Winter 2010 - The Voice

Nurturing Nature, Planting Possibility.

Winter 2010

The Parks Conservancy is working on important projects in smaller parks in keeping with our mission to improve quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence.

We will celebrate the restoration of the Walled Garden in Mellon Park Shadyside at a dedication on June 12th. We also expect to begin two construction projects this year, including the first phase of restoration in Mellon Square downtown, and improvements to Cliffside Park in the Hill District. The latter project is a partnership with Hill House and Community Partners Institute.

For 14 years the Parks Conservancy has been partnering with city government and the community and to revitalize Frick, Highland, Riverview, and Schenley parks through ecological restoration, capital improvements, and educational and cultural programming. From his earliest days in office, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has encouraged the Parks Conservancy to work in any park in the

city system as time and resources permit.

This encouragement has ushered in a broader phase of geographic activity for the Parks Conservancy as our additional projects attest.

Recently, the Parks Conservancy received a call from new City Councilmember Natalia Rudiak to tour Phillips Park in Carrick. Located adjacent to the high school, the park suffered the recent loss of some of its large mature trees, which concerned Rudiak and park neighbors. During the tour Parks Conservancy staff gathered information about the development of the park, how it is used, and talked about next steps, which may include recruiting and training more residents to care for the park’s natural assets and collaborating with the Carrick community to attempt to raise additional funds for park improvements.

If your City park has a need, please let us know. We have limited resources but willingness to assist where we can.

Michael Sexauer

Parks Conservancy planning work in more city parks

Citiparks employee Steve Weis, councilmember Natalia Rudiak, and Richard Reed, Parks Conservancy COO, tour Phillips Park in Carrick.

Trail improvement project launches across four parks

Courtesy of Allison Park Contractors

Trail improvement construction began in December in the Panther Hollow region of Schenley Park as part of a $3.02 million project managed by the Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works. Similar construction will take place simultaneously at Frick, Highland, and Riverview parks once the winter weather breaks.

“This project will positively impact millions of park visitors for years to come, and we are proud to be part of something that will improve the park experience for so many,” said Parks Conservancy CEO Meg

Trail restoration is underway in Schenley Park and will soon include all four regional parks.

Cheever.

The Parks Conservancy worked with PennDOT District 11 staff to identify Allison Park Contractors as the successful bidder for project.

Crews began by rebuilding the Bridle Trail wall that supports the Lower Panther Hollow Trail located below the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center. Trail surfaces were repaired while inlets were cleaned and drainage pipes cleaned, repaired, or replaced.

Park users are asked to avoid closed areas the parks until the work is complete. The trails in the Panther Hollow section of the park were temporarily closed, but as trail and bridge repairs are completed, trails will re-open to park visitors.

Shortly after completing the trail work, crews will begin installing nearly 100 new signs throughout the four regional parks. In addition to directional signs, new interpretive signs will provide information about park history, wildlife, and restoration projects that have improved the parks.

The project was made possible by the efforts of Representative Mike Doyle and Senator Arlen Specter, who were instrumental in securing a federal grant. In order to access the federal funding the Parks Conservancy raised more than $700,000 locally through matching donations from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, local foundations, corporations, and the Pittsburgh community.

Winter Storms damage trees page 5

Board Spotlight: Jeremy Feinstein page 7 Laura Cook

Panther Hollow Volunteer Extravaganza page 4

Melissa McMasters

John Altdorfer

in this issue

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Message from the President: Since 1996, the main focus of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s work has been the four largest city parks --- Frick, Highland, Riverview and Schenley. Working in partnership with city government, we have completed nine major capital projects in these parks with two more planned for completion this year. Great strides have also been made in stewardship of these park lands through many woodland management and ecological restoration projects involving our public private partnership as well as volunteer Urban EcoStewards.

The city system is composed of 171 additional parks from tot lots to Frick, our largest park. Soon after taking office, Mayor Ravenstahl encouraged us to work anywhere in the city park system where time and resources permit.

