As we wrap up the year, we’re celebrating one of the highlights from our work in your Allegheny County Parks: our volunteers! In 2025, more than 200 people gave their time, energy and enthusiasm to support healthier parks and stronger communities. Their impact was felt along the forest edge, on trails and through the tree canopy, creating more resilient parks that everyone can enjoy.

Our 2024 community surveys made something very clear: people wanted more opportunities to roll up their sleeves and get involved. Using that feedback, we built our 2025 volunteer approach around connection—inviting community members to help improve the parks with intention. While we hosted public volunteer events, we also partnered with local corporations and organizations to broaden our impact. This focus on engagement and collaboration helped grow participation, strengthen our community of park stewards and deepen the impact across the park system.

In the rest of this blog, we’ll share more details about the incredible work our volunteers accomplished, the tangible benefits for our parks and the rewarding experiences of giving back. From tree plantings and habitat restoration to community-building opportunities, there’s so much to celebrate and so much to inspire more people to get involved in 2026!

IMPACT

This year we completed 14 volunteer projects across six of the nine Allegheny County Parks. Four of these events were open to the public, while the remaining projects were made possible through partnerships with eight corporations and organizations. Each group rallied their volunteer teams to get involved and spend a few hours getting dirty, giving back and strengthening the parks. Together, volunteers planted 1,392 native trees and removed 800 square feet of invasive species. Most of these projects directly implemented recommendations from our Ecological Assessments and Action Plans, the comprehensive studies that guide how we and the county improve, conserve and restore the parks. These assessments evaluate each park’s natural resources and ecological assets and outline specific actions to enhance the health of our park environments.

A major focus of 2025 was the continued progress along the Paul Riis Trail in South Park. All four of our South Park volunteer events contributed to this long-term effort to revitalize the 3.5-mile trail, which showcases Paul Riis’ naturalistic design vision and highlights several historic stone features built in his style, including the Cascades (restored in 2021), the Vale of Cashmere and Silent Brook. Volunteer support played a significant role in advancing this work: together, volunteers cleared invasive species and planted 460 native trees along and near the trail corridor.

“It was such a meaningful experience to collaborate with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation for a tree planting event in South Park. My family and I visit local parks at least three times a week, and we truly value the recreational opportunities and peaceful trails they offer. It’s an honor to contribute to preserving and enhancing our parks so that future generations can continue to enjoy them.” – Emily, Corporate Volunteer 

We also made significant progress on our gateway project at the west entrance to Settlers Cabin Park along Ridge Road with the help of volunteers. Native trees were planted to enhance the park’s natural beauty, reduce stormwater runoff and provide new habitat. Between that project and another planting, our collective efforts added 326 trees to Settlers Cabin Park.

Volunteers also contributed to the other county parks by planting 349 trees in North Park, 136 in White Oak Park, 60 in Boyce Park and 50 in Hartwood Acres Park while also doing seasonal maintenance work, like weeding, at Suffragist Grove. Across all volunteer projects this year, participants contributed more than 600 collective hours in the field. The 1,392 trees planted are projected to intercept thousands of gallons of stormwater annually, expand canopy cover in vulnerable areas and improve carbon storage as they mature. Volunteers helped project teams accelerate timelines, completing work in days that would otherwise have taken months, while freeing Parks Foundation staff to focus on planning and other critical projects across the nine-park system. Their support also saves the organization money, allowing us to put those resources right back into the parks in other ways.

These ecological improvements have measurable community benefits. According to our recent Economic Impact Study, the county parks provide critical ecosystem services that are worth millions annually to our region: $1.7 million in carbon sequestration, $1.1 million in stormwater management, $3.0 million in air pollution reduction and $5.8 million in annual tree cover value. The parks also hold $53.7 million in total carbon storage value through trees. By volunteering, community members directly contribute to these valuable services while helping make the parks more enjoyable and resilient for people, plants and wildlife.

WHY VOLUNTEERING MATTERS

Volunteering benefits the people who pitch in, not just the spaces they serve. Research shows that spending time outdoors and giving back improves mental, physical and emotional health. It reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, supports cognitive function, promotes longevity, increases a sense of purpose, strengthens community, encourages meaningful social connection and so much more. In other words, helping parks is good for the parks and good for you.

Every hour spent and every project completed demonstrates how volunteer power amplifies restoration goals, improves ecological health and strengthens the connection between people and the natural spaces they care about. We are deeply grateful for every volunteer who showed up this year. Whether planting trees, removing invasive species or contributing to ongoing restoration work, your efforts help keep the county parks vibrant and welcoming for all.

JOIN US IN 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to invite you to two public tree planting events: Park ’til Dark on May 16 in South Park and September 26 in North Park. Save the dates and stay tuned for other opportunities to join us in making a difference for your parks next year! If you have a group or organization looking to volunteer, please contact Michelle Zaffary.

Thank you for making a difference in 2025—we can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in the year ahead!