The Allegheny County Parks Foundation and staff from Allegheny County Parks met with their partners at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy at Hartwood Acres Park for an update on the Ecological Assessment and Action Plans currently underway in Hartwood and Settlers Cabin Park. The assessments serve as a snapshot of the ecological attributes of the park, including historical characteristics and conditions such as invasive species concentration. When complete, they will recommend areas for conservation, treatment, describe opportunities for connecting green spaces in Allegheny County and suggest spaces for planting meadows and trees. Final reports are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The Hartwood Ecological Assessment and the Settlers Cabin Park Ecological Assessment are both funded by a generous grant from the Benedum Foundation. The Hartwood Acres report is also funded with a grant from the Garden Club of Allegheny County.
Previous assessments have been completed in Boyce Park and South Park and have led to improvements such as tree plantings and establishing a spectacular meadow in Boyce.