As we begin 2010, we are nearing completion of our first project in one of the smaller city parks. June 12th is the date for the ribbon-cutting at the restored Mellon Park Walled Garden. In

2010, we also expect to begin the restoration of Mellon Square. This is a project of national significance, and we are honored to play a role in the revitalization of the Square. Similarly, we are also honored to partner with Hill House, Community Partners Institute, and a broad coalition in the Hill District to create a Greenprint for the neighborhood that includes extensive tree planting, rehabilitation of city steps, and a rehabilitation of Cliffside Park and playground.

We’re also joining a conversation in the Carrick neighborhood around possible improvements to Phillips Park.

Our mission is to improve quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence. We are grateful to the mayor and to you, our constituents, for your support for the expansion of our efforts into a broader range of community projects.

John Altdorfer

Dear Friends of Pittsburgh Parks,

Park users stroll through Frick Park.

Letters to the Editor Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-682-PARK (7275) Fax: 412-622-0160 www.pittsburghparks.org

Staff Meg Cheever, President and CEO Richard Reed, Executive Vice President and COO Debbie Beck, Chief Financial Officer Philip J. Gruszka, Director of Parks Management & Maintenance Marijke Hecht, Director of Education Susan M. Rademacher, Parks Curator Michael Sexauer, Director of Marketing & Membership Development Laurie Anderson, Grants Manager Kendall Ayers, Development Associate Kim Barner, Finance Assistant Beth Bodamer, Executive Assistant Joyce Collier, Development Assistant Lisa Conti, Development Officer - Annual Fund, Administrator - Development Systems Laura Cook, Marketing Communications Coordinator Erin Copeland, Restoration Ecologist Bryan Dolney, Field Ecologist William Ferguson, Development Officer - Corporate and Government Relations Jim Griffin, Schenley Plaza Manager Melissa McMasters, Online and Community Advocacy Manager

Board of Directors Alan Ackerman • Dan Booker • Brian Bronaugh Linda Burke • Meg Cheever • G. Reynolds Clark John Diederich • Curt Ellenberg • Helen Faison Jeremy Feinstein • Audrey Hillman Fisher • Elise Frick Vaughn Gilbert • Ethel Hansen • Harry Henninger Dan Holthaus • Becky Keevican • Robbee Kosak John P. Levis, III • Debra Meyer • Scarlet Morgan Brian Mullins • Marlee S. Myers • Susan Nernberg Eliza Nevin • llah Nourbakhsh • Robert Petrilli James Rogal • Ritchie Scaife • Tom Schmidt Alex Speyer Jr. • Christy Wiegand • Michael Zanic Government Representatives: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, City of Pittsburgh Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Allegheny County State Representative Dan Frankel Mike Radley, City of Pittsburgh Rob Kaczorowski , City of Pittsburgh Noor Ismail, City of Pittsburgh

the Voice Editor, Laura Cook Staff Photographer, Melissa McMasters

On-leash or Off? This afternoon in Mellon Park I was confronted by the largest Great Dane I’ve seen in years, off-leash. I told the owner that I thought dogs were supposed to be on-leash. The owner politely and firmly informed me that the area is “a dog park” and that being off-leash is no problem as “everyone gets along.” One of us was wrong — who was it?

Camping in Parks Is there anywhere within or near Pittsburgh where overnight primitive camping is allowed? I’ve noticed what appear to be campsites in Frick Park.

Submitted anonymously through pittsburghparks.org Parks are public spaces which ideally meet the diverse needs of many visitors. Ordinances established by the City of Pittsburgh protect users and promote safe and respectful use of the parks.

Unfortunately, these two ideals are often at odds, and we frequently hear from Parks Conservancy members that some ordinances infringe upon personal enjoyment of the parks.

The Parks Conservancy supports the City Code and holds proper park use in the highest regard. We also recognize that enforcement of the Code is costly and that some ordinances are openly challenged by park visitors. So, while the City Code suggests a black and white approach, the reality is that enforcement is nearly impossible without a substantial increase in resources.

Another solution is to change the Code to reflect the public use of the parks.

Many people became aware of the City ordinance on overnight camping during the G20 summit. Interaction with the public tells us that many people see overnight camping as a wonderful opportunity to experience nature and our parks in a powerful manner.

Off-leash dogs continue to be a contentious topic with strong supporters on both sides. Some park users suggest that larger, more secure offleash areas are the solution, or that designating certain parks or times of day for off-leash activity will work. Others that we hear from believe in no solution other than enforcement of the Code.

