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However, we will review all comments and remove any that are inappropriate or offensive.Thanks again for contributing! Landforce: An organization of strength and action, one that describes both pillars of our mission -- to provide high quality, professional land stewardship services while simultaneously contributing to the workforce development of adults with serious barriers to employment such as the formerly incarcerated, returning veterans, people on public assistance or lacking GEDs.

10/13/2026

Director of Land Stewardship Thomas has helped equip Landforce Crew Members with the skills and knowledge they need to work safely in the field through OSHA 40 HAZWOPER training.

As one of Landforce’s eight core certifications, OSHA 40 HAZWOPER helps Crew Members build important safety skills they can carry with them on worksites and into future employment.

We asked Thomas about the training, what Crew Members learn, and why these safety skills are so important.

Watch our interview with Thomas to hear more about his perspective and experience. Thank you, Thomas, for sharing your knowledge and helping prepare our Crew Members to work safely and confidently in the field.

A lot of the infrastructure that helps protect our communities from stormwater is hidden beneath our feet. 🌧️🌱At Wightma...
10/08/2026

A lot of the infrastructure that helps protect our communities from stormwater is hidden beneath our feet. 🌧️🌱

At Wightman Park, our Crew Members are working with Pittsburgh Water to help care for a stormwater management system designed to reduce flooding and other hazards during heavy rain.

Beneath the park’s playing field are retention tanks that temporarily hold stormwater and slowly release it into the surrounding water table. Water reaches these tanks through nearby storm drains and a series of vegetated swales throughout the park.

For the system to work properly, those pathways need to stay clear.

Our Crew Members care for vegetation around the system and remove sediment from inlets, helping prevent clogs that could keep stormwater from flowing where it needs to go.

This work also supports additional efforts completed by Pittsburgh Water’s Operations Department. By working together, Landforce and Pittsburgh Water are helping keep this important infrastructure functioning and better prepared for heavy rain.

It is a great example of how caring for the land and supporting critical infrastructure can work together to help create safer, more resilient communities.

Thank you to Pittsburgh Water for partnering with our Crew Members on this important work! 💚

Congratulations to Seth, this week’s Golden Shovel Award recipient 🪏!Seth earned the Golden Shovel for the hard work, d...
10/07/2026

Congratulations to Seth, this week’s Golden Shovel Award recipient 🪏!

Seth earned the Golden Shovel for the hard work, dedication, and teamwork he continues to bring to the crew. Whether taking on a new challenge or lending a hand to his fellow Crew Members, his effort has not gone unnoticed.

Join us in celebrating Seth and all the work he has put in this season. Keep up the great work, Seth! 👏

Our fall cohort trainees recently spent a beautiful fall day at Emerald View Park learning and practicing the skills tha...
10/06/2026

Our fall cohort trainees recently spent a beautiful fall day at Emerald View Park learning and practicing the skills that go into maintaining trails.

Before getting started, trainees learned how to choose the right tools for each task and identify the proper personal protective equipment needed to work safely. Then they put those lessons into practice along the Emerald View Trail.

Using tools like string trimmers, hand saws, loppers, McLeods, and fire rakes, trainees cleared overgrown vegetation, removed debris, widened sections of the trail, and reinforced trail edges.

By the end of the training, they had completed more than a mile of trail maintenance, helping create a better experience for hikers and mountain bikers while building skills they can carry into future projects.

This training was made possible through WeConservePA’s Regional Trail Training Grant.

Thank you to WeConservePA for supporting our fall cohort trainees and to Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for welcoming us to Emerald View Park! 💚

Another certification in the books! Our Crew Members recently completed one of Landforce’s eight core certifications: O...
10/05/2026

Another certification in the books! Our Crew Members recently completed one of Landforce’s eight core certifications: OSHA 40 HAZWOPER.

The training was led by our own certified trainer and Director of Land Stewardship, Thomas, giving Crew Members the opportunity to learn from someone who understands firsthand how these skills are used in the field.

HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Through this training, Crew Members learn how to recognize potential hazards, work safely around hazardous materials, respond to emergencies, and protect themselves and others on potentially contaminated worksites.

But earning this certification is about more than completing a course. OSHA 40 HAZWOPER is an industry recognized credential that Crew Members can carry with them beyond Landforce. It strengthens their resumes and can help open doors to careers in environmental work, infrastructure, remediation, and other fields where safety training matters.

With another certification earned, our Crew Members are continuing to build their skills, strengthen their resumes, and prepare for opportunities beyond Landforce.
Congratulations to our Crew Members on this accomplishment! 💚

Sometimes the best classroom is the trail. 🌳🍄 Environmental education is an important part of preparing Landforce Crew M...
10/02/2026

Sometimes the best classroom is the trail. 🌳🍄 Environmental education is an important part of preparing Landforce Crew Members for the projects they will take on throughout the year, and our community partners help bring that learning to life.

