Planting, Protecting and Caring for our Region’s Trees and Forests
Planting Trees and Reforesting Our Region – One Tree at a Time
Forests and Trees of Our Region
Former Inmates Could Help Fill Shortage in Tree Management Workforce
Donation Memorializes a Daughter's Love for Trees
Fallingwater’s Fallen Trees: Good for the Ecosystem and Décor
Forest Expert Shares Conservation Options with Forest Landowners
A Gift in Memory of Forest Landowners to Support Water Quality in the Allegheny National Forest
Forest Management at WPC Requires Strategic, Focused Practices
WPC Establishes Vital Community Forestry Model for the Region
Plant a Native Tree at Home
Painting Invites Visitors to Step into the Woods
Field Notes: The Worth of Trees: Seeing the Trees and the Forest
information on WPC and membership: 412-288-2777 Toll Free: 1-866-564-6972
Message from the President
Pennsylvania’s trees and forests are majestic, beautiful and essential to our region’s landscape. And at the same time, trees are environmental workhorses. They help improve air quality, enhance habitats, reduce stormwater runoff and sequester carbon. Trees and forests are crucial to many of today’s environmental and conservation challenges, and to other species in nature with whom trees have a symbiotic relationship.
The Conservancy works on many of the issues facing Pennsylvania’s trees and forests: invasive species that threaten our native forests; forest fragmentation from development of many types; tree canopy decline; habitat loss and warming climates.
In this issue of Conserve , we’re highlighting the ways the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s work benefits trees, which in turn provide so many benefits to people, wildlife and the environment. Since 2008, the Conservancy has planted almost 100,000 trees across our region – along streets, on trails, in parks, along rivers and streams, and on our nature reserves. This issue is dedicated to where and why we plant trees, how we care for trees and forests, and the environmental benefits of and threats to our trees and forests.
Spring and fall are busy planting times for many staff members in the Conservancy’s gardens and greenspace, watershed conservation and land stewardship programs. Planting during fall is ideal since newly planted trees can establish themselves before winter, or in the spring before foliage growth occurs.
But planting is just the start; there are many months of planning, community engagement and caring for the trees we plant across the region. These efforts involve many landowners, community residents and volunteers. Our tree planting partners are essential to our work. We appreciate the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Tree Pittsburgh and all the many tree commissions, tree planters and tenders, and so many funding partners and donors for their generous time and support.
On Conservancy-owned properties, trees are a significant part of many restoration projects. Just as one example, the Pennsylvania state tree, the Eastern hemlock, is threatened because of an invasive pest called hemlock woolly adelgid. At our Bear Run Nature Reserve, we are experimenting with approaches to help hemlocks resist this invasive threat. This work is part of a collective partnership of conservationists and scientists across the state working to help save at least some of our hemlocks.
Thank you for your membership and for being an important partner in our work. We can’t do this work without you. Please join us as a volunteer at our tree-planting events. And thank you to all of our volunteers, members and partners for appreciating Pennsylvania’s trees and forests as we do.
Thomas D. Saunders PRESIDENT AND CEO
Cover: Aerial view of the Bennett Branch watershed from WPC’s 1,500-acre Bennett Branch Forest
PLANTING TREES AND REFORESTING OUR REGION - ONE TREE AT A TIME
Since 2008, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has Planted Almost 100,000 Trees Across Western Pennsylvania
Trees are among the oldest living organisms on Earth and the dominant natural feature in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As the most recognizable, important and beneficial species in nature, trees contribute to our lives each day by providing the oxygen we need to breathe and absorbing excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees also cool our rivers and streams, provide habitat, preserve soil and support wildlife, among myriad other environmental, social, economic and public health benefits.
Trees provide breathtaking beauty across Western Pennsylvania. Trees have the ability to captivate and fascinate us – just drive or hike the Laurel Highlands or the Pennsylvania Wilds, especially during fall. Experiencing some of our region’s oldest and tallest trees at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Tryon-Weber Woods Natural Area in Crawford County can be transformative. Trees in this natural area are tall and ancient. Pennsylvania’s state tree, the Eastern hemlock, can be found on many of our properties; one of the tallest in our region, at more than 127 feet, is located on the grounds of Fallingwater.
Trees and forests are – and have always been – at the center
of the Conservancy’s work. In fact, the Conservancy’s first project was the landscaping of a hillside along Pittsburgh's Bigelow Boulevard using trees, shrubs and flowers. And in 1945, our first land acquisition protected hundreds of acres of forest in Lawrence County at McConnells Mill and the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge. This protection helped establish McConnells Mill State Park, and the gorge later became a National Natural Landmark.
Today, our work with trees and forests continues – in every aspect of the Conservancy’s work. Our watershed conservation staff has planted more than 42,000 native trees in riparian areas along local rivers and streams since 2013.
Continued on page 4
WPC protected 17,000 acres of northern hardwood forest in McKean County in 2015, which is now part of Elk State Forest.
Continued from page 3
And to restore areas on WPC-owned nature reserves, our land stewardship staff and volunteers have planted more than 20,000 trees and shrubs to reestablish natural habitats. Through our community gardens and greenspace program, we have planted approximately 37,000 native street and landscape trees in cities and towns across the region since 2008.
“Thanks to hundreds of volunteers and our many funders and planning partners, we have been able to plant a variety of trees in many communities across the region,” says Cynthia Carrow, the Conservancy’s vice president of government and community relations. “People love trees and we are committed to ensuring the good heath of the trees we have planted to help protect and restore the tree canopy. Given the many ecological benefits of trees, it is also important for us to continue planting trees – not only because it’s important to
our mission – but to increase the tree canopy in communities where it is particularly low."
