Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

"Pittsburgh is full of luscious green space that allows residents too easily connect with the outdoors. No matter what direction you head in, you’re bound to end up in one of the city’s fabulous park areas. So grab your picnic basket, lace up your running shoes or take your dog for a walk at these amazing parks in Pittsburgh!" Check out this UNATION to your #PittsburghParks : http://ow.ly/s3wC50EPsbr

The parks are an outlet for all types of activity. They provide community, engagement, health and well-being. In Your Park, Your Stories, our staff expresses why they got started working for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and more importantly, how it impacts their lives and the lives of others! Read our stories here, https://pittsburghparks.org/your-park-your-stories/

Next Saturday, join us for a volunteer event at the Plaza! We need your help with weeding and deadheading the flower beds! Saturday, June 12, 9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Register here:... http://ow.ly/f1Hl50EVMJV #PittsburghParks #SchenleyPlaza

The From Slavery to Freedom Film Series, in partnership with the Frick Environmental Center of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, examines themes from the Heinz History Center's award-winning exhibition through the presentation of film screenings throughout the year. For Black History Month, the History Center will virtually screen Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek, which explores the painful but inspiring journey of Derrick Evans, a Boston teacher who mov...es home to coastal Mississippi when the graves of his ancestors are bulldozed to make way for the sprawling city of Gulfport. Over the course of a decade, Derrick and his neighbors stand up to powerful corporate interests and politicians and face ordeals that include Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster in their struggle for self-determination and environmental justice. Admission is FREE for this virtual program, but registration is required. Visit heinzhistorycenter.org/events for registration information.

Join Pittsburgh City Planning for an upcoming Emerald View Park Master Plan virtual public workshop on Monday, Feb. 8th, 5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. The presentation will include concepts and options for park improvements, and a review in small groups by geographic area. Register here: http://ow.ly/Qukm50Dd1xl...

Explore how the Frick Environmental Center, one of the greenest buildings in the world, operates on a daily basis. Let's start exploring! https://foreseer.pittsburghparks.org/WebViews/

THROWBACK THURSDAY | FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM GARDEN As we celebrate Black History Month, let's take a look back at one of our most profound projects to date: The From Slavery to Freedom Garden at the Frick Environmental Center. The garden, a product of the partnership between the Parks Conservancy and the Heinz History Center, tells a powerful story. ... The idea of the garden represents sovereignty, Camila Rivera-Tinsley, Director of Education at the Parks Conservancy explained. Sovereignty evokes this feeling of power, someone is not giving you freedom, because you are born with your freedom. You can take that freedom. The way to do that is through the knowledge of what’s growing outside. After gaining freedom, the African Americans could use food to gain economic independence in a garden similar to the From Slavery to Freedom Garden. At the backside of the garden are wheelchair-accessible planters where spinach thrives. Along the edges are berries, perennials, spring ephemerals, pollinator plants, and other wild plants. Learn more to continue reading about the garden: https://gardens.everybodyshops.com/slavery-freedom-garden-/

Nature is available for you to explore year-round! Explore your parks and outdoor spaces this winter by following along with our Parks Rx winter activity sheet. Happy exploring! https://pittsburghparks.org//up/2020/10/RxInsertWinter.pdf

Parks are where we celebrate milestones, watch our families grow, take time for ourselves, and find inspiration. Parks are where we create a lifetime of memories. Tell us what your parks mean to you! https://pittsburghparks.org/park-story/

"The right gear, a little planning and practicing for the cold temperatures can help you take celebrations outdoors to avoid Covid-19." Read more here http://ow.ly/wtcL50CS1Mc

Citiparks - City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to have Schenley Park Skating Rink open, even during these challenging times with COVID-19. They have put these measures in place to help protect skaters and staff: https://pittsburghpa.gov/schenley/rink Stay Safe, Pittsburgh!

"COVID-19 has made everyone more aware of their open spaces, but it’s also opened windows of opportunity to break from bureaucracy and implement rapid change, making now the ideal time to revisit how we plan for access to nature." Read more here: https://thecityfix.com//not-all-green-space-is-created-eq/

Happy Halloween! The results of Carve Along 2020. What did you carve? ... Share a picture in the comments!

Who's hoping for a snowy #Pittsburgh winter? We're keeping our fingers crossed over here! Tag us in your winter wonderland photos @pittsburghparks for a chance to be featured on our page!

