Girty's Woods- Trail Maintenance Volunteer Workday

Work together to keep improving Girty's Woods!

Volunteers are invited to join in a steward-led trail workday at Girty's Woods! Girty's ever-growing hiking trail system requires dedicated seasonal maintenance to ensure that it can be safely enjoyed for many years to come. Participants should expect to hike at least a mile on uneven terrain. Close-toed shoes and long pants are required. Tools and gloves will be provided. Trail maintenance activities will be determined on an as-needed basis weeks before the event date. Tasks will likely include: cutting vines and pruning branches impeding the trail, removing growth and debris from the trail tread, pulling invasive plant species, picking up litter, and defining the trail tread with rakes and hoes. Following registration, you'll receive an email with more details. Another pre-event email will be sent out one to two days prior to the workday to ensure you have all the facts you need to ensure a successful trail day!

Background

The 155-acre Girty’s Woods slopes from the peaceful, residential streets of Reserve Township, past the southern end of Shaler township, down to the densely-populated Millvale Borough. The protection of this land creates passive recreation opportunities, absorbs heavy rainwater that would otherwise overwhelm Girty’s Run watershed, and preserves habitat for a variety of native flora and fauna already calling it home. Girty’s Woods features an informal network of trails winding through the green space passing scenic overlooks, open fields, wetland areas, historic relics, and a recovering woodland. Visitors can enjoy biking, hiking, bird watching, on-leash pet walking, and other passive activities. 

Named for the watershed it sits within, Girty’s Woods has long been enjoyed by neighbors of the property – who have long referred to it simply as “the woods” and “the mines.” When nearby residents noticed it was being logged, they wondered about the green space’s future, and began making strides to ensure it would forever remain green space. A group of grassroots organizers in Millvale brought the project to ALT, and in the first quarter of 2020, the campaign to Save Girty’s Woods was launched. ALT devised a plan that included potential government, corporate, and foundation funding sources and began to pursue grants from those sources, while working with local leaders to plan a grassroots community funding campaign. Then the pandemic hit. Grant writing continued, but grassroots fundraising efforts were put on hold until July 2020; despite this delay and the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the community grassroots campaign surpassed the initial local goal and went on to raise $88,000 for the project. ALT was inspired by this strong community effort that included contributions from more than 650 individuals and local businesses to save Girty’s Woods!