We asked our partner, the Department of Public Works, to respond...

Dear concerned park users, Mellon Park is NOT an authorized or legislated Off Lease Exercise Area (OLEA) or “dog park.” All dog owners are expected to keep their dogs on a leash as per Ordinance 473.05b There is also no camping permitted in parks per Ordinance 473.04d except with permission from the Director of Parks and Recreation.

Sincerely, Mike Gable Deputy Director of Public Works City of Pittsburgh What is the solution?

The Parks Conservancy’s role does not include creating or enforcing the City Code. But we are in a position to collect opinions and share them with our partner the City. Additionally, the Parks Conservancy and its partners are currently updating the Regional Parks Master Plan, which is now 10 years old. We expect to inform the contents of the Master Plan through online and direct public engagement later this year.

Please send letters to info@pittsburghparks.org or the Voice, 2000 Technology Drive, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Letters may be edited. All submissions become the property of the Parks Conservancy.

In the meantime, we would like to hear from you about these or related topics. Send us your thoughts and comments via the website — pittsburghparks.org/contactus.

The City Code is available to the public by visiting city.pittsburgh.pa.us and following the “City Code” link on the right hand menu.

Questions or issues with the City Code should be addressed with your councilperson and/or the Mayor’s Response Line (311).

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Winter 2010

Parks Conservancy merchandise available via our new online store will go back into the parks.

The Parks Conservancy joined Zazzle Community Giving, which allows us to create items for sale that Zazzle then produces and ships directly.

A variety of items available for purchase includes notecards, bumper stickers, t-shirts, pet clothing, and calendars. You can even purchase U.S. postage stamps depicting several Use the code “pittsburghpa” at the Zazzle checkout and receive 15% off your Parks Conservancy merchandise through March 31st.

This image of Riverview Park is available for purchase on notecards and U.S. postage stamps at our new online store.

Walk through any of Pittsburgh’s shopping districts and you’re bound to find sports, arts, and cultural merchandise. But you’re unlikely to come across many items depicting one of Pittsburgh’s greatest assets—our parks.

That’s about to change with the launch of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s new online store at pittsburghparks.org/store. Now, not only can you find park merchandise, but a portion of the proceeds from your purchase

scenes from Frick, Highland, Riverview, and Schenley Parks. You can also show your support for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy with a selection of branded items including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and tote bags.

We’d love to hear your suggestions about items you’d like to see in the store.

Give us your feedback at pittsburghparks.org/contactus.

Hat Luncheon returns to Highland Park Entry Garden Five years after the restoration of the Highland Park Entry Garden, the space remains beautiful. The project was the result of a thriving collaboration between the City of Pittsburgh, the Parks Conservancy, and the Highland Park community, and its success continues due to local partnerships.

Volunteers are crucial to the ongoing success of the garden. The Rosedale Block Cluster, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the beauty of the community, planted nearly 40,000 early spring blooming bulbs of daffodils, irises, crocus, tulips, and other species for the renovated garden’s opening. Last fall, 5,000 additional daffodils were added by the parks crews, the Parks Conservancy, and volunteers. Today, the perennial garden is maintained through the joint efforts of the City, the Parks Conservancy, and volunteers from the Men’s Garden Club of Pittsburgh.

The garden evolves with each growing season. To avoid aggressive plants overtaking the garden, plants are divided as their growth becomes overwhelming. The divisions go to other parks to enhance them and to other entities within the parks such as the Pittsburgh Zoo. The Zoo also has an impressive collection

The Highland Park Entry Garden was restored to its former glory in 2005. The entry garden is maintained through the cooperative efforts of volunteers and the staff of the Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh.

of perennials that they willingly share with the parks staff and Parks Conservancy.

The Highland Park Entry Garden restoration began in 2003 and was completed in 2005. The impressive Victorian entry

garden had deteriorated and lost many of the magnificent qualities it held in the early 1900s. The restoration returned walkways, an operational fountain, and benches to the garden.

After the restoration, the gardens were accented with four 4-foot-tall urns donated by Roy and Susie Dorrance in memory of Susie’s mother, Mrs. Emma O. Sharp. The final phase of the entry garden restoration project is the installation of decorative trellises, on which vining plants can grow. If you’re interested in contributing to the garden or trellis project, please contact the Parks Conservancy at 412-682-7275.

