JUNE news & updates
Join us for the second annual TWILIGHT PICNIC FOR THE PARKS to benefit the projects of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation.
WHERE: The lawn of the Hartwood Mansion at Hartwood Acres Park.
WHEN: Saturday, August 25 from 7 to 11 p.m.
WHAT: Featuring a private performance by show business personality Lucie Arnaz . A singer, Broadway, television and film actress, Lucie brings a cabaret masterpiece from the Great American Songbook, jazz favorites and songs inspired by the Latin roots of her father, Desi Arnaz.
WHAT ELSE: Guests will enjoy al fresco style cocktails and dinner that elevates the notion of picnic fare using the finest local ingredients at their seasonal peak.
The evening promises to be a truly memorable experience in the park!
Tickets on sale NOW!
For more information or ticketing, click LUCIE!

Honorary Chairs:
Carol Brown
Cathy & Rich Fitzgerald
Sandy & Prosser Mellon
Event Chairs:
Maris Bondi & Robert Dauer
Sally & Will McCrady
Shelly & Dan Onorato
Sponsors to date include:
LEAD                Highmark Health, PNC Financial Group, UPMC Health Plan
SUPPORTING    Peoples Gas
MOONSTRUCK  Babst Calland and Giant Eagle
STARGAZER      ALCOSAN, I.B.E.W Local Union #5, Burns White, Mascaro Construction Company and Pittsburgh Pirates
Additional early sponsors include Michael Baker International, Maher Duessel, Allegheny Land Trust.
For further information on corporate sponsorships or to serve on the Host Committee, contact Barbara Brewton at 724-327-7627 or [email protected]
Lucie Arnaz
Photo by Michael Childers
Meet Lucie!
You may think you know Lucie Arnaz, daughter of television icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who began her show business career on The Lucy Show , alongside her mother's comedic genius. But since that time, Lucie has spun off in many more directions. She has appeared in multiple Broadway plays, in television series and specials and has performed to strong reviews in popular nightclubs.
She's bringing her musical artistry, dramatic Broadway flair and engaging warmth to Twilight Picnic For The Parks , celebrating and promoting the work of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation.
Lucie's show brings selections from the Great American Songbook, jazz favorites and songs inspired by the Latin roots of her dad, a musical heritage she has recently explored.
This spring she announced she is serving as executive producer to award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin on a biopic of the behind the scenes of the beloved I Love Lucy show. Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett has signed on to play Lucille Ball. The project, titled Lucy and Desi , will shed light on the couple's efforts to raise a young family while starring in a popular TV series.
South Park Ambassadors
Two big fans of South Park have joined a program to help older adults get acquainted with ways to explore fitness in our County Parks.
Mary Ann Raymer and Ray Walton both took the leadership training to become South Park Ambassadors and they joined Caren Glotfelty recently on a trail walk on the Maple Springs Loop circling the gazebo.
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation has been working with non-profit GreenInfo Network of Seattle to create handy maps of South Park using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These maps will be geared toward older adults but can be used by people pushing strollers, young children on bikes or anyone interested in exploring trails in South Park. They provide useful detail such as trail surface and distance, parking, scenic opportunities and locating benches to rest and bathrooms.
Both Raymer and Walton love their frequent visits to South Park. They each manage to fit brisk walks in their busy schedules and are eager to encourage others to make the parks a regular part of their day, too.
This mapping program will eventually be available in all 9 Allegheny County Parks.
Take a look at some preliminary maps HERE!
Allegheny County Parks Executive Director Caren Glotfelty, right, stands with South Park Ambassadors Mary Ann Raymer and Ray Walton, both of Bethel Park.
Watch our Boyce Demonstration Meadow grow!
Meadow minder identifying Black-eyed Susans
New growth! Coreopsis was the first to arrive!
Penn State Master gardeners (l to r) Barb Kline and Elise Ford volunteer to identify emerging wildflowers.
Spring is a busy time in our Boyce Park Demonstration Meadow. Many species of wildflowers are emerging on our six-acre Indian Hill site. But, not surprisingly, many unwanted weeds have appeared, too. Fortunately, there is a solution! (Hold your breath!) We mow it all down.
Sounds extreme, but best meadow practices find this to be the optimum solution to naturally eradicating the weeds while encouraging the wildflowers to flourish.
Some of our friends from the Penn State Master Gardener Program of Allegheny County, Wild Gardens Project, visited the Boyce Meadow recently to help us periodically collect data on growth and species. The Master Gardeners recently collaborated with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation to provide information to homeowners who are interested in incorporating native plants such as the ones used at Boyce in their own backyards. For step-by-step instructions, click on MEADOW!
The experiences we learn from this meadow will inform the planting this summer of the South Park Meadow near Stone Manse. Allegheny County Landscape Architect Joel Perkovich, who designed the Boyce Meadow is also designing the one in South Park.
Photo credit: Firefly.org
Quick: Name our state insect!
Hint: It doesn't sting and it lights up!
It's the firefly!
Look for fireflies with the Allegheny County Park Rangers and learn all about the fascinating lives these seasonal insects lead. You'll follow the Rangers on a one-mile hike into the evening forest and participate in Firefly Watch, a national citizen science project. Wear hiking shoes and bring a flashlight!
This program is free, but registration is required.

