A 5-acre wooded hideaway in Bradford Woods, featuring a trail, pond and recreational fishing, is anything but secret.
This gift of nature is the Bradford Woods Reserve and the site of a free Earth Day celebration from 10 a..m. to 2 p.m. April 25.
Located on 156 Bradford Road, the event is being hosted by the volunteer-run Bradford Woods Conservancy to celebrate and bring attention to nature in the borough.
“We want to help people be aware of our green space,” said Diana Berendowski, a board member of the Bradford Woods Conservancy and one of the organizers of the program.
“We usually share information and educate people about Pennsylvania native plants and trees.”
This publicly accessible conservation easement is owned and managed by Bradford Woods Borough and a fund of the Allegheny Land Trust, with the Bradford Woods Conservancy acting as stewards of the property, Berendowski said.
In August 2010, the Allegheny Land Trust secured a conservation easement on a 4.5-acre parcel of land in cooperation with the borough.
A conservation easement transfers development rights from the landowner to the land trust, guaranteeing it will remain green space forever, according to alleghenylandtrust.org.
Activity tables, including arts and crafts, such as painting a kindness rock or a piece of wood, will be available throughout the entire Earth Day event.
Animals from the Pittsburgh Zoo will arrive in a Zoomobile for a “Wonders of Wildlife” presentation from 11 to 11:45 a.m.
A free picnic lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m., and a forest-bathing walk by certified forest therapy guide Lori Young is set for 1 to 1:45 p.m.
Residents also can learn about fly-fishing. Free native trees and plants will be distributed.
Tips on stormwater management and how to care for trees will be a vital component of the event, something Ward Allebach, a member of the Bradford Woods Conservancy, is passionate about.
It’s one of the reasons why he moved here with his family 20-plus years ago.
“It was largely because of the beautiful wooded scenery. We pulled in here and said, ‘This is fantastic.’ This is before I learned so much about the woods,” said Allenbach, who works with the conservancy on teaching residents about the importance of planting native plants and trees in the community.
This event not only helps celebrate the unique wooded beauty of the borough but also aims to educate the community on the necessity of a healthy tree canopy, said Allebach, who teaches environmental studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
The conservancy was founded in 1994 to help the borough purchase and conserve the Bradford Woods Reserve but has since expanded its services beyond that property, he said.
“Since that time, we’ve come to the realization that the woods in Bradford Woods doesn’t end at the reserve. We all share part of the woods,” he said. “The woods do not stop at anyone’s property line.”
The conservancy focuses on educating the community about its woods, how to care for trees and how to use native plants for landscaping. Residents also can learn how to identify diseased trees and invasive species.
Like many places, deer are becoming more prevalent in heavily wooded Bradford Woods, especially as development increases in the surrounding communities, Allebach said.
The understory woods are beginning to lack native growth. Deer also browse this important undergrowth, he said.
When a tree falls and dies, a healthy understory is needed to grow and replace that tree. Bradford Woods’ undergrowth is not as prevalent as it once was, threatening the future of the trees.
“People assume woods will take care of themselves and they will grow. When large trees fall, small- to mid-(sized) trees grow. It’s not happening as much because we don’t have that mid- to young growth of native trees,” Allebach said.
There also is a lack of tree diversity. And some of these trees have been more susceptible to big storms, causing property damage, power outages and more when they fall.
Proper knowledge of how the forest functions, which trees are best to plant and using noninvasive ground cover helps to protect the tree canopy and future growth.
Along with holding Earth Day, the conservancy helps the effort by distributing native trees, shrubs, flowers and plants in and around Bradford Woods.
It also coordinates free property consultations by a certified forester of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to help identify trees, spot signs of invasive plants and provide recommendations.
“We’re trying to teach people why there’s so much value in woods. It’s not just about trees and birds and squirrels. It’s about us. It’s how we benefit so much from our woods,” Allebach said.
The group also has put together a comprehensive tree management strategy guide that can be picked up at the event.
“It’s about our own mental health, our own physical health, to be surrounded by nature. If we’re not proactive about this stuff, if we don’t work together, it’s not going to here in the same way. It’s going to be very, very different,” Allebach said.
For details about the conservancy, visit bradfordwoodsconservancy.org.