Allegheny Land Trust

06/05/2026

This Friday's is the Jellied False Coral! 🌟 The jellied false coral (Tremellodendron schweinitzii) is more closely related to jelly fungi such as wood ear (Auricularia sp.) and witch’s butter (Tremella sp.) than any other species of coral or spindle fungi. The mycorrhizal species is often associated with oak trees and can be found widely distributed east of the Great Plains. Here’s what to look for:

- This mushroom takes on the color of its substrate, ranging in color expression from white, to yellow, to green, to brown
- Structure with flat branches that grow from a tapered base

The next time you’re out on the trail, keep an eye out for these Fun Fungi and tag us with your latest finds!

06/04/2026

We’re excited to welcome Jacob Kaltz (he/him) to our team as the 2026 John Hamm Conservation Intern! This summer, he will offer essential support to our stewardship team at Wingfield Pines, Meyer Farm, and more lands. He's already gotten his boots muddy at St. John's Green by preparing the site for our grand opening celebration.

Originally from Carnegie, Jacob has spent countless hours mountain biking our very own parcel along the Panhandle Trail (part of what drew him to ALT!) and hiking local green spaces. He is currently studying Natural Resource Conservation Management at Paul Smiths in the Adirondacks. He looks forward to continuing his education with ALT as he learns about natural habitat development, trail building, conservation area management and planning, and watershed maintenance practices.

06/01/2026

Summer is here and our team is getting after it 💪 Join us this month to learn about mushrooms, plant some trees, and enjoy the fresh air. Check out this month’s events below:

🐸 [Thu 6/4] Sustainability at Home: Small Ponds + Backyard Water Gardens
🌳 [Sat 6/6] Tree Stewardship Training at St. John’s Green
🍄‍🟫 [Sat 6/6] The Big Mushroom Hike at DMH
🌳 [Sat 6/6] Tree Stewardship Training at Girty’s Woods
🌳 [Sat 6/13] Tree Stewardship Training at Buena Vista Heights
🌳 [Sat 6/13] Tree Stewardship Training at Churchill Valley Greenway
🌿 [Sun 6/14] Lunch & Learn Webinar: Researching Moss in PA
🛶 [Mon 6/15] Educator Workshop: 3 Rivers Watch & Nurdle Patrol
🌳 [Sat 6/20] Tree Stewardship Training at Venango Trail
🌳 [Sat 6/20] Tree Stewardship Training at Irwin Run
🐝 [Wed 6/24] Webinar: Native Bees of PA
🍄 [Fri 6/26] Beginner’s Mushroom ID at DMH

05/30/2026

Hi 👋 In case you're new to ALT, we wanted to reintroduce ourselves.
We’re a 501c3 land conservation nonprofit that has helped local people save local land since 1993. Our work takes many shapes, and the work we're most proud of is collaborative and community focused.
We’re part of the Pittsburgh Canopy Alliance – a group of more than 20 nonprofit organizations and government partners collaborating to equitably restore Pittsburgh's urban tree canopy through research, prioritization, and implementation. Through the alliance, we’ve planted more than 26,000 trees throughout Allegheny County since 2000.
Our partners include , ,.v.o.l.v.e.ea, , , , , and many more!

05/29/2026

St. John's Green is officially open! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to open this new green space in Brighton Heights. Thank you to our neighbors and community partners for joining us and making this dream a reality!

05/27/2026

At a recent tree planting event for St. John’s Green, a volunteer paused her digging to share: “I was born in this hospital. As a teenager, we’d sneak in to run around the halls. Now, I’m here planting a tree.”

This moment encapsulates the power of transformation—a place once defined by health and community care is now a permanent urban green space, designed to serve Brighton Heights for generations to come.

Why this project matters:
🌱 A legacy reborn: Formerly the site of St. John’s Hospital and Nursing School, this land now supports stormwater management, urban habitat, and community resilience.
🤝 Collaboration in action: This project was made possible by the vision and dedication of Allegheny Land Trust, Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, St. John’s Nurses Alumni Association, and our funders.
🎉 Join us in celebration: On May 28, 5–7 PM, we’ll host a grand opening event featuring:
- (5 – 5:45 pm) A ribbon-cutting ceremony with speeches from Allegheny Land Trust, PA House Representative Emily Kinkead, the office of Councilman Bobby Wilson, BRIGHTON HEIGHTS CITIZENS FEDERATION, the St. John’s Nurses Alumni Association, and 7th graders from the nearby Morrow School
- (5:45 – 7 pm) Open trail walks along a newly-completed trail that explores history and nature fact signage with community partners
- Pizza from Wise Guys Pizza
- Vended ice cream and sweets from Happy Day Dessert Factory
- A ZeroFossil Inc.-powered event

St. John’s Green is a testament to what happens when a community comes together to heal, restore, and reimagine. We invite you to be part of its next chapter.

🔗 Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/stjohnsopen

05/22/2026

This Friday's is the Rubber Cup! 🌟 These delightfully weird mushrooms are commonly called hairy rubber cups or peanut butter cups (Galiella rufa). Hairy rubber cups grow in small clusters, typically on small logs. This species is saprobic, with an affinity for dead hardwood trees often east of the Rocky Mountains. Here’s what to look for:

- A goblet-shaped flesh that is rubbery in texture
- An upper surface ranging in color from orange to brown
- The exterior surface and tiny stalk are covered in fine hair, giving it a velvety feel

The next time you’re out on the trail, keep an eye out for these Fun Fungi and tag us with your latest finds!

05/21/2026

A few weeks ago, our staff attended the We Conserve PA conference and learned so much from other conservation organizations about their methods of conservation, habitat restoration, and community partnerships.

One session led us to a Miyawaki Forest planting area, which is a technique for creating dense, native forests in small urban spaces. This forestation method, developed by botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, involves soil amendment followed by dense planting of native tree species. We used this method at Audubon Greenway and were excited to see its success in another location!

Another inspiring session demonstrated how more than 5,000 acres of green space have been conserved in just the last 10 years along the scenic, historic shores of the Susquehanna River. This helped expand equitable access to our state's rich natural resources.

Beyond these two vignettes, our team was inspired by the 400+ passionate conservationists we connected with at the conference. Thanks for the hope-inspiring conference, We Conserve Pa – there are so many wonderful people doing hard, incredible work to make a better planet for us all.

05/15/2026

This Friday's is the Devil's Dipstick! 🌟
Devil’s Dipstick (Mutinus elegans) is a member of the stinkhorn group (Family Phallaceae). Stinkhorns are notoriously stinky because they rely on flies and beetles to spread the spores. Here’s some things to look for:

- A stinky smell: this decomposer can be found in mulch and decaying wood; it has a notably terrible odor
- A covering of “brown sludge”, or a spore-containing substance called ‘gleba’ around the stalk
- Hollow stalk when broken that may have a “pitted” texture on the surface

The next time you’re out on the trail, keep an eye out for these Fun Fungi and tag us with your latest finds!

05/13/2026