Volunteers help with Fern Hollow Nature Center's spring clean-up

Nearly 75 volunteers turned out on April 20 for Fern Hollow Nature Center’s spring clean-up event.

Sunny skies and cool temperatures were the perfect combination for the clean-up event. Elementary to high school students from Quaker Valley School District, Sewickley Academy and North Allegheny School District, homeschoolers and multiple Girl and Boy Scout troops were in attendance. Board members, friends and neighbors answered the call to action, and thanks to a donation from Sewickley Bruegger’s Bagels and GM Jeanine Kossler, coffee and bagels were available to all.

The Nature Center, located on roughly 33 acres of land in Sewickley Heights Borough, takes massive planning and hard work to maintain. To tackle the huge task of getting it all ready for spring field trips and summer camps, Fern Hollow put out an ‘all hands on deck’ call to action.

“Erin Gerle works part-time for us and is a tremendous help. But even with Erin, a dedicated grounds committee and our educators helping out on grounds work, we needed extra hands to clean up after the fall and winter,” said Cam Elko, a Fern Hollow environmental educator who manages the building and grounds. “Volunteers are essential for us to keep Fern Hollow running.”

Volunteers of all ages completed chores such as scraping, sanding and painting picnic tables, benches and information kiosks. Volunteers, including board members Jennifer Nastasi, Lindsey Smith, Francye Kinney, Lauren Massy, Annie Batyko and Jack Riley, spent the day on chores such as weeding, hauling and spreading more than 15 yards of mulch.

Neighbor Bill Welge donated his time and backhoe while board member David Genter used his tractor with a trailer to remove many invasive species and unsightly ground cover near the entrance on Glen Mitchell Road and the Natural Outdoor Classroom. Friends Anne Ronce and Peggy Standish worked to scrub parts of the moss-covered building by hand. The apiary was cleaned out and is ready for pollinator-friendly plants. A 2-ton dumpster was filled with debris and trash collected from the property.

“We are so grateful that so many children, teens, families, friends and neighbors contributed to this effort. The show of support energizes our staff, and we really look forward to seeing some of these faces again at our environmental education programs and community events,” said board president Jennifer Nastasi.