Ecological Restoration

Pittsburgh's four regional parks encompass 1,700 acres with approximately 900 acres of woodlands.  Sustaining these forested areas for future generations requires intense ecological restoration today, based on proven preservation techniques, well-thought-out work plans, training of Department of Public Works crews, and dedication from volunteers. 

Ecological restoration includes things like planting native trees, removing invasive plant species, stabilizing hillsides, reducing erosion, minimizing the impact of stormwater, controlling the impact of deer browse, creating meadow and wetland habitats, and building sustainable trails.

Past Projects

The following highlights some ecological restoration work undertaken by the Parks Conservancy:

Snyder's Point in Riverview Park once again provides a broad, scenic view of the Ohio River and is drawing native birds back to the trail-head. For years, non-native, invasive plants, including porcelain berry and bittersweet vines, encroached on the area, making it inhospitable to park users.  But the Parks Conservancy, with the help of Urban EcoStewards and other volunteers, has been removing these invasive plants and reestablishing native flora to the area. 

Phipps Run, the high point in the Panther Hollow valley of Schenley Park, is a woodland and wetland area that begins at the top of Panther Hollow near Carnegie Mellon University and leads to Panther Hollow Lake. Years of storm water runoff had eroded Phipps Run’s trails and silted in the stream bed and historic lily pool that existed at the mouth of the lake. 

In 2004, the Parks Conservancy and a six-man crew from the City’s Department of Public Works restored the original stream channel, utilizing natural storm water management methods to recreate the streamside trail. The restored stream slows storm water runoff and erosion of the adjacent hillsides.  The Conservancy and DPW are continuing these efforts in other sections of Panther Hollow to prepare the area for the eventual restoration of the lake and rebuilding of the boathouse.

The Bartlett Meadow in Schenley Park is a warm season grass and wildflower meadow located just below Bartlett Playground, approximately 50 feet out from the forest edge. As a buffer to the nearby woods, the meadow creates a welcoming, healthy habitat for native wildlife, birds, and insects.  The meadow is very easy to maintain – only being mowed by the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works once a year – freeing up more time for the city parks crew to work in other areas of the park.

Invasive Species Management

Although many plant species are introduced to the United States from other countries without causing any ecological damage, the small percentage of non-native plants that do become invasive can have a devastating impact. Pittsburgh’s parks provide evidence of the rampant spread of invasive species, from garlic mustard to Japanese knotweed to tree of heaven. Left unchecked, invasive species can completely take over sections of parkland, killing a wide variety of native vegetation and destroying the biological diversity that creates habitat for wildlife and keeps an ecosystem functioning.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy works vigilantly to control the spread of invasive species in the parks, and the help of volunteers is invaluable in this effort. Here are a few ways the Conservancy helps to manage invasives:

• Seasonal removal of invasives (including girdling of Norway maples in winter, picking garlic mustard in spring, and vine removal in summer)
• Volunteer days devoted to educating the community about invasive species and teaching them the proper way to remove them
• Commitment to planting and promoting species native to Southwestern Pennsylvania
• Genetic studies of tree cultivars planted in the parks to determine whether they will become environmentally aggressive
• Urban EcoSteward trainings throughout the year on recognizing and controlling invasives
• “Weeds to Wheels” experiment conducted in 2008 to determine whether garlic mustard could be turned into biofuel

To learn more about invasive plants, download Invasive Plants of Pittsburgh, a publication of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. 

You can also visit the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources invasive plants guide online.