Allegheny Land Trust

10/12/2026

Today - Indigenous Peoples' Day - and every day, it is important to honor the original stewards of the land. Allegheny Land Trust conserves and stewards green spaces on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee, Osage, and Shawnee peoples. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy includes the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca Nations.

We honor the enduring relationship that exists between these nations and their land. ALT strives to uphold their legacy of stewardship and harmonious relationships with Western Pennsylvania’s natural ecosystems as we preserve local land and ensure access for future generations.

There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes in the US. Learn more in this article by Running Strong for American Indian Youth: https://indianyouth.org/indigenous-peoples-day/

You can find a map of Indigenous nations, lands, and waters here: https://native-land.ca/

10/09/2026

All right, fans of the Fat Cat(erpillar)s – we've got our winner!

It was a close call, but the Spicebush Caterpillar won the vote for best Fat Cat!

These charismatic caterpillars begin life when a female spicebush butterfly lays eggs on one of their host plants. They typically feed on spicebush, sweet bay, tulip tree, and sassafras. Throughout their lives, they are masters of deception.

Life as a young caterpillar is dangerous – they are highly sought after by birds and other animals as abundant sources of protein. What better way to deter hungry predators than by making oneself look like crusty excrement? Young spicebush caterpillars mimic bird droppings to stay safe while they feed.

They have more than one disguise in their life cycle toolkit. As they approach their final instars, or molts, they shed their gross costumes and don a little green snake outfit! When they feel threatened, they enlarge the body segment with eye spots to make their serpent façade convincing.

That’s not all! When they're not feeding, they burrito themselves in the host plant's leaves, using silk to bring the edges together. When you find a spicebush, or one of the host plants, check it for “leaf-rittos.”

As the caterpillars near pupation, they turn orange. Just like other butterflies, they form a chrysalis. Once again using mimicry as a defense mechanism, the chrysalis closely resembles another leaf along the stem. They may spend up to 20 days in the chrysalis before emerging as an adult; however, they sometimes overwinter in their pupal form.

Adults are mostly black with flashes of blue and orange at the base of the wing. They mimic the pipevine swallowtail, a toxic species.

Big thanks to everyone who voted and shared. Congratulations to the masterfully deceptive Spicebush Caterpillar, our Fat Cat Week winner!

To view the many life stages of this incredible caterpillar, follow these links:

https://www.insectimages.org/search?q=spicebush%20butterfly

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/spicebush-swallowtail

09/30/2026

Friends, it is spooky season. And our event green space could not be more excited about it. Mystery, lore, fall colors, and more!!! Join us outside for our environmental education, volunteer, and site visit events this October – remember to invite your best ghouls! Register/get tickets by visiting our event tab or website calendar: alleghenylandtrust.org/events

💚 [Sat 10/3] Volunteer: Tree Stewardship Program Group Session at Girty’s Woods
🥬 [Sat 10/3] AARP 50+ Walking Series: Invasive Species at Bethel Green
🧟 [Weds 10/14] Webinar: Nature’s Zombies & Vampires
🚲 [Thurs 10/15] ALT x 3ROC x : Community Conservation Bike Tour @ 3 Rivers Outdoor Co.
👻 [Fri 10/16] Science Stroll: The Hollow’s Haunted History at Dead Man’s Hollow
💚 [Sat 10/17] Volunteer: Invasive Species Management at Churchill Valley Greenway
🧟 [Thurs 10/22] Slightly Spooky Beginner’s Mushroom Walk at Dead Man’s Hollow
🍄‍🟫 [Thurs 10/29] Lunch & Learn: Fungal Folktales
🍄‍🟫 [Fri 10/30] AARP 50+ Walking Series: Frightful Fungi at Dead Man’s Hollow
💚 [Sat 10/31] Volunteer: Girty’s Woods Trail Building (Spooky Style!) at Girty’s Woods

09/30/2026

🌿 Calling all K–5 public school teachers in Washington and Greene Counties!

Bring the wonders of the natural world into your classroom with Allegheny Land Trust’s FREE Nature Backpack Program! Designed to support K–5 educators, this program offers fun, hands-on, STEELS-based environmental lessons that can help spark curiosity and deepen your students’ (and your!) understanding of the world around them.

