Tree planting season is in full swing, and our Horticulture and Forestry team is hard at work, with the help of generous volunteers. As part of the restoration efforts taking place at the Agnew Road trailhead in Hays Woods Park, our team and volunteers from Allegheny Conference on Community Development recently planted 40 trees and shrubs, including native species like black walnut, fragrant sumac, and chokecherry. Our staff understood that this would be a challenging planting site, after spending ample time removing trash and a dense invasive plant layer of amur honeysuckle and Siberian elm from the area and digging holes for tree plantings. During the preparation work, they found pieces of coal and slag and conducted soil test results revealing very alkaline soils. Since the site has been heavily impacted by human activity over the past century, the team was careful to choose trees and shrubs that will be hardy enough to withstand the degraded soil conditions, creating a valuable pocket of native biodiversity at the entrance of Hays Woods Park. Thank you to everyone for your continued stewardship!
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