The Highland Park Entry Garden was home to the Spring Hat Luncheon in 2005. The Spring Hat Luncheon returns to Highland Park this May. For more information, visit pittsburghparks.org/springhatluncheon

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Partners join for Panther Hollow Volunteer Extravaganza on April 24 The United Nations selected Pittsburgh as the North American host city for 2010’s World Environment Day. The Pittsburgh community will work to shed light on sustainability and environmental issues in the weeks spanning the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 and the 38th celebration of World Environment Day on June 5.

A kick-off event for volunteers will be held in Panther Hollow, Schenley Park on April 24.

University students and community volunteers are urged to participate.

The Parks Conservancy and partners are planning a 9am to 1pm work day in Schenley Park’s Panther Hollow, guiding volunteers to plant trees, pick up litter, build trails and provide erosion control to advance what the Parks Conservancy’s Director of Education, Marijke Hecht calls “our next large-scale ecological restoration project over the next five years.”

Volunteers will plant native wildflower seeds and place wide weaves of matting made from a natural plant fiber called jute, in order to hold the soil and encourage native plant species to grow.

Further restoration will take place

in following months.

The event is sponsored by KDKA-TV, Panera Bread and WYEP-FM. Other partners in the World Environment Day activities include Allegheny Cleanways, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, City of Pittsburgh, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, Pennsylvania Resources Council, and the Student Conservation Association. Volunteers must register in advance. For more information and to register, visit pittsburghparks.org/volunteerdays or pittsburghwed.com.

Kendall Ayers and Mike Sexauer, shown at the restored Mary Schenley Fountain, are part of the Parks Conservancy’s expanding focus on Marketing and Membership Development.

New staff members join Parks Conservancy Volunteers clean up Schenley Park.

Illustration by Carlos Peterson

Mellon Park Walled Garden Dedication set for June 12

Art installation: 7:11 AM 11.20.1979 79° 55´W 40°27´N ©Janet Zweig, 2009

The dedication of the Mellon Park Walled Garden restoration will take place on Saturday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.To learn more about the Walled Garden restoration or to purchase a star, please visit pittsburghparks.org/mellonpark

The Parks Conservancy welcomes two new staff members to expand the Marketing and Membership Development Department.

Michael Sexauer is Director of the department, bringing 20 years of marketing communications and research knowledge to the Parks Conservancy. As Director of Marketing and Membership Development, Sexauer will oversee five Parks Conservancy staff members and supervise online and print marketing, advertising, membership, and event planning for the organization. He will also assist the organization in corporate fundraising.

Sexauer most recently served as the director of marketing for Phipps Conservatory in 2007 and 2008, as database marketing manager for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette prior to that, and spent several years in financial services marketing. An Erie native, he earned a MBA from Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, NC and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Clarion University. “Opportunities to work for organizations like the Parks Conservancy are rare,” says Sexauer. “In truth there is very little difference between for-profit and not-for-profit marketing. But it is much easier for me to be passionate about my work on the non-profit side. The staff at the Parks Conservancy are great—their dedication is infectious.”

Kendall Ayers joined the Parks Conservancy as the Development Associate to plan events and to provide administrative assistance to the Marketing and Membership Development team. She previously worked for Literacy*AmeriCorps, and with the Community Partners Institute.

She holds a Bachelors of Arts in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ayers often runs in Highland Park and is excited about the upcoming dedication of the Mellon Park Walled Garden, “I love the idea of a garden illuminated at night by stars both in the sky and in the ground.”

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Winter 2010

Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities March 21

Bike trail maintenance with PTAG Highland Park, 9 a.m. -1 p.m.

March 25-27 Parks are Free Film Festival

Frick Park suffered from the weight of over two feet of snow.

Winter storm damages many park trees With over two feet of snow accumulation from the early February storms, our parks were hit hard and many trees suffered. The extreme weight caused some large branches to break while other trees were completely knocked over. The weather is currently preventing City parks crews and Parks Conservancy staff from making a full assessment of the parks.

