Tube City Almanac

July 26, 2012

Briefly Noted: Auberle Youth Pitch in at Regional Garden

Category: News || By Submitted Report


Youth from McKeesport's Auberle were recognized and included yesterday in a groundbreaking ceremony for The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's new welcome center.

Located off of Interstate 376 near Greentree, The Woodland Gardens, when finished, will be part of the only botanic garden in the U.S. built on reclaimed land.

An Auberle spokeswoman says the agency for at-risk youth began collaborating with The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.

With the help of grant funding from the National Audubon Society, Auberle youth spent the summer working along environmental professionals to help remediate portions of The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's 460-acre property near Settlers Cabin Park.

Auberle youth learned to identify and remove invasive species, plant native species, help with irrigation system development, recycle debris and understand and identify the damaging effects of acid mine drainage occurring on the property.

"At-risk youth traditionally struggle in science and math applications," said John Lydon, chief executive officer of Auberle. "We work to create meaningful educational opportunities for our youth that allow them to learn-by-doing. Our youth gained hands-on work experience, applicable education and an idea about the kinds of careers available to them in the environmental field."

The groundbreaking ceremony is the culmination of a year-long partnership geared toward woodland and habitat restoration that engaged the community.

Auberle youth received over a half a dozen lessons from the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania on various environmental topics, taking frequent fieldtrips to The Woodland Gardens.

Lessons turned into hands-on application as 13 Auberle youth completed 400 hours of service alongside Pittsburgh Botanic Garden horticulturists and botanists to remediate the site and learn about employment opportunities in the environmental field.

"We are delighted that the Auberle youth have been part of the beginnings of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden," said Kitty Vagley, director of development for Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. "We value their contribution to the Woodland Gardens and we hope to inspire all of them to return."

Built above abandoned coal mines, planning for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden has been underway for more than a decade. When complete, the facility will be the region's first major outdoor public garden and is being billed as a "living museum" with documented collections of plants, garden displays and educational programs about horticulture, botany and nature.

(Editor's Note: Written from a press release by Annie Schultheis, marketing and communications manager at Auberle.)

You should type something in the 'comment'-field. Be sure to click on 'Post Comment' to store it permanently.






Your Comments are Welcome!

1
- June 24, 2014



One or more comments are waiting for approval by an editor.

To comment on any story at Tube City Almanac, email tubecitytiger@gmail.com, send a tweet to www.twitter.com/tubecityonline, visit our Facebook page, or write to Tube City Almanac, P.O. Box 94, McKeesport, PA 15134.