Current Volunteer Opportunities
If you find yourself with some extra time on your hands, why not consider committing a few hours to improving our region and putting in a little sweat equity? Who knows, you may even learn an entirely new set of skills to polish up your resume or meet new friends! Contact Lynn McGuire-Olzak at 412-586-2324 or lmcguire-olzak@paconserve.org, and she’ll be happy to answer questions and help put your time and talent to good use. Thank you!
Become A Community Garden Steward
March 15, 2021 to November 30, 2021
Volunteer Opportunity
Have you ever seen a WPC garden and wondered how it stays looking colorful, strong and healthy? A loyal crew of volunteers known as Garden Stewards cares for the Conservancy’s many gardens. After spring planting, Garden Stewards help water, weed and clean up the areas. Stewards work from spring to fall.
Are you looking for a way to get outside and tend a garden? We can help! Can we count on you to help a garden bloom all summer long? Contact Lynn McGuire-Olzak at 412-586-2324 or lmcguire-olzak@paconserve.org to register to volunteer and learn how to get started as a steward. To help keep you safe, we've developed COVID-19 safety requirements for our community gardens volunteers. Click here to read these guidelines prior to volunteering with us. The gardens below need stewards to care for them in the 2021 season:
- Centre Ave. & Herron Ave., Terrace Village
- 2409 Shady Avenue - Allderdice High School
- Wenzell & Broadway Aves., Beechview
- Liberty Tunnels & Route 51, Beltzhoover
- 2350 Brownsville Road, Concord Elementary., Carrick
- Highland Park Bridge at Butler St., Highland Park
- 2409 Shady Ave. at Allderdice High School, Squirrel Hill
- Route 837 @ 5th Avenue (McKeesport / Duquesne Bridge), McKeesport
- Parkway West 22/30/60, Moon Township
- College Ave. (Rt. 26) & University Dr., State College, Centre County
- Rt. 66 & Rt. 322, Shippenville, Clarion County
- 93 East High St., Hooper Park, Greene County
Help Care for Nature: Volunteer for Land Stewardship
April 1, 2021 to November 14, 2021
Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteers are needed to keep natural areas clean and safe
Do you enjoy hiking and getting outdoors? Become a land stewardship volunteer and help keep these natural areas clean and safe! WPC owns and cares for more than 12,000 acres of land free and open to the public for outdoor recreation. Choose from a variety of locations to volunteer from March through November, from the north in Erie County to as far south as Fayette County. It’s fun, hard work, and you’ll learn a lot, too!
Subject to COVID-19 safety precautions. Accordingly, events could be canceled or modified, in which case a message will be sent immediately to the land steward email list.
For additional information and to register, please contact Andrew Zadnik, director of land stewardship at azadnik@paconserve.org or 412-977-9681 (cell).
2021 Land Stewardship Dates and Locations
Unless otherwise noted: For Saturday sessions, volunteers and staff meet at 9 a.m. at the property and work until 2 p.m., rain or shine. For weekday sessions, meet at 10 a.m. Counties are in parentheses.
Thurs., April 8: Bear Run Nature Reserve (Fayette) – place Black Loop trail markers
Sat., April 17: Helen B. Katz Natural Area (Crawford) – inspect/service tree tubes, stain table under pavilion
Thurs., April 26: Blakeslee Memorial Recreation Area (Elk) – general clean-up, trim around parking area and memorial
Wed., May 5: Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area (Butler) – garlic mustard removal, clean and paint wooden kiosk
Sat., May 8: Lutzville Cliffs Natural Area (Bedford) – invasive plant removal
Wed., May 12: LeBeouf Wetlands Conservation Area and Lake Pleasant Conservation Area (Erie) – clean up dump site (LeBeouf), clean and paint wooden kiosk, replace bat house along trail (Lake Pleasant)
Sat., June 5: Fringed Gentian Fen Natural Area and Plain Grove Fens Natural Area (Lawrence) – invasive plant removal, woody vegetation control, tree-planting maintenance
Thurs., June 24: Bear Run Nature Reserve (Fayette) – invasive plant removal
Sat., July 24: Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area (Butler) – trail maintenance, invasive plant control
Sat., August 21: Bennett Branch Forest (Elk) – boundary marking, trail maintenance
Sat., September 11: French Creek Watershed Clean-up – site TBD
Sat., October 16: Conneaut Marsh Natural Area (Crawford) – removal of an old bridge, tree-planting maintenance,
boundary-marking
Sat., November 13: Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve (Allegheny) – invasive shrub removal, potluck afterwards at WPC
office