City High Urban EcoStewards

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy launched a high school Urban EcoStewards program for the 2009-2010 school year, with students from City High participating in trainings and service learning.  Urban EcoStewards are committed volunteers who have an invaluable role in protecting our urban green spaces.

Our goals:

  • To engage youth in urban environmental stewardship
  • To help restore urban ecosystems
  • To have fun while making a real difference for Pittsburgh’s parks

What students do as Urban EcoStewards:

  • Connect with local green space
  • Learn about urban ecosystems
  • Increase scientific observation skills
  • Complete 10th grade service learning requirements
  • Develop understanding of urban forest benefits for human community
  • Develop understanding of human impacts on urban forests and parks
  • Contribute to the improvement of parks through hands-on restoration projects
  • Work and learn outside in all weather

Participating students demonstrate:

  • Commitment to making a difference for our local environment
  • Willingness to get dirty and work hard in an outdoor setting
  • Demonstrated ability to behave responsibly in group setting off school grounds
  • Enjoyment of outdoors

Upcoming Events

Spring volunteer work days start up in March. Check out the schedule and help keep our parks beautiful. 

See photos of the restoration progress at Mellon Square on our Flickr site.

Stay up-to-date with our current projects on our blog.

Info for Volunteers

What to bring: Long pants, closed-toe shoes with good tread, all-weather clothing, a reusable water bottle (if you have one).

What will be provided: All necessary tools, gloves, materials, snacks, and instruction.

What to expect:  Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy volunteer work days are typically 4 hours long, rain or shine, and involve some type of ecological restoration work such as planting trees or wildflowers, controlling erosion, building trails, managing invasive species, or cleaning up dumpsites. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about safety and technique, provide you with tools and materials, and help you make a difference in our amazing parks. Expect to have fun, meet people who love the outdoors, and get dirty!