Healcrest Green Community Conservation Project
Protecting Local Land
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Background | In the center of Garfield sits a 1.6-acre plot of green space that’s made up of 18 adjacent parcels of land. Over the years, this land has served as a farm, a community learning and gathering space, and as an unofficial trail for nearby Garfield residents. Today, it is a partially-conserved green space with recently-built sustainable trails, and Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) is now working to complete the effort and make the whole project a permanent green space reality.
Since 2019, ALT has worked with the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC), the nearby Environmental Charter School (ECS), and passionate neighbors like you to conserve more than half of those parcels. Thanks to all of those who have supported this project so far.
Once the entirety of the land is conserved, the goal is to follow the collaboratively designed vision charted with key community partners. Some of those plans include opening the land for public use as a place for passive recreation and enjoyment of nature, community gathering, gardening, and an active outdoor classroom for ECS. The protection of the land will deliver a host of environmental benefits that will further enhance the neighborhood including improved air and water quality, stormwater absorption, sound buffering, urban cooling, wildlife habitat protection, and more. The flora, fauna, and community are already experiencing some of these benefits as ALT and community partners have begun site activities like trail-building, trash removal, and habitat restoration efforts.
There are three primary outcomes of this on-going project:
• The acquisition of this rare 1.6 acres of urban green space for its permanent conservation as a community green space.
• The active stewardship of the land by community partners to facilitate its transformation to a safe and productive natural area by maintaining and improving its scenic beauty, natural habitat capacity, and basic user features and amenities (removal of invasive and the planting of native plants, walking paths, outdoor classroom space, gardening plots, natural play areas, etc.).
• The on-going utilization of the area for other community and environmental purposes including environmental education, gardening programs, small gatherings, and other as defined by community and partners.
Current Status | As of March 2024, we’re in the final phases of this project and will need the help of supporters like you to complete the work and conserve this entire green space. Our goal is to raise $5,000 from the community to demonstrate local support and continue to do this work in Garfield and across the city.
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Keep an eye on this webpage and ALT’s monthly e-newsletter for next steps in conserving this land forever. If you have questions or want to support this effort, please contact Tom Mulholland, ALT’s Director of Community Conservation, at tom@alleghenylandtrust.org.
Project Media Coverage: The Bulletin September 2021