Our People Matter

WPC Staff

Hannah Poskin

Community Greening Field Technician

A gardener’s work – and education – is never truly complete.

Hannah Poskin, a community greening field technician who has been with the Conservancy since 2025, appreciates the challenges, opportunities and lessons Pennsylvania’s changing seasons provide. “I get to learn something new from each season that comes along.”

Even during winter, when most plants in Western Pennsylvania often lie dormant under a blanket of snow, Hannah and her coworkers are learning and planning. During a recent winter, she worked on research for “high-impact perennial pollinators for the surrounding Pittsburgh region’s garden beds.”

Hannah has experienced the calm and the fury of all seasons, from bitter cold and heavy snow and rains and wild temperature swings, to breathtaking heat and humidity. She lifts, bends, stretches and carries heavy plants across environments ranging from grassy lawn to concrete while sometimes navigating traffic and crowds. (When the going gets tough, Hannah, an accomplished violin player of 13 years, listens to music to stay pumped!)

In her position as a self-described “hands-on gardener for the local Pittsburgh region,” she plants trees, tends gardens, removes trash and replaces plants in street planters in downtown Pittsburgh and more.

She has assisted with caring for pumpkin patches as part of school grounds greening projects. At least once a week, Hannah helps with tree plantings and maintenance, which includes pruning, stake removals and bark guard removals.

During peak seasons, vital work includes planting community flower garden plantings and downtown street planters. “We do a lot of behind-the-scenes and prep work to prepare for (downtown and other) events!” Hannah notes. “Plus there are other projects in between, such as hanging baskets and downtown plant removal and installations.”

Hannah has a B.S. in Geography (concentration in Environmental Studies and Sustainability), but the learning never ends. “This is a great position to learn names of plants and trees, how to tend to a garden and plant a tree, irrigation and so much more …information that is not only useful at work, but at home as well.”

The physical demands can be tough, Hannah admits, but worth it. It’s easy to stay inspired because, as her mom has shown her, “If I do what I love, success and happiness always follows.”

And, she adds, “It’s inspirational to see the trees or gardens grow, knowing that all my hard work helps the local communities and the environment.”

Want to get inspired like Hannah? Here’s her advice:

1. “If you have any space, start planting native plants, however you can, to attract pollinators and more native life to Pittsburgh. “
2. “Clean up your local trash. It makes a huge difference for not just you, but the ecosystem too.”
3. “Join us for a WPC volunteer event – we can show you the way!”