Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens a new space for nature lovers
A bird nest at Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens built to scale. A child inside the nest has the same space that a baby bird has within its nest.
The Orchard at Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens.
The Lotus pond at Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens.
Despite being free of its pollution for many years, Pittsburgh is still thought of as an industrial wasteland by some. What they don’t know is that there are areas developing here that are specifically geared towards those that love nature. The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, one such site, opened this year, and will remain open for this season until the end of November. It will then reopen on April 1, 2015.
One can find the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale, driving approximately 10 minutes from the Campbell’s Run Road exit off of Parkway West. When you enter the parking lot, with its many beautiful trees around the spaces, the presence of nature can be felt immediately. There is a picnic area near the parking lot, but for environmental reasons there are no trash cans in the entire area – any trash brought in by the visitor must be brought back out.
The site itself is a monument to the beauty of nature. There aren’t excessive tours or too many information plaques dotted around everywhere. Instead, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a haven where one can hike the three miles of trails through woods and fields and enjoy the surrounding world. The path that loops around the area splits into three trails that connect with each other at certain points. The Dogwood trail is the most straightforward, the Forest Stories trail is geared towards families with younger children, and the Lotus trail passes by the breathtaking lotus pond. Looking at the map, though, can be somewhat confusing. The trails are represented by colored lines, but there needs to be more indicators or landmarks present on the map.
The complex has on-site attractions, including a welcome center, a gazebo, a maze and an event facility that is currently under construction. The volunteer staff knows a lot about the area and will happily give information about its many plans. In fact, a large map is posted by the welcome center showing what the organization hopes to accomplish by the end of construction. If nothing else, this shows great opportunities for the site to improve and become even prettier in following years.
The many varieties of trees along the trails are labeled so that visitors know what types they are, and fencing is around many of the plants to keep them protected from the infamous deer. Although the life in the area is primarily plant, there are a few types of animals present. Birds, bugs (a wasp nest in a tree by the lotus pond) and the aforementioned deer can be seen. With wheelchair-accessible trails, areas centered around children and families, and a policy allowing pets on leashes, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden offers an attraction for anyone who enjoys nature. The vivid fall colors further emphasize the great beauty of the area. I would recommend a visit to the gardens for any nature enthusiast.
For information, visit pittsburghbotanicgarden.org.
Jeremy Farbman is a sophomore at Mt. Lebanon High School.