Hollow Oak News

 

"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art

that anybody could ever want to own."

- Andy Warhol
  
June 24, 2015

Volume 2, Number 11

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Upcoming Activities

  

Dog Days of Summer
Sunday, August 9, 12- 4 pm
Hassam Rd. Trailhead at Montour Woods

Join Hollow Oak Land Trust at our first ever dog event. There will be hikes of various lengths (The Lap Dog Lap and the Alpha Dog Ascent) led by nature-savvy volunteers, dog-themed presentations, a doggy photo op and a cook out... all under our brand new pavilion donated by REI. Be sure to keep up to date with any more details

by following our Facebook and Twitter.

 

Mountain Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:00 PM 
Hassam Rd. Trailhead 
 

Check out the newest trail system and one of the longest descents in Allegheny County...Montour Woods Conservation Area. The 8+ miles of trails now connect to 3+ miles at Moon Park. Moderate and Mellow ride options available.  Check our Facebook for details and last minute updates. RSVP: [email protected] 

Trail Luv Mondays

Volunteer and Student intern Cassie Hall after  a particularly muddy Trail Luv Monday

Every Monday 5:30 pm

Hassam Rd. Trailhead

 

Come join our team of passionate and

enthusiastic trail maintenance volunteers. All you need to bring is proper footwear and the willingness to get a little dirty. We provide the tools and refreshments. Keep up to date with location via our Facebook or Twitter

 

Trail Host Program

Do you have a friendly face and a knack for getting people involved in what you're passionate about? We are currently searching for enthusiastic volunteers to be stationed at the Hassam Road trailhead to collect data and provide information to trail-users.

 

To RSVP to one of our volunteer events or to gain more information, email [email protected] 

 

 

Support Your Greenspace

Even if you cannot donate your time, youcan still make a positive impact on your communityby joining over 200 other households and local corporations by donating and becoming a member today. Help us continue doing the work that so many are affected by on a daily basis-- whether it be trail-hikers, trout, or trees. To become a member and protect one of our community's most vital resources today, you can either sign up on our website or mail us the membership form to P.O. Box 741, Coraopolis PA 15108. 

 

Hollow Oak Media Coverage 

  

Moon Area Pupils Reintroduce Trout to Native Habitat

Beaver County Times

Moon Area Middle School Students pose just after releasing their trout in Meeks Run

June 9th, 2015, Jared Stonesifer      

   
 

Last month Hollow Oak Land Trust

teamed up with Moon Area Middle School to release over 100 student-raised brook trout fingerlings into Meeks Run. Mr. Frank Todd and his students through the PA Trout in the Classroom project have released fish in this stream for the past three years in order to reintroduce the species to their ancestral home. The trout release day took place on May 18th in which students not only released the fish, but also learned how to cast a fly fish rod with aid from Orvis staff and about stream ecology. They finished the day planting trees and with a 3 mile nature-hike from Executive Director Sean Brady. Continued environmental conservation education is provided through a $3,000 grant from Orvis sports-man and fly-fishing. Read the full article here

 

Volunteer Profile: Paul Trusty

Paul Trusty planting trees at Montour Woods

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

 

One of our very own volunteers is

leading the way in the new Allegheny County Park Ranger program (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, June 12, 2015). Paul Trusty will be working alongside other qualified individuals who have traveled from all over the country (and even the world) to be ambassadors welcoming people to the county's beautiful parks. Paul moved to Pittsburgh from Montana several years ago to work as an ecologist and quickly become an avid volunteer for Hollow Oak Land Trust by crew leading, trail building and using his degree in mycology (fungus biology) for biological assessments. We thank him for his service and look forward to hearing all the good work he does in his new position in the Allegheny County Park Ranger Corps. keep an eye out for that big smile and his bigger wide-brimmed hat at a park near you!

 

 

Social Media

 

To stay in the loop with all our daily activities and be the first to know about upcoming special events by:

 

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

 

Hashtag your adventures on our trails with #HollowOakOrg and have the opportunity to have your photos featured in our next newsletter!

 

 

Recent Grant Awards
Meeks Run

 

Allegheny County

Conservation District Grant

On June 8th Hollow Oak Land Trust

was awarded a $8,500 grant

in Conservation, Leadership and

Innovation for its Meeks Run H20 Quality Project from the Allegheny County Conservation District. The funding will support educational programs for landowners in the Meeks Run watershed. Goals for the program include sharing best practices for a beautiful yard that substantially decrease their environmental impact on their local stream. Keep your eyes open for community meetings and volunteer opportunities to assist in outreach, education and restoration!

  

REI Grant

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) awarded Hollow Oak with a $5,000 grant for Montour Woods Conservation Area. With this funding a new pavilion will be established near the mouth of Meeks Run for environmental education programs, volunteer appreciation events and other activities. Pavilion installation is slated for early August and will be featured in the Dogs Days of Summer event August 9th.

 

Fellow environmental and educational organizations likewise can make use of the pack-it-in-pack-it-out facility. Inquiries for availability can be made to [email protected] or (412) 264-5354.

 

Thank You Vocelli Pizza and Home Depot!

There's nothing better than a slice of Vocelli Pizza after a long hike in the woods. Thank you to Moon Township's Vocelli pizza for their sponsorship of the Internship Fridays program!