Protecting Forestland and Saving Trees
When Pennsylvania was established more than 200 years ago, its landscape was almost completely forested, dominated by hemlock, white pine, oaks, maples, hickories and more than 100 other species, which gave rise to the name “Penn’s Woods.” Over time, population growth, industrialization and development diminished forestland. Today, 56 percent of Pennsylvania – nearly 17 million acres – remains forested, of which 2.2 million acres is part of the state forest system. The Conservancy has a history of protecting large intact working forests. Many state forests, including Buchanan and Forbes, have benefited from our protection work. In 2015, WPC conserved more than 17,000 acres of forestland in McKean County, adding this land to Elk State Forest. Our region’s dense forests not only provide wildlife habitat and recreation, but beautify and cool the region. In addition to protecting forests, we study them, too. From 2013 to 2017, our conservation science staff conducted terrestrial and aquatic monitoring to help determine forest impacts from shale gas development. Because our forests vary in composition and quality, we also recently studied forest quality and habitat characteristics for forest interior birds.
Capturing Carbon Dioxide
The Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Science Charles Bier says reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and planting more trees are important defenses against our warming climate. Trees sequester and store CO 2, decreasing its concentration in the atmosphere – a mature tree can absorb approximately 48 pounds of CO 2 a year. He also notes a lesser known fact: “Soil, the organic matter supporting plant life, also captures CO 2.” So, the work the Conservancy undertakes to plant trees and protect forests – and keep these areas intact – is important in the fight against climate change.
Planting Beautiful Landscape and Street Trees
More than 37,000 trees have been planted in public parks, along community trails and community streets in neighborhoods and downtowns through the Conservancy’s TreeVitalize Pittsburgh partnership, Pittsburgh Redbud Project and community forestry program that engages communities outside of Allegheny County. Community residents and partners help plan, plant and care for these trees that provide so many benefits for our lives, local communities and the region. Read more on pages 14-15.
Each year, hundreds of volunteers help WPC plant trees across the region, such as this group that helped plant at South Side Park in Pittsburgh.
Restoring Waterways with Riparian Trees
Our local rivers and streams greatly benefit when they are clean and cool. The streambanks and areas near rivers and streams, called riparian buffers, work best when they contain plenty of trees and shrubs. These trees and shrubs, which also enrich the soils, help filter nitrogen and other pollutants through their root systems before these contaminates enter our waterways. These trees and shrubs also help to stabilize eroding streambanks and provide many other benefits for fish and aquatic ecosystems. Our watershed conservation team helps restore rivers and streams by planting riparian areas with tree species like silver maples and elderberry bushes that favor wet soils. With the help of many partners and volunteers, we’ve helped restore waterways by planting more than 42,000 riparian trees since 2013. Read more on pages 8-9.
Saving Trees and our Natural Heritage
Have you ever personally observed or touched – or maybe even hugged – an ancient tree? If you haven’t, you should. The Conservancy’s 120-acre Tryon-Weber Woods Natural Area in Crawford County is one of the most ecologically important forested areas in the region due to the diversity of tree species located there. A mature 40-acre beech-sugar maple stand within the natural area, where some trees are around 100 feet tall and at least 90 to 120 years old, is thought to be the last remaining of its kind in Western Pennsylvania and the easternmost stand in the national range for this type of forest. Tryon-Weber Woods Natural Area is about a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh. And at some state-owned natural areas, also
open to the public, you can appreciate ancient trees that are more than 300 years old within old-growth forests.
Advancing the Pittsburgh Redbud Project
The Pittsburgh Redbud Project launched in 2016 with the goal of planting thousands of flowering Eastern redbuds and complementary native trees on trails, hillsides and open spaces in downtown Pittsburgh in view of the city’s riverfronts. To date, volunteers and staff with our community gardens and greenspace program have helped the Conservancy plant and care for nearly 3,800 new trees through this exciting initiative. These trees introduce bursts of spring color to downtown Pittsburgh’s three rivers, and as they mature and the canopy grows, the area transforms with even more native beauty. Through this project, the Conservancy has also given away more than 2,000 redbud tree saplings or seeds to volunteers and community members.
Trees or shrubs planted along streams, also called riparian plantings, are especially important on farms like this one in Indiana County. These trees filter and absorb excess nutrients and fertilizers to help prevent pollutants from entering our waterways.
Volunteers are hard at work planting a budding Eastern redbud tree along the North Shore Trail across from downtown Pittsburgh.
10 NATIVE TREES
in Western Pennsylvania that you'll see on your outdoor adventure
American beech Fagus grandifolia
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis
Big-tooth aspen Populus grandidentata
Black cherry Prunus serotina
Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis
Red maple Acer rubrum
Red oak Quercus rubra
Shagbark hickory Carya ovata
Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera
Forests and
White oak
Quercus alba
Pennsylvania is home to 17 million including a myriad of native years to plant almost 100,000 trees and the forest types list
Trees of Our Region
million acres of forests, which contain cold-water streams and thousands of plant and animal species, tree species. This map shows Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s important work over the past 18 100,000 trees in public places across the region. The trees on the map indicate places where WPC planted list describes the characteristics that make our region’s forests unique.
Northern Hardwood Forest
Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Allegheny Mountains Forest
Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Beech/Maple Forest
Riparian Trees
PENNSYLVANIA FOREST TYPES
Northern Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Oak/Chestnut Forest
TreeVitalize Trees
Refo restation
Northern Hardwood Forest
Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
TREE PLANTINGS
3,800 since 2016
Trees
Diverse forests with a large number of overstory trees, including sugar maple, American basswood, tulip tree, hickories and oaks. Rich spring (vernal) flora such as trilliums, Solomon’s seal and phlox. Found at Toms Run Nature Reserve*, Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area*, Raccoon Creek State Park.
Southern Mixed Mesophytic
Beech/Maple Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest
Southern Mesophytic Forest (Waynesburg Hills)
A variant of mixed mesophytic forest, diverse with species, including yellow buckeye and umbrella magnolia, more commonly found south and west of Pennsylvania. Pawpaw common on lower slopes; numerous spring wildflowers. Found at State Game Lands #302 (Enlow Fork).
Piedmont Something
Northern Hardwoods Forest
Riparian Trees
Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Predominantly in northern counties or at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Includes American beech, red maple, white pine, Eastern hemlock and black cherry. Lower elevations with limestone soils dominated by sugar maple, basswood and white ash. Found in Allegheny National Forest, Bennett Branch Forest*.
