Land Stewardship · Past projects

Work you can walk on.

A selection of Landforce Land Stewardship projects, from trails on steep hillsides to rain gardens and play spaces. Each one was also paid work and training for the crews who built it.

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Show projects by type of work

    • Trails
    • Habitat restoration

    Emerald View Park

    For Mount Washington Community Development Corporation

    • 8 miles of trail built
    • 257 acres of parkland
    The goal
    Begin building a 20-mile trail plan across 257 acres of Mount Washington hillside that had been cleared, mined and used as an illegal dump.
    What crews did
    Crews built the first mile of trail on the steep slopes, and have kept working in the park since: building trails, removing dumped garbage and planting trees.
    The result
    Land most people thought unusable became a treasured regional park. To date, crews have built 8 miles of trail there and planted hundreds of trees.
    • Trails
    • Habitat restoration

    Crouse Run

    For Pine Creek Land Conservation Trust

    • 1,400 ft of new trail
    • 8 days start to finish
    The goal
    Replace an 80-foot bog bridge, rehabilitate degraded trails and build a new one.
    What crews did
    In eight days, crews built 1,400 feet of new trail, rehabilitated 2,000 feet of existing trail, and demolished and rebuilt the bog bridge, along with invasive plant removal and pruning.
    The result
    The reserve now has a complete trail around its perimeter, and the new bridge spans a wetland that feeds Crouse Run, a tributary of Pine Creek.
    • Trails

    Dead Man’s Hollow

    For Allegheny Land Trust

    • 1.25 miles of new trail
    The goal
    Build and maintain trail set out in a master trail plan by Pashek Associates.
    What crews did
    Crews built close to 1.25 miles of new trail above the Youghiogheny River, repaired two bridges, rerouted and rebuilt older sections, and closed informal shortcuts with downed trees and other natural materials.
    The result
    The trails now form one clear loop, and dog walkers and mountain bikers were using the new sections before the three-week project ended.
    • Trails
    • Habitat restoration

    South Side Park

    For South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association

    The goal
    Improve and connect the park’s deteriorating, fragmented trails.
    What crews did
    Working with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the Student Conservation Association, crews rehabilitated overgrown trails and built new ones linking the north of the park to its southern and western ends.
    The result
    Several illegal dumpsites and hundreds of invasive vines are gone, and trails now avoid chronically wet ground: a natural trail experience inside a dense urban neighborhood.
    • Green stormwater infrastructure
    • Gardens and planting

    Homewood North Rain Garden

    For Storm Works (Nine Mile Run Watershed Association) and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

    • 42,000+ gallons of stormwater captured (expected)
    The goal
    Build a rain garden to capture stormwater from a Housing Authority site.
    What crews did
    Crews excavated a 200-square-foot area by hand, connected downspouts to the garden, and planted 3 trees, 15 shrubs and 78 perennials.
    The result
    Storm Works expects the garden, at the highest point in Homewood, to keep more than 42,000 gallons of stormwater out of storm drains.
    • Vacant land
    • Gardens and planting

    Clairton Play Spaces

    For GTECH Strategies

    • 6 play features installed
    The goal
    Turn unused vacant lots in Clairton into places to play.
    What crews did
    Crews created a garden area and installed 6 interactive play features, a gravel path, a 70-foot fence and 4 picnic tables.
    The result
    A neighborhood gathering spot that invites people to relax and play.
    • Gardens and planting

    Phipps HomeGrown

    For Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

    • 10 garden beds
    The goal
    Build new raised garden beds and expand existing ones.
    What crews did
    Crews installed or expanded 10 garden beds in Homewood, with soil, compost, mulch and weed-blocking fabric.
    The result
    More households growing their own fresh produce at home.
    • Trails

    Bear Run

    For Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

    The goal
    Reroute a trail about 3 miles from the trailhead in Bear Run Nature Reserve.
    What crews did
    Working with hand tools, the crew moved massive rocks to reinforce a chronically wet section and built a dry crossing over several active springs.
    The result
    The Conservancy met its goals ahead of schedule, and the crew moved on to a second site in the reserve.

On the trail

What people say about the finished work.

  • The Landforce crews get big kudos for doing such a great job in creating the Emerald View trail system. I rode them recently, only a day after some rainfall, and they were excellently drained!

    Sean Brady Hollow Oak Land Trust

  • When I moved into the neighborhood I never would have thought of the hillsides as a park or to even venture down them. Now I can’t wait for the next nice weekend to take a hike literally in my front yard.

    Jason Machuga Trail user

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