Will Chimney Swifts return even if their towers are covered in snow?!
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Boyce Park Chimney Swift Habitat Tower
APRIL 2, 2018
April is when Chimney Swifts make their return to Pittsburgh from the South. It's when temperatures are warming and delectable insects start swarming for the acrobatic birds to eat. So how will they greet Allegheny County with a fresh covering of snow? Not quite the welcome mat they're used to seeing.
Never fear! The Swifts will not be deterred by a dusting of early spring snow. Luckily for the Chimney Swifts, they can choose from 100 habitat towers distributed throughout the Allegheny County Parks for nesting. The towers were installed through a partnership with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. The project was initiated to encourage these beneficial birds to return to our region after their population was reduced when nesting sites were reduced as the region's tree canopy was lowered due to development. Funders included the Peaceable Kingdom Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Audubon Society and Allegheny County Parks.
For more information on the Allegheny County Parks Foundation's Chimney Swift Habitat Towers project, click
HERE!
Click
HERE
if you'd like to be a citizen scientist and monitor local swift activity.
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
POUR AT THE PARK - SOUTH PARK
MAY 11 - 5:30 TO 8:30 P.M.
MUSEUM BUILDING AT SOUTH PARK FAIRGROUNDS
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Join us for the first POUR AT THE PARK - SOUTH HILLS! Several ticket options, but the first 500 guests to buy $55 tickets get our exclusive STAINLESS STEEL TASTING CUP!!
Cool craft brews from around the region and scrumptious bites from local restaurants. One price covers it all!
Oh, and did we mention LIVE music! Singer-songwriter
SHAY
and catch local favorite
MOLLY ALPHABET
just days before the release of their EP!!
Click on the TICKET link above to visit our event site, and check us out on
Facebook
and
Twitter
!
CHECK OUT OUR VENDORS TO DATE:
ARSENAL CIDER HOUSE
BLUME HONEY WATER
EAST END BREWING COMPANY
PENN BREWERY
SPOONWOOD BREWING
THREADBARE CIDER
WIGLE WHISKEY
JACK'S HARD CIDER
GRIST HOUSE
MINDFUL BREWING COMPANY
STEEL CITY BEER WHOLESALERS
THREE RIVERS UNDERGROUND BREWERS
BLUME HONEY WATER
PURE GRUB
BLACK RADISH KITCHEN
OVER THE BAR BICYCLE CAFE
CITY FRESH PASTA
CRAFTHOUSE STAGE & GRILL
TWO UGLY MUGS GOURMET SALSA & HOT SAUCE
VILKA BISTRO
THE SOUTH PARK CLUBHOUSE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW - $55 INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL TASTING CUP
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Join volunteers April 14, 9-NOON
to unearth South Park's
Vale of Cashmere
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An energetic group of volunteers has helped to unearth a treasured portion of original South Park history and is eagerly searching for information from folks who may have enjoyed going there in the past.
The Vale of Cashmere was one of the stone structures designed by Paul Riis, the original architect hired when Allegheny County established South and North Parks in 1927. At its heyday, the Vale had three distinctive shallow ponds where visitors could splash, picnic and relax. They are located in a valley between East Park Drive and Hundred Acres Drive. There is not yet an established trail to the Vale, but it is easily accessed from gravel parking spots on East Park Drive.
Anne Oyler of South Park first learned about this hidden gem during one of her frequent walks in the park. Longtime South Park residents told her about the Vale but when she and her friend, Lynn Rethi of Finleyville, searched for it, they were unable to find it in the height of summer because it was hidden under years of overgrowth. They went back in the winter and were finally able to see the imprint of the stone walls that circled the original shallow pools. They were enchanted!
Learn more:
Anne Oyler has pulled together lots of interesting information on architect Paul Riis and welcomes all who are curious to learn more about him and his work to visit the site:
Paul Riis Legacy Preservation Volunteers.
A
nyone with historical information on Riis or who have memories about visiting these sites is encouraged to contact her. She would love to add it. "We want this to be a one-stop-shop for everything Riis!" she said.
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Front L to R: David Oyler, Anne Oyler, Peg Bittner
Middle: Mary Jane Layman
Back: Bernadette Fincke, Jason Fincke, Ed Eichenlaub, Shawn Champlin
Volunteers not pictured: Lynn Rethi, Marc Bowman and Chellie Romano.
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More Trees for South Park!
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The Allegheny County Parks Foundation has partnered with several organizations to plant more than 80 trees in South Park this month.
Earlier this month, trees were planted by Parks Foundation staff, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Allegheny County Rangers, Allegheny County Parks, Friends of South Park and Elizabeth-Forward Middle School students.
The recommendation to plant more trees was made in the
South Park Ecological Assessment
, funded by PNC Foundation and the Heinz Endowments. Funding for the trees was made by possible by the Peaceable Kingdom Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation.
Look for these saplings along Sesqui Drive and Brownsville Road. Varieties include Redbud, Serviceberry, American Beech, River Birch, American Linden, Blackgum, Sugar Maple, White Oak and Tuliptree.
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Elise Cupps, Education & Outreach Coordinator with the Allegheny County Rangers, planted trees with students from Gateway Middle School last year.
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Fit With A Physician
April 24
South Park
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Looking for new ways to improve your fitness? Join the
Fit With A Physician
low-impact hike on April 24 in South Park. Open to everyone but FREE registration to anyone 50 years or older. Local medical professionals are on hand, along with a Venture Outdoors Again guide, for an easy-paced walk that gets the body moving and mind stimulated. You'll learn about the medical professional's field of study and will get individual questions answered during the walk. At each stop along the trail, the expert will share tips for staying healthy. These periodic hikes last up to 2 hours and take place on paved trails.
The program partners Venture Outdoors, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, which is producing a mobile friendly and printable mapping app that will enable older adults and their providers to identify trails, activities, facilities and events that encourage healthy exercise at all nine Allegheny County Parks.
To get more details about where and when to meet and to sign up for the April 24 walk in South Park, click
HERE
!
To learn more about the program and future activities, click
HERE
!
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A group of walkers enjoyed a hike in South Park last year.
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Volunteers needed!
Celebrate EARTH DAY with us!
April 21, 8 - NOON
SOUTH PARK
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Volunteers interested in helping remove trash and debris in South Park during Comcast Cares Day can register at
www.comcastinthecommunity.com
and type Allegheny County in the search bar. You can also register on site the morning of the event. More than 100 local ComcastNBCUniversal employees and their families, friends and community partners are expected to join the Allegheny County Rangers and the Allegheny County Parks Foundation for the 17th Annual Comcast Care Day.
The Comcast Foundation generously provides grants to local community partner organizations across the country on behalf of everyone who volunteers on Comcast Cares Day. The grants will help Comcast’s community partners continue their mission of serving the community throughout the year.
Volunteers will meet for breakfast at Tamarac Grove which is located off Twin Hills Road. Take Corrigan Drive and turn on Hundred Acres Drive, driving between the Ice Rink and the Corrigan Drive Pool structure. Bear right onto Twin Hills Road. The closest GPS coordinate for Tamarac Grove is: 100 Twin Hills Rd, Bethel Park, PA 15102.
Volunteers will be provided a T-Shirt, gloves and necessary supplies and will be provided with breakfast and lunch. The event takes place rain or shine so bring rain gear if necessary.
Thank you for helping to keep our park beautiful, ComcastNBCUniversal!
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