TreeVitalize Trees
Pittsburgh Redbud Project Trees
WPC Pittsburgh Redbud Project Tree Plantings
WPC Reforestation Tree Plantings
20,000 on WPC properties since 2010
TreeVitalize Trees
Community Fo restry Trees
Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Allegheny Mountains Forest
Refo restation
Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Beech/Maple Forest
Oak/Chestnut Forest
Beech/Maple Forest
Beech/Maple Forest
Allegheny Mountains Hardwoods Forest
Oak/Chestnut Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest
Redbud Project
Similar to northern hardwoods and Appalachian Mountains forests located south of Pennsylvania: red oak, tulip tree and sweet birch dominant. Hemlock and rhododendron common in steep coves and lower elevations. Found in Bear Run Nature Reserve*, Ohiopyle State Park.
Common in Ohio, but limited to Western Pennsylvania’s upper western border and Erie lakefront. Sugar maple and American beech dominant, with some red oak, basswood, white ash and tulip tree. Found within the old-growth stand at Tryon-Weber Woods Natural Area*.
Riparian Trees
Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Oak/Hickory/Pine Forest
Riparian Trees
TreeVitalize Trees
TreeVitalize Trees
Refo restation
Mixed Mesophytic Forest
Floodplain Forest
Refo restation
Oak-dominated on acidic sandstone, with white oak, black oak and chestnut oak and with mountain laurel, blueberries, rhododendron, azalea and huckleberry understories. Sparse groundcover. Found in Bald Eagle State Forest.
Pittsburgh Redbud Project
Typified by oak species mixed with pitch pine and Virginia pine, and sometimes southern pine species: table mountain pine and short leaf pine. Included are dry hot slopes with shale outcrops known as Appalachian Shale Barrens. Found in Sideling Hill Creek Conservation Area*, Shawnee State Park.
Pittsburgh Redbud Project
Community Fo restry Tr
Community Fo restry Tr
Found along larger streams and dominated by American sycamore and silver maple. Includes river birch in Potomac River and eastern drainages. Understories dense with ferns and tall herbaceous species such as wingstem and green-headed coneflower, often rich with spring wildflowers. Found in Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area*,
B. Katz Natural Area*,
Beech/Maple Forest
FORMER INMATES COULD HELP FILL SHORTAGE IN TREE MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE
To reduce pollution in and improve the health of Pennsylvania waterways and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Commonwealth has an ambitious goal: plant roughly 200 riparian trees per acre on 86,000 acres along streams by 2025.
Due to excessive agricultural runoff, abandoned mine drainage and stormwater runoff, which are found throughout the Chesapeake Bay, it is listed among the nation’s impaired waters. Streamside trees and plants, called riparian forest buffers, can reduce the amount of nutrient pollution entering waterways by up to 90 percent, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Planting more than a million trees is a bold plan, but maintaining them presents an even bigger challenge. “After riparian trees are planted, they need three to five years of close care,” says Teddi Stark, riparian forest buffer coordinator at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. “But there is a huge shortage of people trained to maintain the trees.”
That’s where prisoners serving time at State Correctional Institution-Huntingdon come in. In 2017, the Conservancy’s TreeVitalize Coordinator Shea Zwerver contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections with the idea to train inmates who are nearing release in tree care and tree management. The program was implemented at SCIHuntingdon and its success prompted Teddi to suggest that riparian buffer instruction would be a natural fit: the prison wanted more outdoors-based vocational training programs and the SCI-Huntingdon owns farmland with a stream, perfect for riparian plantings.
The Riparian Forest Buffer Vocational Training Program was piloted at SCI-Huntingdon from July through October of this year. Twenty prisoners from the prison’s community work program participated.
“After learning about tree selection and riparian forest buffer design, the men selected the tree species, paced out where to plant the seedlings along the stream, then planted them,” Shea says. “They saw their learning come to fruition.”
Teddi, who taught some of the classes, says most participants had little or no conservation knowledge. “Some participants planted something for the first time in their lives. One is excited that he can recognize invasive weeds,” she says. “The knowledge they’ve gained will make a difference, whether they plant in their own yard or work in arboriculture.”
Conservation professionals from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, local County Conservation districts, WPC and other groups volunteered to teach.
Classes were held weekly in classrooms and outside. Participants learned about watersheds, water pollution, riparian buffers, stream ecology, aquatic macroinvertebrates, tree planting and more. Alysha Trexler, Conservancy watershed projects manager, provided an early overview of riparian buffers and farms and explained how agriculture and conservation fit together. “I explained how to be a good, safe farm visitor and why water quality is important.”
Riparian buffer trees help mitigate pollution runoff and streambank erosion, such as that pictured here on Trout Run in Erie County.
Several employers with tree-planting businesses visited to discuss work opportunities. The prisoners received packets containing employers’ contact information and resume-writing and job-search resources. Because the riparian tree maintenance industry is not yet established and job access can be difficult for those recently released from prison, the program incorporated entrepreneurship and business-basics classes.
If more prisons adopt the program and the riparian buffer job pipeline addresses job access difficulties faced by recently released prisoners, Shea says, the state could see an increase in the number of people planting and maintaining buffer trees and helping Pennsylvania meet its aggressive 86,000-acre goal.
“If we’re going to achieve these goals,” Shea says, “we need to educate people and get them into nature. When people value our natural resources, they’ll be open to implementing the goals.”
Donation Memorializes a Daughter's Love for Trees
When Colleen Morris Cashell was growing up on a 120-acre cattle farm in Zelienople, Pa., “She loved animals and nature,” recalls her dad, Ray Morris, so he wasn’t surprised that Colleen pursued a career working with farmers.
But it wasn’t until Colleen died unexpectedly in March 2019 that Ray understood that her work and love for the environment intersected. At her funeral, Ray says, “Several farmers and people from the Maryland and U.S. Forestry departments talked about how Colleen was a key player in instituting riparian forest buffer plantings on farms.” When planted along streams on farms, riparian trees help reduce agricultural pollution runoff such as animal waste and chemicals, leading to a healthier watershed.
