Nov. 2025 - Feb. 2026: The concept
Board members scouted the Twin Hills riparian area in late 2025 to assess what would be achievable in spring and fall volunteer work days in 2026.
The proposed project area covers about 350’ linear feet of the stream and extends about 50’ on both sides. Frequent park visitors will probably immediately know the area because it is essentially between the two big footbridges and also extending a bit north and south.
The work plan is to remove invasive plants in March and September, and immediately install native trees, shrubs, native plant seeding and perennials in April, May and October.
Any healthy native trees will remain in the project area, and about 80 new native trees and shrubs will be added. New plants will be enclosed in wire fences to protect them from deer browse.
Depending on the availability of funding, the conservancy also hopes to install four fenced “planting pods” measuring about 10’ square, inside which hardy native perennials and ferns will be planted. After these plants become established sufficiently in a few years, the conservancy should be able to safely remove the fencing. With luck and good weather, the deer-resistant wildflowers will thrive and spread through the area.
In addition, if funding allows, the board will construct and install some Leopold benches similar to those found elsewhere in the park.
Fall 2025 - Scouting the site
In November and December, board members viewed the site to identify the healthy native trees and shrubs that should remain. They also planted a dozen or so small trees that needed to get in the ground, and protected them with “tree tubes” or fencing.
Fall 2025 - Project planning
In 2025, the conservancy’s board weighed potential next projects and picked the part of Twin Hills Trails Park where the stream is formed, mostly by stormwater runoff.
Rehabilitating this 0.6-acre area had the potential to make a huge difference in the park:
It is a high-visibility area, where residents from both Scott Township and Mt. Lebanon could witness the transformation, contributing to community education about improving site ecology.
The project could improve stream water quality, enhancing the aquatic and riparian habitats.
The work could slow the rate and flow of the stream during storms, reducing erosion.
It could add to the biodiversity of the area by removing invasive plant species and adding all native plants.
It would support habitat improvement for two rare snails that live in parts of the park with calcified limestone.
The board hoped this work could be tackled in a single year so that once invasive species are removed, new native plants could be added promptly.
2016 -2025
Volunteers gradually cleared and planted parts of this area in the past decade. When building Hill Hollow Trail in 2016, the area was so thick with vegetation, you couldn’t even take a step. We we look forward to seeing the area transformed with help from the community!