For five years Tree Pittsburgh has been working to restore Pittsburgh's urban forest by planting thousands of new trees from diverse stocks, maintaining the existing population of trees, and educating the public about the environmental benefits trees provide for the city.

In 2009, Tree Pittsburgh sought to expand their operation by constructing a nursery to house a diverse array of seeds and saplings for use in beautification and reforestation projects around Pittsburgh.

To finance their project, Tree Pittsburgh applied for and was awarded a large grant from The Sprout Fund's Spring program.

Danielle Crumrine, Tree Pittsburgh's executive director, speaks about the impact of the nursery, "Pittsburgh's urban forest provides us with the seed stock we need, and it's fun to find and harvest seeds! The support of The Sprout Fund enabled us to get our nursery off the ground, and in just two years, we have over 7,000 thriving seedlings."

Tree Pittsburgh is planning beautification projects to bring greater curb appeal to the nursery such as flower planting, installing signs, and tree planting around the perimeter. The organization also offers public classes on identifying and caring for Pittsburgh's trees.

Crumrine encourages the public to get involved, "Anyone interested in volunteering at the nursery should check the Tree Pittsburgh events calendar at www.treepittsburgh.org or sign-up to receive our monthly e-blast.  Special alerts go out whenever help is needed at the nursery."

"Tree Pittsburgh is leading the way to a more thriving urban environment by diversifying Pittsburgh's urban tree population," said Dustin Stiver, Program Officer at The Sprout Fund. "At Sprout, we were able to support grassroots initiatives like these through our Spring program that catalyzed 20 projects to enhance biodiversity in the Pittsburgh region."

Tree Pittsburgh's nursery provides the city with a diverse tree stock for local reforestation and ecosystem restoration efforts. To stay up to date about volunteer opportunities at the nursery, check Tree Pittsburgh's events calendar at www.treepittsburgh.org or sign up for their monthly e-blast.

6/18/2012