Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Bringing Nature Home with Community Gardens & Greening Projects

The Community Gardens and Greenspace program not only brightens neighborhoods throughout Western Pennsylvania with beautiful gardens, trees and greenery, it also helps to instill a deeper appreciation for nature in people of all ages and backgrounds.

Commuunity garden at McArdle Roadway and Grandview Ave. in Mt. Washington.
Commuunity garden at McArdle Roadway and Grandview Ave. in Mt. Washington.

A record 10,300 volunteers helped to plant community gardens, trees and other greenery in 2009, surpassing 2008’s record volunteer turnout by nearly 2,000 people. This remarkable show of support serves as a powerful testament to this program’s value to individuals and communities.

In 2009, volunteers joined WPC staff in planting and maintaining 140 gardens in 20 counties — adding visual impact and building community pride in cities and towns throughout the region. The Conservancy beautified downtown Pittsburgh with 400 large planters, changed seasonally, that were made possible through the support of the Colcom Foundation, as well as 400 hanging baskets that were supported by the Laurel Foundation.

Community garden volunteers — Riverview Park, South Side
Community garden volunteers — Riverview Park, South Side

In preparation for the G-20 Summit in September 2009, WPC added two highly visible green elements to downtown Pittsburgh. At the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the site of the G-20 Summit, WPC added more than 200 shrubs, 40 large trees, and flowers. We also created green borders for Cultural District surface parking areas with the addition of 60 large planters.

The TreeVitalize Pittsburgh program, a partnership of the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, made significant progress toward its goal to plant 20,000 trees by 2012. This program, administered by WPC, planted 3,266 trees in 2009, adding up to a total of 4,500 planted since the program began in 2008. The proven benefits of trees — such as energy savings, increased property values and stronger communities — make this program both high-impact and tremendously popular.

School grounds greening at Miller School
School grounds greening at Miller School

The School Grounds Greening project is bringing new green spaces, trees, and even outdoor classrooms to all Pittsburgh Public Schools. In 2009, WPC improved 26 school grounds with the support of school staff and more than 200 student volunteers. Beyond aesthetic value, the project delivers a range of benefits to students, such as improved concentration and socialization, greater creativity and even better health. This exciting initiative is funded by the Grable Foundation.

At the end of 2009, the program also completed the Green ToolBox, a resource for communities that are seeking intensive technical assistance to determine their most effective greening strategies. This unique compilation of information and guidance, created in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and G-TECH Strategies, was developed with support from the McKenna Foundation.