Thanks to the generous support of the Benedum Foundation, all lessons and materials are provided at no cost to your school. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next project, a way to enrich a unit you’re already teaching, or a fun introduction to the wildlife and natural world we share our communities with, the Nature Backpack Program is here to help!

🌱 What the opportunity includes:

🌿 Two visits from an Allegheny Land Trust educator featuring two lessons of your or your grade level’s choice. [Explore the available lessons HERE: https://canva.link/2026-2027-program-guide ]

🌿 A FREE Nature Backpack filled with nature guides, activities, and tools to encourage hands-on exploration outside. There are a few backpack themes to choose from: Bugs & Birds, Wildlife Signs, Trees & Wildflowers, and Local Nature. Each backpack is valued at $300. (One backpack per classroom.)

To participate and receive your Nature Backpack, classrooms must schedule two program visits. The backpack will be provided during the second visit.

🌱 Please note: Spaces are limited to 20 classrooms!
We’d love to bring these experiences to your classroom, so reach out soon to reserve your spot.

Have questions or ready to schedule your Nature Backpack experiences? Contact Sara Klingensmith, Environmental Education Associate, at [email protected].

All programs must be scheduled and completed by March 12, 2027.

We can’t wait to explore the natural world with you and your students! 🌎🌱

09/22/2026

In honor of Fat Bear Week, we’re launching Fat Cat(erpillar) Week! You may have noticed more chubby caterpillars on the move and in no hurry, looking for a place to pupate and overwinter. Their little prolegs can only move so fast, but caterpillars can do all sorts of odd things to avoid becoming a meal for hungry predators. They can be toxic, have hair or spines that cause skin irritation, vanish in plain sight, or simply look utterly terrifying.

Who do you think is the most fierce Fat Cat? Vote for your favorite heavyweight champion in our Fat Cat League by dropping your pick’s number in the comments by September 29.

We'll celebrate the winner in a detailed educational post all about the winning Fat Cat.

09/17/2026

What’s Your Place? Everyone has one. Maybe it’s the trail where you clear your head after a long day. Along a streambank where you first discovered salamanders. The overlook that never gets old. Or the neighborhood park where friends gather and memories are made.

Today is our annual Day of Giving, and it’s all about protecting these special places. Our Board of Directors has generously created a match pool to double your impact on saving our special places.

Together, we can protect and care for the places that enrich our region today while ensuring they continue to inspire, restore, and sustain life for generations to come. We hope you’ll help us turn $50,000 into $100,000 for close-to-home conservation today, and that you’ll share this with a friend so they too can protect their place.

Drop a story about your place in the comments, share with a friend, and donate to have your dollar doubled: https://bit.ly/donatetoalt

09/16/2026

09/14/2026

Nature is serving ~kinda chic~ this week.

And instead of just vibing in nature, we're putting in the work to keep nature vibing. Our Board has created a match pool to double your impact during our September 17, 2026 Day of Giving (v chic, if you ask us)

Drop a 🌎 in the comments, forward to your fungi/bird/tree-loving friends, and donate on the 17th to keep nature thriving. Every bit counts because Mother Earth deserves better than "kinda" anything. She's full chic 💚💚💚

09/02/2026

We have been noticing a lot of beautiful purple and white deceiver mushrooms (Laccaria ochropurpurea)! What species have you been noticing?

09/01/2026

Falllll even more in love with the outdoors at our September events! Learn more and give back outdoors with us this September. Check out this month’s events below and register by visiting alleghenylandtrust.org/events (registration is required for each event):

🍄‍🟫 [Weds 9/9] eDNA Mushroom Walk at Audubon Greenway
🪏 [Weds 9/9] Virtual Volunteer Meetup
🌳 [Sat 9/12] Tree Stewardship Program Group Session at Girty’s Woods
🔎 [Wed 9/16] Webinar: Fall Wild Edibles
💚 [Thurs 9/17] ALT’s 2026 Day of Giving! (double your impact to save our special places)
💚 [Fri 9/18] AARP 50+ Walk Series: Great Views at Girty’s Woods
🐦 [Sat 9/26] Science Stroll: Fall Migration
🪏 [Sat 9/26] Volunteer Workday: Invasive Plant Removal at Churchill Valley Greenway
🥬 [Tues 9/29] Science Stroll: Foraging in Forests