Tree Pittsburgh

PawPaw Fest is coming back, and tickets are on sale now!

Join Tree Pittsburgh for a celebration of North America's largest native fruit – the humble, wonderful pawpaw. There's something for everyone this year: sample fresh pawpaws, browse our Heritage Nursery tree sale (yes, pawpaw trees are included!), take a guided walk through the arboretum, and watch a pawpaw sorbet demonstration in action. Bring the family for arts and crafts, grab lunch from a local food truck, sip a pawpaw beer, and settle in for some live music.

We're also excited to welcome two wonderful speakers this year:
🦋 3:00–3:30 pm – Gabrielle Marsden, our Butterfly Ambassador, on the zebra swallowtail butterfly and its fascinating relationship with pawpaws
🌳 4:30–5:30 pm – Legendary pawpaw breeder Neal Peterson (of Peterson Pawpaws), in conversation with Andrew Moore

We can't wait to celebrate with you! Grab your tickets now before we're sold out at treepittsburgh.org/pawpawfest 💚

“Heat is already a major public health threat. It kills 350,000 people a year by some estimates, and it’s worse in cities,” said Robert McDonald, the Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist for nature-based solutions and the Europe region, who spearheaded the first paper. “The urban heat island effect would be about double what it is now if world cities didn’t have trees.”

It's pretty straightforward: more trees = cooler cities. Read more in this story from Grist.org.

https://loom.ly/h9Nej_w

urban forestry chic 💁 🌳

Celebrate Tree Pittsburgh's 20 years of protecting and growing the urban forest!

Join us for the 2026 Root Ball to honor those who have had a tremendous impact on growing a greener future for our region. Keep the celebration going (or start your evening) with the Root Flare after party!

Tickets on sale now! Visit treepittsburgh.org/rootball2026

Friday, September 18, 2026
Root Ball: 5 - 8 p.m.
Root Flare after party: 8 - 11 p.m.
Roost | 250 Forbes Avenue Downtown

Do you know of a student with a passion for education? Or maybe you know a communications wiz who can tell engaging stories through photos and video? If so...we have the perfect internship for them!

Tree Pittsburgh is looking for qualified candidates for One Tree Per Child and Marketing & Communications interns for Fall 2026. Check treepittsburgh.org/jobs for more information and how to apply.

Urban heat islands aren't just an "it feels hotter downtown" thing – they touch our health, our budgets, our air, and even our rivers. Swipe through to see how it all connects 👉

We absolutely loved hosting leaders from across the Giving Grove network last week for the 2026 Community Orchard Leadership Summit! It was an honor to show off some Pittsburgh-area orchards and learn from one another in the Steel City. Can't wait to see where our connections and ideas take us all next!

🌳 Hartwood Acres just made history!

Local leaders recently announced that Hartwood Acres is now part of the Old-Growth Forest Network – and it's the first forest in Allegheny County to earn the designation. The network includes over 340 protected forests nationwide.

You may have caught a concert there this summer, or maybe even a wedding at the mansion, but while about a quarter of the park is maintained for those purposes, the other 75% is forested, including some trees that are over 200 years old.

Read more from CBS News Pittsburgh: https://loom.ly/rmg6eVw

We're not the only ones talking about urban heat islands. It's a really hot topic! 😉🌡️

NEXTpittsburgh just published a great piece exploring why some Pittsburgh neighborhoods run significantly hotter than others. The article features residents and experts from local communities, including Clara Kitongo from our own team, who weigh in on what's driving it (and what helps). 🌳

It's a great companion read to what we've been covering here all month – check it out: https://loom.ly/lU_2CcU

Some Pittsburgh neighborhoods are 5 degrees hotter than others. Why? Across Pittsburgh, trees can make the difference between a block that feels livable on a hot summer afternoon and one that radiates heat.