June-August 2022 Volume 29 Number 2
COMPL
IMENTA
RY
Volunteer gardeners of all ages enjoy beautifying the region
Lisa Herring, garden steward for WPC’s Beechwood Ave. and Reynolds garden, and Elaine Riberich at WPC’s Forbes Avenue garden in Oakland, where Elaine is a steward.
Elaine Riberich volunteers
as a garden steward with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, tending gardens at the busy intersections of Beechwood, Saline and Hazelwood avenues and at Forbes Avenue in Oakland, next to Dippy the dinosaur. Her dedication to stewarding community flower gardens is so great that she even convinced a city councilwoman to refurbish nearby benches at one garden so visitors could sit and enjoy the lovely space. After City of Pittsburgh Councilperson Erika Strassburger stopped by the Oakland garden while Elaine was volunteering, Elaine contacted her about
some wooden benches that desperately needed repairs. “She immediately had them refurbished and continues to have them checked and restored,” says Elaine, who regularly washes and clears the benches of leaves, and picks up garbage in the immediate area. “It makes it a much more inviting spot to sit, reflect and eat while appreciating the beauty of this wonderful community open space.” Each spring, summer and fall, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s 130 community flower gardens bring color and joy to neighborhoods all around the Pittsburgh region. More than 5,000 vol-
unteers, including Elaine, help plant and steward the gardens, which appear at intersections, along roadways and even at schools. In addition to the gardens, the Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, protects and restores exceptional places in western Pennsylvania. It has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assesses hundreds of wildlife species and their habitats. It owns and operates Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The garden volunteers are all ages, from all walks of life and of all skill levels. “They are seniors and children, individuals, families, community groups or corporate volunteers,” says Lynn McGuire-Olzak, the Conservancy’s community garden volunteer coordinator. “Some have never planted flowers before, and others are skilled gardeners who have been planting with us for years.” Continued on page 14
Like us on Facebook for more news and updates at facebook.com/ PittsburghSeniorNews
Be the first to know when news happens To receive a digital copy of our publication please send us an email at pghseniornews@icloud.com
Visit our website pittsburghseniornews.com
Grab your copy of the 2022 Allegheny County Senior Resource Guide A guide with all the phone numbers and websites for senior resources you may need. Visit the website at pghseniornews.com to download a copy of the guide.