After graduating from college, Colleen moved to Gettysburg, Pa., to work on a dairy farm. “She bought property along a stream and planted a meadow of 200 to 300 trees,” Ray says. Eventually, Colleen became the county executive director of the Washington County, Md., office of the USDA Farm Service Agency, where she was instrumental in structuring the current farm bill for riparian plantings.
Meanwhile, Ray volunteered for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and other conservation organizations, including the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources where he took classes on riparian plantings and advised more than 100 property owners on tree care.
“I never realized Colleen’s tree activity was parallel with mine,” Ray says. “I came away from her funeral service wishing I’d been more aware of the significant time and effort of working with farmers on planting riparian trees,” Ray says.
Ray recently donated $5,000 to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in her name to memorialize Colleen’s work and support the Conservancy’s efforts to plant riparian trees. “That was Colleen’s life,” Ray says, “and that’s what she would want.”
Inmates at State Correctional Institute - Huntingdon learn to care for riparian forest buffer trees in preparation for possible jobs in the industry after their release.
Colleen Morris Cashell’s father Ray Morris donated to WPC in her memory. Colleen loved trees, including dogwoods.
FALLINGWATER'S FALLEN TREES: Good for the Ecosystem and Décor
Visitors can appreciate the serenity of Fallingwater even before experiencing Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, as the brimming natural beauty from large maple, oak and hemlock trees are evident throughout the site.
According to Fallingwater Volunteer Coordinator and Horticulturist Ann Talarek, it takes strategic monitoring and regular care to keep the existing trees surrounding Fallingwater healthy. Ann, who is a certified arborist and manages the team of staff, volunteers and interns who care for Fallingwater’s vegetation, says their work of checking for root damage, pests and other forest threats is constant and rigorous. However, their work is essential to ensure the health of the plants, and to be sure trees and other native vegetation aren’t safety risks to visitors or the house.
“When people walk the site, they’re taking a natural journey through the cultural history at Fallingwater. Trees planted by the Kaufmann family and ones in existence before Fallingwater was built can still be experienced as part of the site. And it’s our responsibility to keep the site and forest as true to its native characteristics as possible,” Ann adds.
Not all trees at Fallingwater mature to become onsite fixtures. When a tree reaches the end of its life cycle or succumbs to strong
preparation for preservation work on Fallingwater’s trellis beams, she knew who to call.
“It’s always sad to lose a tree, but knowing the tree can be repurposed into the beautiful wood artwork donated by Jim, the anguish somewhat subsides. Not only is he an expert on all things trees, he’s a true craftsman and a gift to Fallingwater in so many ways.”
When Fallingwater loses a tree, forestry expert, wood artisan and WPC Board Member James C. Finley hand turns the wood into beautiful bowls.
Jim’s interest in the ancient craft of woodturning started as a small hobby.
“Now it’s overtaken nearly all of my extra time,” Jim jokingly explains when talking about how woodworking allows him to enjoy his love of wood and the opportunity to use his skills to help others. “I’m pleased knowing I’m giving a fallen tree new life and purpose, so that it continues helping Fallingwater.”
Jim has volunteered during the past five years to turn butternut, Norway red and sugar maple, black cherry and other trees into more than 100 bowls, many of which have been sold at the Fallingwater Museum Store with all proceeds benefiting the Conservancy.
Black walnut and sugar maple are among his
“I devote time to appreciating the wood and work to highlight the unique textures and colors in each bowl I create.”
- James C. Finley
storms or high winds, usually the remnants remain a vital part of the forest ecosystem providing food, shelter or nutrients. But sometimes these fallen trees are turned into decorative wood bowls, thanks to the generosity and vision of Conservancy Board Member James C. Finley.
As a semi-retired Penn State University forestry professor whose respected career continues to inspire many Pennsylvania private landowners to sustainably care for and manage their large forests, Jim not only knows the ecological and economic value of trees, but appreciates their beauty. So, when Ann regrettably had to remove two trees last fall – a black oak and sugar maple – in
favorite trees to transform, Jim explains. “Understanding the species is so important to the finished product, as the wood grain, knots and patterns differ for every tree. I devote time to appreciating the wood, and work to highlight the unique textures and colors in each bowl I create. The beauty is already there, I just have the privilege to showcase it in a new way.”
In September, Jim finished turning the black oak tree removed this spring into 30 decorative bowls. Priced from $60 to $145, these hand-turned bowls are available for purchase onsite and online at the FallingwaterMuseumStore.org
FOREST EXPERT SHARES CONSERVATION OPTIONS WITH FOREST LANDOWNERS
Conservancy Board Member James C. Finley, Ph.D., a recently retired professor of sustainable forest resources management at Penn State University and an industry expert, has informed the management decisions of foresters and conservation professionals across the state.
His work is important. Quality hardwoods such as red oak, black cherry, red maple and sugar maple support an industry that contributes billions yearly to the state’s economy. According to a recent report on Pennsylvania’s forests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our forests support more than 2,100 forest product establishments.
Jim’s passion lies with supporting private forestland owners. While at the university, Jim led Pennsylvania’s Forest Stewardship Program, a coordinated, 450-member volunteer program that inspires landowners to sustainably manage and understand conservation options for their forest. Non-industrial private forest lands cover about 11.5 million acres in Pennsylvania, according to the USDA.
“Forest management is important now more than ever as our forests face challenges like fragmentation, natural gas development, climate change and ecological threats,” says Jim, who remains active with the Center for Private Forests at Penn State, which he helped cofound in 2011. “To continue supporting our economy, private landowners managing sustainable forests must be judicious and pragmatic, considering both ecological and economic matters, to ensure management decisions support the long-term health of forestland,” he adds.
Jim says there is still plenty of work to do, from an awareness standpoint and out of necessity, to save and improve the quality of our forests. “I know Pennsylvania’s private forest landowners who own 70 percent of the state’s forestland are hardworking people who care about what happens to their land long after they’re gone,” he says. “Conservation will not happen without human interaction through conversation about what we value and want to conserve.”
