2010 is almost here, and the staff at the Parks Conservancy is busily putting together plans for the year’s projects, programs, and outreach activities. We’re expecting a banner year, with lots of exciting work that will continue to elevate our parks toward world standards of excellence. But we thought before we look into the future, we should take a moment to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished in 2009.

Volunteers Plant Over 500 Trees

This year, 657 volunteers (including those in our dedicated Urban EcoStewards program) contributed more than 2,900 hours to parks restoration. That includes planting 555 trees in the parks, everywhere from Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park to the seasonal pools in Highland Park. We’ll continue to count on volunteers next year, and we need people to help with everything from litter pickup to planting bulbs. If you’d like to join our volunteer corps, click here.

Parks and Conservancy Win 9 Awards

Our park system is gaining recognition in our own region and around the world. Among the awards we received this year were the Riverview Chapel Shelter’s Historic Preservation Award from the City’s Historic Review Commission and Schenley Plaza’s Silver Award for Environmentally Sustainable Projects from the International Awards for Livable Communities held in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Take a look at the complete list here.

Special Events Raise Funds

In its eleventh year, the Spring Hat Luncheon dazzled guests with beautiful views of the Pittsburgh skyline from the Schenley Overlook. The Children’s Carousel Tea transformed Schenley Plaza into a true big top thanks to the Zany Umbrella Circus, and the first-ever Target the Parks was a great success in Ligonier. (Click the links above to see photo slideshows from each event!)

Lecture Series Explores Park Issues

This spring, four of the Parks Conservancy’s staff members gave lunchtime lectures at the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center on topics ranging from tree care to watershed health. Then in the fall, we hosted landscape architect Walter Hood, who shared his plans for greening the Hill District. Another lecture brought Doug Blonsky, Administrator of Central Park, and Tim Fulton, former Director of Operations at the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, to town to share how zone management has worked in their parks. You can see archived materials from that lecture here.

Pirates Hit Home Runs for Trees

If you attended a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park this season, you may have seen our logo up on the scoreboard from time to time. That’s because, thanks to a new partnership, every time the Pirates hit a home run at PNC Park, the Pirates donated a native tree for planting in the parks. This year’s total was 75 trees! Now we all have one more good reason to root, root, root for the home team.

Schenley Plaza Breaks Attendance Records

In Schenley Plaza‘s fourth summer, an average of 1,000 people a day visited the park! Even more people came out for special events like the WYEP Summer Music Festival, Pogopalooza, the Visionary Arts Festival, and the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival. We’re planning another season of great programming now, and we expect our one millionth Plaza guest sometime in summer 2010.

Hill District Greenprint Takes Shape

The Parks Conservancy has been working with Find the Rivers! to create a plan for green space in the Hill District. This year, Walter Hood was chosen as the principal landscape architect on the project, which will help to create a network of public green spaces and river overlooks. The plan is continuing to take shape with input from the community. Watch this space for updates in 2010.

Parks Are Free Campaign Encourages People to Get Outdoors

The Parks Conservancy was everywhere this summer thanks to an ad campaign sponsored by UPMC Health Plan that helped to promote the dozens of free events held in the park each week. The Parks Are Free website provided an at-a-glance look at the day’s events, with a link to a calendar searchable by park, date, and event type. Parks Are Free will continue to bring you a one-stop source for park events in 2010 and beyond.

Mellon Square Steps into the Spotlight

This historic downtown park will be a major focus for the Parks Conservancy going forward, as we plan for its restoration and future programming. This year, we developed a web timeline, a cell phone walking tour, and a video celebrating the park’s historical significance. Last month, The Cultural Landscape Foundation brought its Pioneers Regional Symposium to Pittsburgh to honor the life and work of Mellon Square’s designer, John O. Simonds. The momentum from 2009 will continue into 2010, as the park’s new management plan is unveiled and work begins.

Stars Are Born at Mellon Park Walled Garden

It may not have looked like it this summer when the lawn was under construction, but in 2010 the Mellon Park Walled Garden will be the most beautiful place for stargazing in the city–even if you’re looking at the ground. Work has concluded for this year, and after a winter for the plants and grass to establish themselves, we’ll have a grand re-opening for this beautiful Shadyside park in the spring.

Park Trails Get a Makeover

After several years of fundraising, engineering, and approvals, our trail and signage project began last week in Schenley Park. While you’re snuggled inside by the fire this winter, crews will be improving the condition of trails throughout the park system. The project will improve connectivity in the parks and make it safer for hikers, runners, and cyclists to use the trails.

And that’s only some of what we accomplished! We also launched a spiffy new website, hired a Director of Education who has already started putting together some awesome programs for students, expanded the Daffodil Project to Highland Park, put up interpretive signage inside the Riverview Chapel Shelter, led 16 more Walks in the Woods, restored the bronze work on the Westinghouse Memorial, welcomed a new Director of Marketing and Membership Development, hosted over 100 (!) people at a time for free yoga at Schenley Plaza, cleaned up after a whale of a June storm, installed giant LED daffodils at the Plaza, and much more.

Thank you to all of our supporters who helped make every bit of this possible. We will do our best to top this in 2010 with your continued support!