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Greenways Cleanups
- Spring 2004
A total of five greenways sites were cleaned through this project
in Spring 2004, including:
- Allegheny
County, Hazelwood Greenway, cleaned on May 15, 2004
The cleanup
of this site in South Hazelwood is part of the continuing
efforts of PA CleanWays of Allegheny County to clean a blighted
section where dumping occurs. On May 15, a small but determined
group of 15 volunteers gathered at the site and successfully
removed 13 tons of trash and 10 tires.
Describing
the overall cleanup experience, one volunteer said "It
was nice to be outside and improving an area that needed
attention - very enjoyable." Other volunteers expressed
similar sentiments but also expressed their frustration
with the extent of illegal dumping within Pittsburgh city
limits.
Now that the
area has been cleaned, it will be used as a field study
area for middle and high school environmental education.
To view a Hazelwood Greenway cleanup photo, click on any
thumbnail
below to enlarge:
- Blair
and Huntingdon Counties, Lower Trail, cleaned
on April 17, 2004
Although it
was the first day of trout season, an energetic group of
35 volunteers showed up on April 17 to clean up a planned
5-mile extension of the Lower Trail, a part of the Pittsburgh
to Harrisburg Mainline Greenway. The cleanup was a joint
effort of the Blair and Huntingdon chapters of PA CleanWays
and Rails-to-Trails of Central PA.
The
volunteers worked on a section of the trail stretching from
Williamsburg to Canoe Creek State Park, removing 2.58 tons
of trash, 3.47 tons of recyclable scrap metal, and 58 tires.
Heavy equipment was used separately to remove bulky or weighty
items that could not be retrieved otherwise. Afterwards,
volunteers described the cleanup as "fulfilling,"
"fantastic," and "very rewarding!"
A re-vegetation
plan has been developed for pieces of the Lower Trail to
provide shade for trail users, as well as a food source
and shelter for wildlife habitat in the area. Rails-to-Trails
of Central PA will incorporate the use of a volunteer monitor
along with an already-established maintenance program to
maintain the site.
To view a Lower Trail cleanup photo, click on any thumbnail
below to
enlarge:
- Greene
County, Brown's Creek Road, cleaned on April
3, 2004
On April 3,
a section of Brown's Creek, a high-quality stream in the
South Fork of Ten Mile Watershed, was cleaned up by 62 enthusiastic
volunteers. With larger items being removed separately by
heavy equipment, volunteers worked hard to remove 8 tons
of trash and 50 tires from the creek.
The removal of this trash will help restore the functional
and aesthetic quality of Brown's Creek by re-establishing
a healthy streamside vegetative buffer. Selected native
grasses were planted and the area mulched for temporary
site stabilization until permanent vegetation is established.
The site also is slated for adoption by a group of volunteers
through PA CleanWays of Greene County.
To view a Brown's Creek Road cleanup photo, click on
any thumbnail below to enlarge:
-
Lackawanna
County, Carbondale Maplewood, cleaned on May
22, 2004
This site,
located in Carbondale, is an extension of the proposed
Carbondale Heritage Gateway & Racket Brook Greenway.
On May 22, a small but resolute group of 14 volunteers
tackled the challenge of cleaning up trash scattered along
a ½ mile of wooded hillside lying below a residential
section of Carbondale as it followed the Lackawanna River.
Volunteers
were surprised at the overwhelming amount of trash that
was pulled out from beneath the vegetation at the site.
All in all, the volunteers gathered up 1.5 tons of trash,
3 tons of recyclable scrap metal, and 77 tires. Heavy equipment
took care of over 50 items that were too large or heavy
for the volunteers to deal with.
The
existing pathway that winds alongside the river is to be
improved into a bike trail as part of the Lackawanna River
Heritage Trail.
To view a Carbondale Maplewood cleanup photo, click on any
thumbnail below to enlarge:
- Westmoreland
County, Coal & Coke Trail at Iron Bridge,
cleaned on April 3, 2004
On April 3,
a sizable group of 146 tenacious volunteers gathered to
clean up trash and tires from this proposed rails-to-trails
site connecting Mt. Pleasant Borough and Scottdale Borough.
The site was a former junkyard, with trash and tires remaining
after the junked cars were hauled out. The volunteers cleaned
out a remarkable amount of refuse from the area, including
24 tons of trash, 8 tons of recyclable scrap metal, and
4,850 tires. Heavy equipment handled the items that were
too large or weighty for volunteers.
After the cleanup, volunteers remarked that they were inspired
and gratified by the dramatic improvement in the appearance
of the area, its natural beauty restored after years of
accumulation from illegal dumping. The cleaned site will
be seeded and mulched to minimize erosion and volunteers
from the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association will plant trees
to restore the riparian buffer along Jacobs Creek.
To view a Coal & Coke Trail cleanup photo, click on
any thumbnail below to enlarge:
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