A GIFT IN MEMORY OF FOREST LANDOWNERS TO SUPPORT WATER QUALITY IN THE ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST
Robert and Rilla Stickle were private landowners in Forest County who embraced their own form of sustainable forestry: love your forestland and teach your family to love the forest, too.
The Stickles raised their children with an outdoor ethic to explore, appreciate and learn from nature. Robert, an architect by trade, was an avid outdoorsman and often invited family and friends to hunt, hike and gather on their 181 acres of woodlands. He often took his wife, Rilla, and their three children to the nearby Allegheny National Forest to experience nature. Rilla, a devoted birder and gardener, would sometimes journal about her outdoor experiences on the family land, which they always hoped would remain natural and forested for the next generation.
Now deceased, Robert and Rilla’s legacy will live on thanks to an anonymous philanthropic gift that honors their memory and appreciation of forest trees and streams. The Conservancy is appreciative of this generous donation in memory of the Stickles that will support WPC’s watershed conservation work and riparian plantings in the ANF to benefit all future generations – human and aquatic.
James C. Finley, Ph. D. pictured here in his “natural habitat.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Houtz, Penn State University.
Pine Run in the Allegheny National Forest
FOREST MANAGEMENT REQUIRES STRATEGIC,
FOCUSED
PRACTICES AT WPC
The Conservancy’s stewardship staff manages the forests on two of the largest Conservancy-owned properties, Bear Run Nature Reserve in Fayette County and Bennett Branch Forest in Elk and Clearfield counties. Each are managed differently to ensure that each property’s ecological values are safeguarded and year-round recreation opportunities exist.
At Bear Run, the Conservancy is undertaking a variety of management strategies to help reestablish natural habitats and build resistance to invasive species. At Bennett Branch, we manage a portion of the forest for sustainable timber production, which supports local economies and Pennsylvania as the country’s largest producer of hardwoods.
Ongoing Care of Bear Run Nature Reserve
There are several management projects underway on the 5,100-acre Bear Run Nature Reserve. One in particular, visible from one of the reserve’s trails, will gradually convert conifer stands planted in the late 1950s to a native mixed deciduous forest.
This is being accomplished by girdling or cutting short rows or small group selections of conifer trees, and allowing those trees to die naturally and decay on the reserve over many years. As a result of this girdling, sunlight through small canopy openings will reach the forest floor and encourage the growth of native deciduous trees such as red maple, tulip tree, American beech and various oaks.
“The dense stands of conifer trees, which include Norway spruce, red pine and white pine, are functioning as islands of nonnative habitat within the reserve’s otherwise mixed deciduous forest,” says Andrew Zadnik, director of land stewardship at the Conservancy. “Letting these trees fall and allowing the forest to naturally recover with oaks and maples is better in the long run for the native forest-dwelling wildlife and plants at Bear Run.”
The hemlock woolly adelgid is an insect that feeds on the sap of Pennsylvania’s state tree, the Eastern hemlock, resulting in branch dieback, premature needle drop and unfortunately the tree’s eventual death. The Conservancy has been monitoring its properties for hemlock woolly adelgid since 2010, and has identified the invasive insect at Bear Run. With more than 150 acres of hemlocks on the reserve, the Conservancy had been assisted by PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forest Pest Management and U.S. Forest Service to treat selected trees with insecticide applications and establish two insectaries, which involved planting a dense grove of hemlocks.
Andy says work will advance in 2020 by pruning the hemlock trees within the two insectaries in order to create a hedge. “Within a year or two, we will purposely infect the
insectary trees with hemlock wooly adelgid. Once adelgid is established, we will look to then introduce a predatory beetle (Laricobius nigrinus) known to feed on adelgid,” he states.
“The plan is to raise a population of these beetles that will eventually be dispersed into the surrounding forests,” Andy adds while stressing the importance of not releasing the adelgid in forests where it has not already been found.
Across the state, there is ongoing research and other work to find successful strategies to save the Eastern hemlock.
WPC is growing Eastern hemlocks within an insectary on Bear Run Nature Reserve. Once these trees mature, we’ll test if beetles, working as biological control agents, can feed on and outcompete hemlock wooly adelgids within the stand of trees.
WPC is thinning this stand of nonnative trees at Bear Run Nature Reserve. In addition to selective cutting, WPC is using a technique called girdling, that involves severing the bark around the trunks of trees, which will eventually cause them to fall to the forest floor.
Sustainable Forestry at Bennett Branch
“Forest management involves a lot of considerations specific to the forest uses and forest type,” explains Matt Marusiak, a land protection manager with the Conservancy. In his role, he protects land in many northern counties of Western Pennsylvania and manages the Conservancy-owned reserves within the region, including Bennett Branch Forest. “At Bennett Branch, we’re ensuring that that the forest will continue to provide ecological, social and economic benefits to the region for years to come.”
Bennett Branch Forest is a 1,500-acre forest reserve within the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Sharing a border with Moshannon State Forest, Bennett Branch Forest contributes to a larger forested landscape called the Pennsylvania Wilds. This area is an ecotourism hotspot known for its concentration of wildlife such as elk, bear, deer and rattlesnake and forest biodiversity.
Timber harvests in Bennett Branch Forest, as in other forests in the state, support the wood-products industry, such as furniture, paper and other wood materials. According to a 2018 report from the PA Department of Agriculture, the state’s forest products industry provided $21.6 billion in direct annual economic impact and supported 64,078 jobs for Pennsylvanians in 2018.
Forest management activities on the property are certified as sustainable by the third-party Forest Stewardship Council.
Revenue generated by timber harvests are reinvested in the management of Bennett Branch Forest or applied to conserve additional land in Western Pennsylvania.
Matt notes, “When assessing a harvest, we consider what’s present and what is likely to grow in the future, and allow less-desirable trees to be removed first. We retain good quality trees for seed source and habitat, and foster healthy forest regeneration. The remaining trees benefit a number of wildlife species and, over time, will grow into a mature forest stand.”
