saturday morning last winter. I walked down to the Plaza with my dogs, and I was sitting on one of the park benches tucked away in the garden area. A mother and a young boy from out of town walked by, and the boy was recently released from Children’s Hospital. The boy turned to his mother and said, “You know, Mom, this is such a beautiful place and it’s my first walk outside in a month.” What is the biggest challenge facing the PPC? The biggest challenge is helping the public at large understand where funding for the capital projects comes from. Because we have so little public funding, this affects selecting the projects that get done, since most of the dollars raised come from private fundraising. Unlike other public treasures, like museums or the Zoo, we do not have a front or back door, nor do we charge admission. Membership is voluntary, and we hope that people who use the
This August, representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources visited Schenley Plaza to learn about the project, discuss future plans for the site, and even take a spin on the PNC Carousel. DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis, who has supported PPC’s work in the parks, is scheduled to speak at the 2008 International Urban Parks Conference next September. Pictured are: (back) PPC’s Phil Gruszka, Roy Lenhardt, and Susan Rademacher and DCNR’s Cindy Dunn and Michael DiBerardinis, (front) Tracy Stack and Kathy Frankel of DCNR’s Pittsburgh office. (Photo: Melissa McMasters)
Courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University
obbee Baker Kosak is the Vice President of University Advancement at Carnegie Mellon University, and has served on the PPC Board of Directors since 2004. Kosak currently serves as the Chair of the Development Committee. She is also actively involved with the Nominating & Governance and Executive Committees.
Robbee Kosak chairs the PPC’s development committee and is an ardent parks supporter.
parks choose to pay for it, and continue to use the parks in the future. This city has so much energy and ideas to move forward, but funding is a challenge. Parks have attracted people for generations and are free, cost-effective investments of private and public dollars. The parks meet every constituency, and it is wise to invest in the things that people can use. What are some of the best ways for people to help support the mission of the PPC? One of the best ways is to encourage people to go online and tell us their opinions and provide feedback. They also need to tell their elected officials how important the parks are to them and donate through annual gifts.
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Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Newsletter
Non-Profit Org. U S POSTAGE
P A I D
Volunteers Invest in the Future
An October morning of bulb planting with the YWCA, Hill House, and Church of Latter-Day Saints will result in a beautiful array of daffodils this spring near the Bartlett Playground in Schenley Park.
Summer and Fall Numbers
early 400 volunteers gave their time and effort to projects with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy this summer and fall, and the effects of their work will be visible for years to come. Among their many contributions, volunteers planted several thousand daffodil bulbs near the Bartlett Playground in Schenley Park. These hardy plants will brighten the area for many springs in the future. Also in Schenley Park, volunteers removed invasive vines from the Panther Hollow canopy gaps and tall weeds from the new meadow by the pool, making way for native plants to thrive. One of the biggest investments volunteers made was their work to plant trees in all four parks. Volunteers were asked to dig holes, remove the trees from their packaging, plant and water them, and install bark guards to protect them from deer. This is no small effort, but with proper care and maintenance, these trees could be a part of our urban forest for generations. We thank all the volunteers who worked with us this season and encourage anyone interested in helping out to sign up for e-mail alerts at www.pittsburghparks.org or call 412-682-7275.
Volunteers: 392 Total Hours: 1,522 Value: $28,568 (based on $18.77/hr. Source: Independent Sector 2006) 13 Community Partners: Carnegie Mellon University, Church of Latter-Day Saints, Collegiate Eagle Scouts of America, Giant Eagle, Hill House, Literacy*AmeriCorps Pittsburgh/ Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, Men’s Garden Club of Pittsburgh, Penn State University Cooperative Extension, Pittsburgh Cares, Student Conservation Association, University of Pittsburgh Resident Assistants and Resident Directors, University of Pittsburgh Staff, and YWCA
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Jake Milofsky
Melissa McMasters
PITTSBURGH, PA PERMIT NO 4906
A volunteer waters a newly-planted tree near the Washington Blvd. seasonal pools in Highland Park.
Birder Jack Solomon: “Henry Clay Frick Made Me a Millionaire” By Laurie Anderson
ack Solomon is known locally as an eminent birder, although to hear him tell it, it’s his wife who’s really serious about birding. Jack is the President of the Three Rivers Birding Club and has enjoyed spotting, identifying, and studying birds for over 50 years. In addition to regular outings, the club participates in the Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count and another count in May during the Spring migration. The results of these counts help the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy track the diversity and number of birds in the parks. When asked how he became interested in birds, Jack relays a story from his honeymoon. A natural history buff from a very young age, Jack went on any naturalist walk that was offered while on his honeymoon at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. He was rather bored by the one about sea birds, though; it seemed to involve only squinting at small specks in the distance. But when he looked through a telescope at a Ruddy Turnstone in its full fall plumage, he was enthralled. Back at home, he borrowed a friend’s binoculars and didn’t return them for three years! A successful birder must have good eyes and ears, but Jack also stresses the need for strong intellectual focus and ability to immediately recall myriad details. While you can
Cliff McGill
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Among the birds visible in southwestern Pennsylvania are cedar waxwings, which feast on wild fruits.
pull out a tree identification guide and take your time examining leaves, branches, and bark, birds don’t wait around to be studied. During the last May migration count, at least 100 species of birds were sighted. Jack loves the bright colors of neo-tropical birds, such as warblers, vireos, tanagers, and orioles. One of Jack’s most thrilling experiences in Frick Park was seeing a marsh hawk, a raptor rarely seen in an urban park, as they usually inhabit very large open spaces. (He later learned that the bird was injured, and was nursed to health and released.) Among the birds that Jack commonly sees in Frick Park are woodpeckers: pileated, redbellied, hairy, and downy. Other birds that nest and breed in or near Frick Park are song
birds like bluejays, black-capped chickadees, titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, and Carolina wrens and raptors like the red-tailed, red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks. Although he’s an avid birder, Jack doesn’t proselytize. He encourages people to watch birds, but likens birdwatching to playing baseball: “You can play in a sand lot or you can play in the major leagues. It’s okay to just enjoy watching birds at your backyard feeder, but to become an expert birder takes practice, practice, practice.” He admits, though, that socializing has become a large part of the attraction of birding for him. He rarely birds alone because he likes to share what he sees with someone else. Sometimes his wife has to ask him to stop talking. Growing up in Homewood, Jack remembers the thrill of family walks to Frick Park. The woods seemed to stretch on forever into wilderness. Even now, as Jack walks through Frick Park and smells the leaves, listens to a pileated woodpecker, and sees asters in bloom, he thinks how lucky he is. The park is Jack’s giant backyard. “The park belongs to me as much as anyone else,” Jack declares. “I’m as rich as Henry Clay Frick – in fact, even richer. The 150 acres that he gave his daughter are now mine to enjoy. Frick gave the land to me, too, and made me a millionaire.”