“The winter storm has caused damage throughout the City. The long list of priorities and the large amount of snow are making it difficult to access and assess the damage. We are committed to maintaining a healthy and safe park environment, but we ask park users to please stay away from the broken trees to prevent further destruction, but most importantly to keep themselves safe,” said Mike Gable, Deputy Director of Public Works, City of Pittsburgh.

Parks Conservancy staff discovered downed trees blocking park trails, like the Tranquil Trail in Frick Park, and unfortunately some of these trees will be lost. If you would like to help replace trees split, broken, or destroyed by the storm, please donate to the Parks Conservancy’s Emergency Tree Fund through the attached envelope or at pittsburghparks.org/donate.

Outdoor learning space to honor Ambrusko children The Parks Conservancy was approached by the Kate and Peter Ambrusko Memorial Fund in Fall of 2009 to develop a children’s outdoor learning space in Frick Park, near the Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh’s east end. Currently in the planning and design stages, the project idea belongs to Amy Ambrusko, mother of Katherine and Peter Ambrusko, ages 6 and 4, who were tragically killed in a car accident.

The space will memorialize two precious lives while providing a “hands-on learning space for observation and active scientific inquiry,” according to Parks Conservancy Director of Education, Marijke Hecht. The project’s premise is “park as classroom.”

On January 5 in her personal blog, callapitter46.blogspot.com, Ambrusko writes: “And kids - they can see, hear and feel so much that we adults can't!” The Ambrusko learning space in Frick Park will provide a setting for “seeing” and “hearing,” observing and exploring, in an outdoor learning space created to honor two beloved children. The Parks Conservancy is accepting donations to advance this project through our website at www.pittsburghparks.org/donate.

March 27

Restore stream bank vegetation Frick Park, 9 a.m. -1 p.m.

April 1

PNC Carousel opens Schenley Plaza

April 24

Panther Hollow Volunteer Day Schenley Park, 9 a.m. -1 p.m.

May 1

Spring Hat Luncheon Highland Park, 11:15 a.m.

May 8

Bike trail maintenance with PTAG Riverview Park, 9 a.m. -1 p.m.

May 16

A Walk on a Trail to benefit Childrens Hospital Steve Faloon Memorial Trail Schenley Park

May 20

Garden Club of Allegheny County John Danzer Lecture and Tea Schenly Plaza

July 23

Target the Parks

More details available at pittsburghparks.org/calendar

Save the Date Thursday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m.

Schenley Plaza

John Danzer Lecture and Tea The World of Exteriors Presented by The Garden Club of Allegheny A member of the Garden Club of America

County

More info at gcacpgh.org

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Volunteer Spotlight : David and Michelle Panasiuk

How did you get involved with the Parks Conservancy?

Michelle: We started leading urban hikes for Venture Outdoors in 2008, and the more we learned about the parks, the more excited we got. We wanted to get others excited about them too, so in 2009 we volunteered to be docents for the Walks in the Woods program.

And that led to becoming EcoStewards?

Dave: Yes—we were already familiar with park history, but we came to the EcoSteward trainings and learned so much about ecology.

Phil Gruszka’s tree ID walks are the greatest thing ever.

Why did you choose Schenley Park as the focus of your volunteer work?

Michelle: We fell in love with the tufa bridges and with the stone bridges along the Panther Hollow Run Trail and wanted to help maintain them.

Dave: The park also has a great history that we love sharing with people on our walks.

Why is park stewardship a valuable way to spend your time?

Dave: These aren’t just forests; they’re urban parks. They have to be maintained. If we don’t care for every part of them, we won’t be able to enjoy them.

Dave and Michelle Panasiuk are two of the Parks Conservancy’s most dedicated volunteers.

What makes Schenley Park special?

Dave: Schenley Park connects with everywhere.

You can see everything from the Panther Hollow Bridge—the center of education and medicine, a metropolitan downtown… Plus, if you haven’t seen the sunset from the Overlook, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s one of

the best urban sunsets you’ll ever see.

Walks in the Woods will return this June.

Watch pittsburghparks.org for the schedule!

For more of our interview with the Panasiuks, please visit pittsburghparks.wordpress.