 

Thank you to Home Depot in North Fayette and Store Manager Brian McLaughlan for donating $100 worth of materials for trees and trail maintenance this spring. Be sure to stop by and visit their knowledgeable staff when you start your next big home-improvement project.   

 

 

Macro Invertebrate Survey:

Meeks Run & Trout Run Biodiversity


On May 23rd Hollow Oak Land Trust volunteers and staff joined Board Secretary Jenny Fiscus and environmental science grad student intern Sam Alaimo

Montour Run Watershed Association Leaders

to collaborate with the Montour Run Watershed Association in determining the biodiversity of Montour Run and its tributaries Meeks Run and Trout Run. Trout Run, 

which runs parallel to Hookstown Grade Road boasts at least 11 different macro-invertebrate species such as the golden stonefly and Meeks Run has 15, including mayflies. This survey confirmed the health of these two tributaries as the only two unimpaired streams in the Montour Run watershed. Hollow Oak not only protects Meeks Run, but hopes to one day also protect Trout Run as well.

 

 

Hollow Oak Land Trust in the Community

 

Initiative for Multi-Community Conservation (iMC2)

Hollow Oak Land Trust is launching a program to engage local governments in establishing new greenways and conservation areas for community revitalization. The Initiative for Multi-Community Conservation (iMC2) will pair the knowledge of municipal planners with Hollow Oak's services in habitat preservation, trail development and volunteer management.

Map of North Boros Greenway

Spanning the Ohio River and Parkway West from Downtown Pittsburgh to Moon Township, Hollow Oak will engage municipal partners in identifying greenspace and woodland trail corridors. The resulting trail and habitat restoration projects will provide communities with new outdoor destinations and boost local economic development.

One of the best things about privately held conservation areas and trail easements is they public access to natural amenities without any cost to tax payers.  Conservation areas can also cross boundaries, conserving habitat wherever it exists and developing trails through stream corridors and steep terrain that is otherwise undevelopable. Municipal planners know where the greenspace is and Hollow Oak knows how to use it.

 

Participating municipalities receive greenway maps that identify potential trail connections among greenspace, residential areas and business districts. Interested funders can contact Hollow Oak for more information at [email protected] or (412) 417-5825.

 

Rosalyn Farms Hike  

Rosalyn Farms hikers shown native Western PA species by Executive Director Sean Brady. Photo Courtesy Brad Knable.

On April 19th, twenty people from Rosalyn Farms toured Montour

Woods with Anne Billet Lackner and Hollow Oak Director Sean Brady, who shared knowledge of the resident animals and plants.

 

Venture Outdoors

Two spring Venture Outdoors hikes at Montour Woods sold out, including a Dutch Oven hike featuring a delicious fire-roasted meal prepared by Hollow Oak board member and Trailmeister, Darin Shafer. The Vernal Pools hike allowed participants to see amphibians up close and study them in their natural habitat. Despite a late spring freeze on the vernal pools, salamander and frog eggs were spotted with help from zoologist Ryan Miller from the Western PA Conservancy. Check out Venture Outdoors activities page-- there's always something going on outdoors in the Pittsburgh area!

 

Wissachickon/ Botanical Society

Twelve members from the Wissachickon Nature Club and the Botanical Society of Western PA went on a hike through the Montour Woodson April 12th. They checked out the birds and plants along the way as well as having the chance to observe the amphibious life in vernal pools. The hike was coordinated by Judy Stark and led by Sean Brady. 

 

Moon Township Garden Club Presentation 

On June 6th, members of the Moon Township Garden Club gathered at Robin Hill Park for an American flag themed lunch and a presentation by Executive Director Sean Brady on Native Perennials at Home and in the Woods. In addition to discussing native plants, members of the garden club got answers to their questions about local wildlife and the garden pests that can sometimes cause havoc to flowerbeds. Low-impact gardening solutions and tips were also shared.

 
Meet the Interns:

 

Nick Garuccio
Nick is a Moon Township resident and is the GIS and Monitoring Intern for Hollow Oak Land Trust this summer. He is in his final year at Slippery Rock University in Environmental Science. He is thankful to get outside and gain skills that will help him further his career in environmental consulting and compliance. This summer he is working on trail maps, marking property boundaries and monitoring the conservation areas. In addition to being an avid golfer and fisherman, he throws discus and hammer in track and field which is immensely helpful during trail maintenance days--he can cut through a fallen log in no-time flat.
 
 
Shelby Heisler
Shelby was born and raised in Moon Township and currently serves as the Communications and Development Intern. She recently graduated from Slippery Rock University with a double major in history and nonprofit management and wanted to use her summer internship to give back to the community. She has always enjoyed hiking with her dog and learning about preserving wildlife habitats so Hollow Oak Land Trust was a natural choice. When Shelby's not working on annual campaigns, administrative work, event coordination updating Hollow Oak's new Twitter account, you can find her planning her next big trip. Shelby enjoys all the hands-on learning she gains from working alongside Executive Director Sean Brady and all the contacts she has made so far. If she didn't love Pennsylvania's fall weather so much she'd already be living at the beach.

 

Hollow Oak Land Trust | PO Box 741 | Coraopolis, PA 15108 

(412) 264-5354