As we reimagine the holiday season during this unprecedented time, it's a wonderful time for parents and children, friends, and family to get crafty! Whether you enjoy creating homemade holiday gifts or one-of-a-kind ornaments to decorate your tree, there are endless ways to unleash your creativity! Click here to learn how to create your own flower pot gingerbread house: http://ow.ly/8fqD50CfFSJ

Carve along 2020 part 2

Bench dedications are a wonderful way to honor, memorialize, or pay tribute to family and friends. Steven Huselton recently dedicated a bench in honor of his late friend Bradley Ace Schaffner. Brad loved Pittsburgh and its parks so much. Allegheny Commons Park, in particular, gave him some peace in an otherwise chaotic life, Steve explained. I was hoping I could leave something in his memory where others could find moments of peace. Despite his problems, he always want...ed to focus on helping others, Steve said. It means quite a bit knowing that I could help make this park more special in my friend's name. It's like a piece of him lives on in Allegheny Commons Park." If you’re interested in a bench dedication, please contact Julie Segner ([email protected]).

Live carve along

We are excited to launch a new clean up effort in your local parks! Parks are here for us during unprecedented times. Now, it's time for us to give back to them. Consider giving back to one of Pittsburgh's many parks through a unique volunteer clean up effort. Not only are you helping to care for the parks that you know and love, but you also have the chance to explore a new park or trail at the same time! Volunteers can pick their own park, day, and time! Volunteers will f...ocus on litter picking and debris removal. Get involved here: https://www.pittsburghparks.org/park-champions

Explore Frick Park fun facts in the link below! Learn more

"If trees provided Wi-Fi, we would be planting them everywhere...but they only give us the air that we breathe..." Continue Reading: https://nyti.ms/3iT7n90

Did you know that spending time outdoors can improve your health in nine fascinating ways? Learn More: https://bit.ly/3kmp6Xw

Perched on the northern edge of Pittsburgh's Hill District, August Wilson Park provides a unique view of the city. Before 2009, the status of August Wilson Park (formerly Cliffside Park) could have been described as lost but not forgotten. Special thanks to our friends at WQED Pittsburgh for sharing the following story: https://bit.ly/3jL0CaF

THROWBACK THURSDAY| Honoring our cherished spaces In 2005, crews removed dilapidated tennis courts behind the Riverview Park Chapel Shelter in preparation for seeding a new lawn area for informal socialization. The landscape had become dominated by invasive Siberian elms, which were shading out a century-old collection of lilacs. The invasive species were removed, and native trees and shrubs were installed. By June 2008, the building’s restoration was completed. The interior ...was gutted and rebuilt with termite-resistant materials. An updated kitchen was installed, the porch and the restrooms were made wheelchair-accessible, and utilities were buried to increase the beauty and safety of the area. The new building otherwise looks very much like it did when it was first moved into the park, with a steeple, dormers, and charming color scheme. The Riverview Park Chapel Shelter is now the most rented shelter in the city of Pittsburgh! The Parks Conservancy is honored to work alongside the City of Pittsburgh - Office of the Mayor, local community members, and to have friends like you to support our neighborhood and park improvement projects year-round!

Join our friends at the Heinz History Center for a virtual screening of Dark Girls on November 18, as part of the 2020 From Slavery to Freedom Film Series presented by the African American Program of the Heinz History Center. Learn more: https://bit.ly/35JUyef

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy interns are making a difference in a big way! Our summer interns recently completed independent video projects to further connect people to nature. Explore the entire mindfulness video series here: https://bit.ly/2Z0MIZr

Can you imagine a day without water? This year, our country faced an enormous public health crisis from the coronavirus pandemic. This crisis demonstrated the critical role that water and wastewater systems play in their communities, protecting public health, safeguarding the environment, and making a healthy economy possible. Today, we Imagine a Day Without Water. It’s a day to pause and notice the way that water systems impact our lives and communities, and commit to ensur...ing a sustainable water future for generations to come. #valuewater Learn More: https://bit.ly/2ZMQtlQ

"As state and local officials pleaded for residents to stay at home in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many included a caveat: You can still enjoy the outdoors, as long as you can maintain a safe social distance.." Continue Reading: https://bit.ly/35g0Vpb

Farmers to Families Food Box Distribution in Oakland this Wednesday, October 21st 2:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. under the Schenley Plaza Tent. We encourage individuals and families in need to stop by to receive USDA Farm to Families meal kits containing enough dairy, protein, and produce for 10 meals. Meal kits are free with no requirement criteria. All who attend are asked to wear a face covering, practice physical distancing and depart after receiving their meal kit following CD...C guidelines - to ensure a safe, effective distribution event. Partners: University of Pittsburgh Community and Government Relations, Compass (Pitt’s dining services provider), Pitt Pantry, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation Please help us spread the word!