We also use a forest management practice called thinning, to retain good quality trees for seed source and enhance species variety by removing less desirable or unhealthy trees. This photo shows a hardwood stand just after it was thinned to provide more sunlight and encourage growth.
Left: By the early 1900s, nearly all of the forest in the region was harvested. As a result, many of the trees in today’s forests are around the same age.
To promote forest health and age diversity, a harvest management technique called selective cutting is used. On this slope on Bennett Branch Forest, a selection of trees has been removed in a manner that mimics small scale natural disturbances, like a wind blowdown. This method encourages the growth of the remaining trees and opens the canopy to provide more sunlight so young trees can become established. Right: Hardwood forests naturally regenerate. Forest management practices help expose the forest floor to sunlight to help young trees like these oak saplings to grow.
WPC Establishes Vital Community Forestry Model for the Region
“I wholeheartedly believe trees have the power to transform communities and lives,” says Charles Dizard, a councilman for and resident of Harrison Township, located in northwestern Allegheny County. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m so committed to and passionate about planting trees in my community.”
For the past four years, Charles has been working to advance efforts in Harrison Township to beautify public parks, streets and school grounds with trees. To date, township volunteers and residents have planted nearly 200 trees through the Conservancy’s TreeVitalize Pittsburgh program. “It’s a wonderful way to get so many residents together supporting a common cause,” Charles explains as one of the many ancillary benefits from their community investment in trees.
“I’m grateful for this process as I see this as an aesthetic and economic investment in the future of Harrison Township.”
Since 2008, the Conservancy has undertaken large-scale community forestry projects across Western Pennsylvania communities as the managing partner of TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, a partnership of PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, City of Pittsburgh, Tree Pittsburgh and WPC. Through this alliance, which is generously supported by grants by various foundations and companies, more than 33,000 trees have been planted – at no cost to residents and municipalities – in Pittsburgh and many Allegheny County communities.
- Charles Dizard
Harrison Township and the City of Clairton are among communities where community volunteers and stakeholders have planted trees. In the summer of 2018, the Conservancy staff, including Community Forester Brian Crooks, worked with the boroughs to conduct street- and park-tree inventories. These inventories identified and evaluated the boroughs’ existing public trees, while also assessing potential planting locations. Trees were inventoried for their location, species, size, condition and safety status.
In addition to helping identify planting locations for trees, the inventories’ findings will aid in planning and implementing appropriate best management practices, including pruning, removals and ongoing tree care. Additionally, both communities recently installed and planted rain gardens, where shrubs, trees and other features will help slow, filter and absorb stormwater to prevent sewer drain overflows during heavy rains.
“We jumped at the opportunity to participate in this project with the Conservancy,” Charles added. “And while we still
In 2018, WPC completed a street and park tree inventory where data was collected on 717 trees in Harrison Township, Allegheny County with help from municipal officials and community residents. These findings prompted the planting of 90 new trees in the township.
Volunteers help plant trees in a community park in Harrison Township.
have a long way to go to educate community members about the benefit of trees, the project provides an excellent roadmap and a viable plan for the care for our trees. I’m grateful for this process as I see it as an aesthetic and economic investment in the future of Harrison Township.”
In Clairton, community stakeholders are also committed to enhancing the city’s urban forest. A park and street tree inventory assessed the condition of the city’s public trees and identified 35 new trees that community volunteers planted in 2018 and 2019.
Communities outside of Allegheny County are also benefiting from trees obtained from the Conservancy’s community forestry program. The initiative has helped the cities of Erie and Johnstown and the Borough of Ligonier assess current tree canopy and plant new tree species. Similar to the application and implementation process for TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, the Conservancy’s community forestry program is establishing viable processes for community involvement in tree planning and planting throughout the region.
Jeff Bergman, director of TreeVitalize Pittsburgh and community forestry for the Conservancy, has worked closely with many community leaders to explain the importance and benefits of trees – and the communities’ role in sustaining them. In order to receive trees through the Conservancy’s programs, communities are required to first apply. To qualify,
communities must have tree ordinances to ensure the shortand long-term health of their trees.
“It’s not as commonplace as one would think,” says Jeff in regards to whether communities across the region have tree ordinances established to protect new or existing trees. “These ordinances are considered when trees need to be planted, removed and maintained on either public or private property within a municipality. Any community that wants to maximize the full benefit of its trees should have a comprehensive set of tree standards in place.”
WPC staff also assists with conducting follow-up community tree care events to ensure that the young trees begin to grow and remain healthy. This tree care involves watering regularly for the first two years after the tree is planted and weeding, mulching and pruning annually.
“Our efforts have not only provided tens of thousands of new trees for the region, but have resulted in a more comprehensive and sustainable community forestry model that the Conservancy is providing to more communities in the region,” Jeff says.
“It’s our hope that this process helps communities see the tangible benefits of the quantity, quality and beauty of new and existing trees,” he adds. “And when communities see trees as important community investments, everyone wins –especially our regional tree canopy.”
City of Clairton stakeholders and residents expressed a strong interest in improving their city’s urban forest, which resulted in tree assessments and 35 new trees planted through volunteer planting events in city parks.
WPC staff members take a break after planting a tree in Clairton Park in Allegheny County.
Plant a NATIVE TREE at Home
Trees do so much more than provide shelter from the elements and homes for wildlife. Their beauty calms us and can even increase a home’s property value. They reduce noise, heat, glare and stormwater runoff. These workhorses of the environment filter pollutants and provide life-giving oxygen.
Inspired to plant a tree in your yard? Great! The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and our partners recommend planting native species – those which occur naturally or existed for many years in an area. Hardy and resistant to disease and pests, native trees are crucial to restoring local ecosystems and increasing biodiversity.
“For a backyard planting, there’s virtually no reason to plant a non-native tree,” says Brian Crooks, Conservancy community forester and a certified International Society of Arboriculture arborist. “There are many trees native to Western Pennsylvania, including small flowering trees like redbud or serviceberry, shade trees like swamp white oak or blackgum and wetland trees like sycamore and shagbark hickory.”