Our fall cohort recently joined the Allegheny Land Trust education team at Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation Area for a morning of exploring the local ecology and learning how that knowledge can be applied to their work in the field.

As we hiked the Cool Spirit Trail, Crew Members learned about everything from mushrooms and moths to birch trees, bugs, and the many relationships that help an ecosystem thrive.
And they will have an opportunity to put that knowledge to work.

Allegheny Land Trust recently acquired an additional parcel that expands the conservation area from approximately 450 to 460 acres. Our Crew Members are excited to help care for the newly protected land by clearing invasive plants and supporting its long term health. Experiences like this help Crew Members better understand not only how to complete environmental projects, but why the work matters.

Thank you to Allegheny Land Trust for sharing your knowledge, welcoming our Crew Members, and helping prepare them for a successful year of learning and working outdoors. 💚

10/01/2026

A healthy urban forest doesn’t happen with planting alone. Young trees need years of care and that takes having people with the skills and experience to do the work. 🌱

Each year, Tree Pittsburgh provides seasonal care to at least 2,500 young trees and structurally prunes at least 900. Our partnerships with Landforce, the Student Conservation Association, and Bidwell Training Center help us care for those trees while giving people hands-on experience in urban forestry, horticulture, landscaping, and conservation.

We're grateful to these partners for helping people build real skills while making sure young trees get the care they need to thrive. The bonus? Healthier, greener neighborhoods across Pittsburgh.🌳

Building a stronger green workforce and growing a healthier urban forest can happen at the same time. 💚

What can you do with sawdust from the Landforce Responsible Wood Products Mill? Turns out, quite a lot. 🪵🔥Local ceramic ...
10/01/2026

What can you do with sawdust from the Landforce Responsible Wood Products Mill? Turns out, quite a lot. 🪵🔥

Local ceramic artist Dusty Williams recently used sawdust from our Mill to fire ceramic pieces made with clay sourced from right here in the Pittsburgh region.The process, called sawdust firing, involves layering completely dry clay pieces with sawdust inside a brick enclosure. Once filled, the sawdust is lit from the top and allowed to slowly smolder for about 8 to 10 hours.

As the sawdust burns in a low oxygen environment, the heat hardens the clay into durable ceramic while the smoke and carbon create the dark tones and unique color variations across each piece. The result is a finished piece shaped not only by locally sourced clay, but also by locally sourced wood material.

For Dusty, our sawdust was a perfect fit for a process rooted in using materials found close to home.We love seeing materials from our Mill take on a new life in unexpected ways, especially when they can support the creativity of other people in our community.
Dusty is also sharing his knowledge with others through a Wild Clay workshop at Eberle Studios, where students learn how to source and process clay from around Pittsburgh and turn it into their own ceramic pieces.

Thank you, Dusty, for giving our sawdust a creative new purpose and for sharing the process with us! 🪵🏺

You can see more of Dusty’s ceramic work on Instagram at .

Lytle Land is a neighborhood parklet in Hazelwood that provides young children and families with a playground and commun...
09/17/2026

Lytle Land is a neighborhood parklet in Hazelwood that provides young children and families with a playground and community gathering space. Created through the efforts of residents and community organizations, the space transformed formerly vacant properties into a place for the neighborhood to come together. 🌱

Our Crew Members recently worked throughout Lytle Land to care for the playground, planting beds, rain gardens, landscaping, and surrounding trees.

Their work included weeding and clearing overgrown areas, pruning bushes along the playground path, replacing damaged playground barriers, and refreshing the playground with new mulch. Crew Members also cared for trees around the parklet by adding mulch, cutting back suckers, and clearing invasive plants and overgrowth from tree cages.

Projects like this are about more than maintaining a landscape. They help ensure that community spaces like Lytle Land remain safe and welcoming places where children can play, families can gather, and neighbors can enjoy the outdoors.

Thank you to Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. for investing in the Hazelwood community and giving our Crew Members the opportunity to put their skills to work while caring for a space that means so much to the neighborhood. 💚

This week's Golden Shovel Award goes to Cage! 🪏Cage received the Golden Shovel in recognition of his hard work, positive...
09/16/2026

This week's Golden Shovel Award goes to Cage! 🪏

Cage received the Golden Shovel in recognition of his hard work, positive attitude, and the energy he brings to the team each day.

Join us in congratulating Cage on this well deserved recognition! 💚 Keep up the great work, Cage! Your dedication does not go unnoticed. Keep shining and keep digging!

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201 North Braddock #230
Pittsburgh, PA
15208

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