The Invasive Advisor Invasive plants choke out the biodiversity of our natural areas – even in our own backyards. Many of the plants are non-native, meaning they were not part of our original habitat, but introduced from other countries, often for gardening and landscaping. With few or no natural enemies, these plants can now be seen taking over entire landscapes. Join the battle! Learn to recognize and control invasive species by picking up Plant Invaders of the Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas at the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center.

You can also find an Invasive Plants of Pittsburgh guide on our website.

Please avoid planting these aggressors in your own garden.

Winged Burning Bush Common name: Burning Bush Scientific name: Euonymus alata Origin: northeastern Asia

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, United States

Working in more than 1,700 acres of park land under our care, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy relies heavily on volunteers to assist with everything from planting trees to educating other park users. We sat down recently with two of our most dedicated volunteers, Dave and Michelle Panasiuk, who serve as Urban EcoStewards in Panther Hollow and lead the popular Schenley Park Walks in the Woods.

Description: Winged burning bush is a deciduous shrub, up to 20 ft. in height, which invades forests throughout the eastern United States. Occasionally, four corky ridges appear along the length of young stems. The opposite, dark green leaves are less than 2 in. long, smooth, rounded and taper at the tips. The leaves turn a bright crimson to purplish color in the fall. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish yellow and have 4 petals. Flowers develop in the spring and lay flat against the leaves. Fruit are reddish capsules that split to reveal orange fleshy seeds.

Ecological Threat: Winged burning bush can invade a variety of disturbed habitats including forest edges, old fields, and roadsides. Birds readily disperse the seeds. Once established, burning bush can form dense thickets that displace native vegetation, yet it currently continues to be sold and planted as an ornamental or roadside hedge.

Management Options: Do not plant winged burning bush. Manual, mechanical, and chemical means are available to control established plantings. Seedlings can be pulled by hand. Shrubs can be repeatedly cut to the ground to control re-sprouts, or cut and treated with systemic herbicides like glyphosate and triclopyr.

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Winter 2010 Board Spotlight: Jeremy Feinstein

What is your favorite Parks Conservancy project?

Schenley Plaza has a powerful transformation story. The space was in a prime location, but not attractive or usable for recreation. The Parks Conservancy and their partners have delivered a beautiful, user-friendly space that provides an array of entertainment and food options that drive people to the park. It has become a destination.

What future project are you most excited about?

I have been highly focused on Mellon Square as I analyze the renovation and maintenance agreements. It is exciting to cooperate with the City on this unique, first class project. Mellon Square is great because it is a highly trafficked urban space, and it is currently not close to fulfilling its potential. It was envisioned to be a green space magnet, an oasis in the city and we will return it to that status.

How do our urban parks and the Parks Conservancy play a vital role in the future of Pittsburgh?

The Parks Conservancy’s vital function is to focus and grow the private philanthropic interests needed for great urban parks and to serve as a park-focused partner for the City in seeking all current best practices in the parks management field. It is exciting that the Parks Conservancy is now able to move beyond the four Regional Asset District (RAD) parks, becoming the City’s primary partner in trying to revitalize all park assets in conjunction with community groups. The Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh have the essential cooperative model.

Laura Cook

For the past three years, Jeremy Feinstein has been involved with the Parks Conservancy and for the past two, has served as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Feinstein is a partner at ReedSmith LLP (reedsmith.com), and he is the Parks Conservancy’s General Counsel.

As an invaluable asset to the organization, Mr. Feinstein aides the Parks Conservancy in handling all of its legal affairs.

Mr. Feinstein is a park advocate and extensive user of Schenley and Frick Parks.

He and his wife, Stefani Pashman, live near Schenley Park with their three children.

Jeremy Feinstein is pictured in the ReedSmith offices, located in the PNC building downtown.

For more of our interview with Mr. Feinstein, please visit pittsburghparks.wordpress.

Phil-osophy Director of Parks Management and Maintenance, Phil Gruszka, talks about what is happening in the parks during the winter season and what’s coming up this spring. If you have questions for Phil, please email info@pittsburghparks.org with “Phil” in the subject. We will do our best to address them.

What does the field staff do in the winter?

Our team continues working with the city park crew members and Urban EcoStewards to control invasive plants and trees throughout the winter months. It is also a great time of year to prune trees, and, if you are time challenged like the park crew members in the spring, you can do your mulching now. Additionally, cutting back your perennials now can save you valuable time in the spring. While work has been progressing on the Trail and Sign Improvement Project, the staff also uses the winter months to plan — spring, summer and fall volunteer projects, staff work plans, and capital project construction schedules.