“For a backyard planting, there’s virtually no reason to plant a non-native tree.”
- Brian Crooks
To give your leafy friends every opportunity to thrive, Brian recommends considering the following when buying and planting trees.
Above Ground
How big is your yard?
How big will your tree be in 20 or 40 years?
Are there overhead power lines?
Below Ground
Are there underground gas, electric and sewer lines? “It’s best not to plant directly over those,” Brian says. Call 800-242-1776 or visit pa1call.org to learn locations.
How much space is there for root spread?
Is your soil compact or loose, clay or sand, wet or dry? Is there construction fill?
General Environment
“Consider your area’s hardiness zone, which indicates the region’s average lowest temperature,” says Brian. Plants are labeled with their preferred zone. Western Pennsylvania’s hardiness zones range from 5A to 6B. Find the USDA Hardiness Zone Map at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
Will the tree get full shade, full sun, cooler morning sun or hotter evening sun?
Do you want your tree to mitigate flooding, provide shade, fruit, flowers or fall foliage or do something else?
Municipal or Regional Considerations
Does your municipality have tree ordinances for private properties?
Does your region have disease or pest issues? “Ask your county conservation district, a university extension office or local shade tree commission,” Brian suggests.
Shopping for a Native Tree
Take your checklist and talk with a knowledgeable tree professional about which native trees suit your yard. “A local nursery dedicated to growing and selling native trees is an excellent place to start,” Brian says.
Shop by a tree’s Latin name. “Don’t get fooled by pretty marketing names,” Brian cautions. “A Norway maple at one nursery might be called a Crimson King maple at another, but every plant has one scientific name that will never lead you astray.”
Know where the tree originated. “Don’t inadvertently spread disease by buying a tree that came from an area where a disease exists,” Brian says. “For example, several Eastern Pennsylvania counties are under quarantine due to the invasive spotted lanternfly.”
Planting
“Being uprooted and transplanted is unlike anything trees are biologically designed to do,” says Brian. “Reduce their stress by planting in October, November, March or April, while they’re dormant. Never plant in the summer!”
Remove all packaging materials. “Remove the cage around the root ball; otherwise the roots will grow in circles,” Brian says. “Even biodegradable burlap wicks moisture away from roots.”
Visit WaterLandLife.org/PlantTrees for illustrated instructions and videos on tree planting. For tree care you can’t do, always hire an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. Visit isa-arbor.com
Volunteer at a Conservancy tree planting to learn more about tree planting. Visit WaterLandLife.org/ VolunteerTrees or call 412-586-2386
MULCH IN FALL PRUNE IN WINTER
Trees can thrive with year-round care. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Community Forest Project Coordinator Alicia Wehrle and Community Forester Brian Crooks, two of our tree-care pros, have the following advice for backyard arborists. In addition to watering trees regularly for up to two years after planting, and weeding around trees during spring and summer, you should mulch in fall and prune only in winter.
Mulch in Fall
Mulch looks nice, provides nutrients and keeps soil moist, roots warm and weeds down. “A tree breathes through its root flair, so don’t bury the flair in mulch,” Alicia says. “Also, don’t pile mulch around the tree’s base. The same microorganisms living in mulch love to eat tree bark.” Replace and turn mulch occasionally. Mulch eliminates the need to weed whack too close to a tree, which can harm its bark. (Alicia also recommends putting a bark guard around a young tree to prevent wildlife from eating or rubbing away the bark.)
Prune and Control Salt in Winter
Unless there is an emergency, prune trees only during winter dormancy –Thanksgiving through St. Patrick’s Day – when trees better handle stress and there is less insect activity, which spreads disease, Brian says. To reduce the spread of disease, he advises sanitizing tools with first aid alcohol after pruning every tree, even those of the same species.
To prevent excessive salt runoff to tree roots, only salt sidewalks and driveways as much as necessary, Brian says. “Alternative ice melts, such as potassium chloride or magnesium chloride, work at colder temperatures than salt and are healthier for tree roots.”
These volunteers place a barrier around a young tree to prevent wildlife from eating or rubbing away the bark.
Student Conservation Association members make sure to keep mulch away from the base of young pine trees.
WPC’s Community Forester Brian Crooks prunes redbud trees in the winter along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh.
Painting Invites Visitors to Step into the Woods
In the lobby of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Pittsburgh office, a work of art both realistic and illusory welcomes visitors. In the paintings, majestic trees, naked of leaves, reach upward against a cream-colored winter sky.
Painted in 1987 by renowned Pittsburgh artist Charles Pitcher (1927-2009), the unnamed painting was commissioned by former Conservancy President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr. and his wife, Farley, for their home. “My father really enjoyed the trees on Laurel Ridge,” says Josh Whetzel, III. “The Laurel Highlands hiking trail was the first real trail he put together while with the Conservancy.”
Josh, a Conservancy board member, and his siblings inherited the painting. Its size was impractical for most homes, so Josh and his wife, Marion, loaned the painting to the Conservancy for a brief time before donating it in 2018.
Painted in triptych, the piece suggests three works of art in one composition. An excerpt from Charlie’s journal explains, “I create illusions using nature’s elements and spaces to challenge the viewer by placing him face to face with the reality of a pure, untouched environment.” The painting’s depth and soft colors evoke a simultaneously stirring and calming effect, almost inviting the viewer to step into the painting and thus the woods.
Susan Pitcher says her late husband “referred to his art as abstract realism, and didn’t want to portray interference with people, animals, trash, birds. He wanted to keep his interpretation of the woods clean and pristine, as they were meant to be.”
Charlie brought photos, bark and limbs to his studio to study, and often changed elements to suit his feelings of balance and harmony, Susan says. “He seldom, if ever painted trees with leaves as he loved the movement and dance of the limbs.” She says Charlie had trees that he considered his friends. “When one of his friends succumbed, he was sad, but happy to have known such a wonderful tree friend and to have immortalized it in his paintings.”
