Volunteers transform an urban lot into a pollinator garden in Swissvale

By Karen Kadilak / For the Post-Gazette

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds have a new oasis at the Swissvale Community Pollinator Garden, dedicated on Oct. 11.

Humane Action Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that fights for the rights and humane treatment of animals, built the 12,000-square-foot garden in partnership with the borough in a vacant lot on Edgewood Avenue.

Planted with native species, the garden supports essential pollinators and creates a habitat for local bird populations. It also promotes awareness of the importance of preserving green spaces in urban areas.

Two years in the making, the new garden has already made a difference.

In April, the project earned Humane Action Pittsburgh a 2024 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The garden also helped Swissvale become certified as a Bird Town by the Pennsylvania Audubon Council for its community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife and people.

The project started with a $1,000 grant from the Awesome Foundation, a global effort that supports projects through microgrants. Volunteers from Humane Action Pittsburgh and borough residents did the planting.

Plants include wild bee balm. ironweed, joe-pye weed, anise hyssop, sea oats, obedient plant, echinacea, compass plant, narrow and short-toothed mountain mint and common, rose and butterfly milkweed.

Ryan Walker, 39, of Brookline, was among the volunteers.

“Volunteering with Humane Action Pittsburgh was an incredibly rewarding experience,” he said. “Working with the Swissvale community volunteers gave me a chance to see firsthand how much we can accomplish when we come together for a cause that benefits both the environment and each other.

“Watching the garden grow into something beautiful and knowing it will support local wildlife for years to come has been a privilege.”

State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills) and state Rep. Abigail Salisbury (D-Swissvale) championed the project.

“I am delighted to be a strong supporter of Humane Action Pittsburgh and Representative Salisbury as they continue to do amazing work on the garden,” Costa said. “I am filled with gratitude knowing my neighbors are invested in the protection of the environment and the beautification of our communities.”

Part of the Humane Action Pittsburgh Hive pollinator protection initiative, the garden is one of four created to beautify neighborhoods while contributing to the health of local flora and food systems. The others are the Edgewood Memorial Pollinator Garden, the Sharpsburg Community Pollinator Garden and the Kincaid Street Pollinator Garden in Garfield,

“I founded this campaign because I understand the urgent need for protecting and growing natural habitats for pollinators, and because I see the power in a community coming together and taking pride in a project,” said Shannon Dickerson, director of operations for Humane Action Pittsburgh.

“This has gone beyond my wildest dreams of what is possible when we share a common goal for the greater good.”

For more information or to donate, go to humaneactionpittsburgh.org.