What is the Parks Conservancy’s Daffodil Project?

The Daffodil Project began in 2007 with the planting of more than 5,000 daffodil bulbs along the sidewalk near the Bartlett Playground. The Bartlett area is the pilot location for a collaboration between the Parks Conservancy, the City of Pittsburgh, and the Penn State University Cooperative Extension to install daffodil beds throughout the city. The Daffodil Project has now reached the Highland Park Entry Garden, Frick Park Gatehouse, and the Riverview Park Chapel Shelter.

Why daffodils?

Daffodils naturalize/perennialize, so every dollar you spend keeps increasing in value year after year. One bulb will generate new ones that will grow and bloom as beautifully as the original. They are also the harbinger of spring, and when planted in mass, form a very impressive floral display.

Has the project been successful?

The Daffodil Project has allowed us to convert areas of hard-to-maintain lawn into selfsustaining flowerbeds. Daffodils require very little maintenance. We give them a small amount of fertilizer each year, remove the foliage when it starts to turn yellow, and wait patiently until next spring. The daffodils are repellant to deer, so they serve as an excellent plant in parks that suffer from deer overpopulation.

The Daffodil Project began in 2007 with the planting of 5,000 bulbs and has expanded to Frick, Highland, and Riverview.

To support the Daffodil Project, visit pittsburghparks.org/donate.

Stay in touch with the Parks Conservancy... twitter.com/pittsburghparks

facebook.com/pittsburghparks

pittsburghparks.wordpress.com

Keep Parks Forever Beautiful Make a Bequest

John Altdorfer

Help support the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s mission to improve quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with the City. You can give to the Parks Conservancy during your lifetime or under the terms of your will through planned giving. To learn more about how you can support the Parks Conservancy through planned giving, please call (412) 682-7275 x228.

We urge you to consult with your legal and financial advisors to assist you in arranging the best method of contributing. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Contributions to the Parks Conservancy are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information for the Parks Conservancy may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Printed on Recycled Paper

Film Festival coming this month The Parks Conservancy is partnering with Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts to create the Parks are Free Film Festival. The festival will run from Thursday, March 25 to Saturday, March 27. Four park-related films, The Garden, The Gates, Pale Male, and A Sense of Wonder, will be shown over the three day period at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in the Marshall Building, on the corner of Shady and Fifth Avenues. All screenings are free, but seats can be reserved at pittsburghparks.org or by calling 412.682.7275 x 227.

The Garden

Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m.

The series kicks off with a showing of The Garden. The documentary, by filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy, follows a group of families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from developers.

The Gates

Friday, March 26, 7:30 p.m.

A tour of the restored Mellon Park Walled Garden at 6:30 p.m. will precede the film. The documentary chronicles the decades-long struggle of Christo and Jeanne-Claude to bring their most ambitious work of art to life, and reveals the intricate process of completing the 7,503 saffron-colored gates and fabric panels used in “The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005.” Directed by Antonio Ferrera, Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Matthew Prinzing.

A Sense of Wonder

Pale Male

A Sense of Wonder depicts pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson in the final year of her life. The docurama was made at Carson’s cottage on the Maine coast. Using many of Miss Carson’s own words, Kaiulani Lee embodies this extraordinary woman as she emerges as America’s most successful advocate for the natural world. The film was directed by Chris Monger. The screening will be preceded by an introduction at 4:30 by Rachel Carson Homestead Exeutive Director, Patricia M. Kailuani Lee as Rachel Carson.

DeMarco, Ph.D.

Pale Male documents a red-tailed hawk’s astounding, historymaking arrival in Manhattan in 1991. No other red-tailed hawk had ever attempted to make Manhattan his territory.

Affectionately dubbed Pale Male, he made an exclusive Fifth Avenue apartment building his home. The documentary follows the progress of this exquisite, powerful bird of prey and was directed by Frederic Lilien.

Following the film, join us for a presentation by the National Aviary.

Saturday, March 27, 3 p.m.

Saturday, March 27, 5 p.m.