Conservancy President and CEO Tom Saunders says the fact that the painting was a gift from the Whetzel family makes it even more meaningful. “The family has been generous to the Conservancy, including their donation of Beechwood Farms. The Conservancy recently created the Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr. Trail at Confluence near the Great Allegheny Passage in memory of Josh, our president from 1969 to 1978 and board chair from 1978 to 1995.”
Because the Conservancy has protected so many of Pennsylvania’s forested areas, Tom says, “It’s a perfect painting to have in the lobby of our main office. Anyone who hikes in the woods in Pennsylvania will recognize its forests in a Charlie Pitcher painting.”
Artist Charles Pitcher in his studio in 1987
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Fitzsimmons CHAIR
Stephen G. Robinson VICE CHAIR
Daniel S. Nydick TREASURER
Debra H. Dermody SECRETARY
David E. Barensfeld
Franklin Blackstone, Jr.*
Barbara Bott
E. Michael Boyle
William Conrad
Geoffrey P. Dunn, M.D.
Beverlynn Elliott
James C. Finley, Ph. D.
Dan B. Frankel
Dennis Fredericks
Felix G. Fukui
Caryle R. Glosser, Ph.D.
Stephen Guinn, Ph.D.
Carolyn Hendricks, M.D.
Bala Kumar
H. Lewis Lobdell
Robert T. McDowell
Paul J. Mooney
Carolyn Rizza, Ph. D.
Jean Robinson*
Jennifer Shuey
Samuel H. Smith
Alexander C. Speyer, III
K. William Stout
Timothy R. Thyreen
Megan Turnbull
Joshua C. Whetzel, III
*Emeritus Directors
Thomas D. Saunders
PRESIDENT AND CEO
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy protects and restores exceptional places to provide our region with clean waters and healthy forests, wildlife and natural areas for the benefit of present and future generations. The Conservancy creates green spaces and gardens, contributing to the vitality of our cities and towns, and preserves Fallingwater, a symbol of people living in harmony with nature.
The Worth of Trees: Seeing the Trees and the Forest
While adjusting the extra hearing protection and my hardhat, I thought about how much I like my dependable Jonsered chainsaw, but geez I wish it weren’t so loud. The saw came to life with one pull on the cord and I sliced into the black cherry that the storm had blown over. The saw was halfway through the trunk when I found myself thinking about trees and my life with them. The main heat source in my passive solar-design house is a Finnish masonry wood burner – the cleanest, most efficient way to burn wood. And besides that, it has a brick oven for pizza. Firewood has been my primary source of warmth for 35 years. I adore trees, but I also love a seasoned cord of firewood. I have advocated for the protection of trees and forests for a long time. Some people who have heard me voice this ethic are surprised to learn that I own chainsaws and prepare cords of firewood each year. But this is just one way I have tried to live closer to the land and more sustainably.
As a naturalist romantic, some of the most inspiring moments I’ve had are those with my cheek against the bark of an old growth white pine or Eastern hemlock, gazing up along its tremendous trunk as it led me skyward. There are not many opportunities to do this, but Hearts Content National Scenic Area in Warren County and Cook Forest State Park in Clarion County host old growth stands that were saved from axe and saw, and where giant trees still reign.
However, my partiality isn’t always universal. Some believe trees must be cut down to improve wildlife habitat and for lumber and pulp; otherwise the trees will “go to waste.” Although I support the sustainable management of some forests to create certain types of wildlife habitat and for the production of wood products (including my cherished firewood), I do not believe that cutting should be the management practice for all forests.
Society’s views on forests have been evolving. Decades ago people came to understand the value of forests for wildlife and clean air, and that the best way to protect clean water is to blanket watersheds with healthy forests. Eventually we have also come to understand the cooling effects of urban trees and that old growth forests harbor their own unique set of values: a toppled giant does not go to waste, it makes more rich soil.
Now, as we face the challenges of climate change, we are coming to new realizations. Forest trees extract carbon from the air, locking it up for many years as cellulose, above and below ground. Research has revealed that rich forest soils are storing even more carbon than the trees. All told, annually, forests capture and lock away nearly 15 percent of the carbon emitted by humans. We will be counting on this sequestration of atmospheric carbon over the next century as we work to address the changing climate.
But for now, I’m done bucking up the cherry tree into firebox-size logs and now there is the hauling and splitting to do. Say, perhaps I’ll catch you with your cheek against the ancient bark of some old growth tree on my next walk at Cook Forest. If not, you can rest assured that I’ll be sitting in front of the fire some cold evening – thinking about big trees, the forest and all of us.
Charles Bier is the senior director of conservation science for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Hearts Content National Scenic Area within the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County.
800 Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-288-2777
info@paconserve.org
WaterLandLife.org
note to printer: FSC placement
The Conservancy has converted to new database software to improve our donor service capabilities. If your name, address or any other information is incorrect at any time, please let us know by sending an email to development@paconserve.org or calling 1-866-564-6972
Holiday Season
GIVE the Gift of NATURE this
Looking for a meaningful holiday gift?
Why not give the timeless gift of water, land and life to a special loved one? For as little as $30, you can help protect the best of Western Pennsylvania’s natural places – and your loved one will receive a year’s worth of benefits designed to show your support in action. Members receive special admission privileges at Fallingwater (varying with giving level), discounts, Conserve magazine and special invitations.
Is someone on your list an architecture buff? Give a Friends of Fallingwater gift membership, beginning at $125. Your loved one will receive eight half-price visits to Fallingwater, reciprocal visit privileges at 23 other Frank Lloyd Wright sites throughout the country and the members-only Friends of Fallingwater newsletter.
To give by mail, please use the enclosed envelope. You can also give online at WaterLandLife.org/Donate or use the QR code below. To learn more about gift options, membership benefits and giving levels, contact the WPC development office at 1-866-564-6972 or membership@paconserve.org
Please make your gift by December 15 to ensure timely holiday delivery.
Thank you for making a difference through your holiday gift giving!