Hartwood Acres Park
Saturday, June 23, 8-10 p.m.

White Oak Park
Saturday, June 23, 8-10 p.m.
Register HERE!
The Art of Possibilities for Environmental Professionals
Learn about the Allegheny County Parks Foundation's work to conserve nature in the County Parks and enhance recreational offerings, while also discovering the wide range of career possibilities for environmental professionals.
Caren Glotfelty, ACPF executive director, will speak at the June 26 gathering of the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP), Three Rivers Chapter.
As a long-time leader in the fields of environmental health, land conservation, water quality, storm water management and community revitalization, Glotfelty's diverse career will inspire and offer insights for those in the environmental professions.
When : June 26
Where : North Park at Rose Barn on Pearce Mill Road (across from the North Park Boathouse)
Time : 2 PM: Registration/Networking
2:30 PM: Program
3:30 PM: Social Networking at Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe, North Park Boathouse.
Registration : SWEP-Three Rivers Chapter

Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available. Please contact SWEP Three Rivers Sponsorship Chair Amie Courtney for information.
ACPF Executive Director Caren Glotfelty
Photo by Jim Judkis, Courtesy of the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Thanks to all who supported our FIRST
POUR AT THE PARK
SOUTH PARK
It all started with a spectacular, sunny Spring day and ended with nearly 500 happy friends of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation. We shared great local craft beers, tasty bites from a wide assortment of local restaurants and entertaining music from Molly Alphabet and Shay.
We are very grateful to our friends in the Allegheny County Executive's office and in Allegheny County Parks for their hard work and cooperation in planning this event.
The Pour At The Park South Hills, along with the Pour At The Park North Park (Friday, Sept. 7) raise funds for the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, which provides planning and resources for the nine Allegheny County Parks.
Tickets go on sale June 21 HERE!
For sponsorship information, contact Barbara Brewton at 724-327-7627 or [email protected] .

WE RAISE A TASTING CUP TO OUR SPONSORS!
Photo by Gina Vensel.
A Few Bad Apples feature story
We were so excited to see this awesome feature story about one of our Pour At The Park vendors, A Few Bad Apples!
They produce local cider in a truly sustainable manner, which if we didn't already love their tastings at our POUR events, we really love how their mission of sustainability knits with our own. Read the story HERE!
Keep up the good work, Apples!
Ticket sales for our Pour At The Park North Park go on sale June 21! Click HERE!
Mike Sturges at the cider press.
Photo by Jennifer Sturges
Thanks to our Columbia Gas volunteers!
Little did the energetic - and strong - COLUMBIA GAS volunteers know what we had in store for them on a recent tree planting outing in South Park. They managed to get some BIG trees in the ground with the assistance of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Allegheny County Parks.
Many thanks! Your hard work will live on and on!!
Allegheny County Parks Foundation | 724-327-7627 | acparksfoundation.org | [email protected]