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  • Friday, October 08, 2021 10:00 AM | Katie Kovalchik (Administrator)

    Connie Creek Cleanup Project


    The Connoquenessing Creek Cleanup Project is an annual event formed by Allegheny Aquatic Alliance (AAA) for the restoration of this important local waterway. Tackling 10–20-mile sections each summer over the past decade, AAA aspires to clean the entire creek by removing the physical pollution that consumes it. 

    SWEP Three Rivers volunteers joined the cleanup on Saturday, September 11, 2021, to help restore this vital waterway back to its beautiful, natural state. This year’s stretch was from Oakland Township to Butler Township. SWEP members Christina Casanova, Fielding Environmental, and Amanda Love, Moody and Associates, Inc., were onsite to lend a hand for a stretch that extended past Camp Redwing, a camp for Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania.


    Check out some more photos from the event! 



  • Wednesday, June 09, 2021 3:39 PM | Rama Pandkar

    The Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP) Three Rivers Chapter hosted an online event with Allison Acevedo, the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice at the PA DEP, for an informal and informative lunch and learn session.

    Please click here to view DEP Lunch and Learn, or copy and paste the link below into your browser.

    Copy link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XVHwUzR0MM


  • Friday, April 09, 2021 9:11 AM | Katie Kovalchik (Administrator)

    'Part Two' of the Earth Day activities going on this year!

    Click on the corresponding organizations to view more information about these events!


    Allegheny County Parks

    North Park - Earth Day Hike

    April 22, 2021; 3:00 PM


    North Park - Volunteer Earth Day Cleanup with the Park Rangers

    April 24, 2021; 1:00 PM

    North Park - Latodami Earth Day Adventures

    April 24, 2021; 10:00 AM


    Settler's Cabin Park - Guided Hike, History of Earth Day

    April 24, 2021; 2:00 PM


    Settler's Cabin Park - Cleanup with Park Rangers

    April 24, 2021; 2:00 PM



    ALCOSAN

    Build a Better Planet - Virtual Event

    April 19 through April 25, 2021


    Mt. Lebanon

    Virtual Earth Day

    April 22, 2021; 12:00 PM


    North Hills Community Outreach

    Celebrate at our Garden

    April 22, 2021; 12:00 PM


    Nine Mile Run

    Spring Stream Sweep

    April 24, 2021; 9:00 AM


    Watersheds of South Pittsburgh

    Annual Spring Stream Cleanup

    April 24, 2021; 9:00 AM

    Sharpsburg

    Earth Day Challenge Clean Up

    April 24, 2021; 9:00 AM


    Allegheny Land Trust

    Girty's Woods Earth Day Seeding

    April 22, 2021; 11:00 AM


  • Friday, April 09, 2021 9:07 AM | Katie Kovalchik (Administrator)


    Spring into Earth Day with dozens of activities going on around the Pittsburgh Region all month long!

    Click on the corresponding organizations to view more information about these events!



    Chalfant Run Watershed Stream Clean Up

    Stream Clean Up

    April 10, 2021; 10:00 AM

    Register via SWEP here!


    For Good PGH

    Beautify the Block

    April 24, 2021; 10:00 AM

    This event is a SWEP sponsored event!



    Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy


    Week of April 5

    Allegheny Commons Park - What the Muck?! Annual Lake Elizabeth Clean Up

    April 6 and April 7, 2021; 8:00 AM


    McKinley Park - Intro to Hatha Yoga 

    April 7, 2021; 5:00 PM


    Allegheny Commons Park - Story Hike: A Rock Can Be

    April 10, 2021; 10:00 AM


    West End Park - A Healing Hike

    April 10, 2021; 11:00 AM


    South Side Park - Wild Edibles Hike

    April 10, 2021; 11:00 AM


    South Side Park - Healing Hike

    April 11, 2021; 2:00 PM


    McKinley Park - Animal Signs Hike

    April 11, 2021; 1:00 PM



    Week of April 12

    Meet the Trees of McKinley Park

    April 12, 2021; 5:30 PM


    Ranger Explorer Days @ Citiparks Recreation Center

    April 14, 2021; 2:30 PM


    Frick Environmental Center - Intro to Hatha Yoga

    April 14, 2021; 5:00 PM


    Highland Park - Hike with a Naturalist: Spring Mushrooms

    April 16, 2021; 9:00 AM


    Ranger Explorer Days @ Citiparks Recreation Center

    April 16, 2021; 10:00 AM


    Frick Environmental Center - Forest Bathing

    April 17, 2021; 8:00 AM


    Phillips Park - Phillips Park Volunteer Clean Up

    April 17, 2021; 9:00 AM


    Sheraden Park Clean Up

    April 17, 2021; 11:30 AM


    Schenley Park - Hike-U: Haiku Hike

    April 17, 2021; 1:00 PM



    Week of April 19

    Frick Park - Pausing and Hiking for Balance

    April 19, 2021; 6:00 PM


    Highland Park - Kick-off to "Tabling Tuesday's"

    April 20, 2021; 4:30 PM


    Ranger Explorer Days @ Citiparks Recreation Center

    April 21, 2021; 2:30 PM


    Sheraden Park - Intro to Hatha Yoga

    April 16, 2021; 5:00 PM


    Online - Nature in Your Neighborhood: Hike with a Naturalist

    April 22, 2021; 10:00 AM


    Schenley Plaza - Children's Activities: Birds and Kites

    April 22, 2021; 4:00 PM


    Online- Nature in Your Neighborhood: Colors of Spring

    April 22, 2021; 5:00 PM


    Online - First Lady's Earth Day

    April 22, 2021; All Day


    Ranger Explorer Days @ Citiparks Recreation Center

    April 23, 2021; 10:00 AM


    Emerald View Park - Early Pittsburgh Hike in Duquesne Heights

    April 24, 2021; 12:00 PM


    Riverview Park - Mushroom Walk

    April 25, 2021; 10:00 AM


    August Wilson Park - Hill Hike

    April 25, 2021; 11:00 AM


    Frick Environmental Center - Wild Edibles Hike

    April 25, 2021; 11:00 AM


  • Monday, December 07, 2020 6:06 PM | Anonymous

    Happy Holidays to you and your family from SWEP Three Rivers! Please click here to view our virtual holiday card, or copy and paste the link below into your browser.

    Copy link: https://youtu.be/gjMTSsCQJ68

    Written by Mallory Griffin

    Produced by Lauren Terpak

    Edited by JD Mango

    Graphics by Alyssa Culp

  • Tuesday, November 10, 2020 11:46 AM | Anonymous

    On December 1, SWEP Three Rivers will host Perspectives on Sustainability, a virtual panel discussion featuring leaders in sustainability across the Pittsburgh region. Our moderator will be Kari Mackenbach, Director of Sustainability for MS Consultants, and our panelists include:

    • Aurora Sharrard, PhD, Director of Sustainability at University of Pittsburgh,
    • Elisabeth Udyawar, Relationships and Development Director with the Green Building Alliance,
    • Kimberly Kipin-McDonald, Head of Sustainable Development North America for Covestro,
    • Rebecca Kiernan, Principal Resilience Planner at the City of Pittsburgh, 
    • Joylette Portlock, PhD, Executive Director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, and
    • Diamonte Walker, Deputy Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

    Registration is available on our website, but space is limited!

    Register here. Learn a bit about our featured moderator and panelists here:

    Kari Mackenbach is the Director of Sustainability for MS Consultants. She has more than 26 years of project management experience in many facets of sustainability, resiliency planning, stormwater and floodplain management across the Country. Kari’s professional experience provides her with unique capabilities to work with communities and other professionals on multiple levels as it relates to sustainability and, more specifically, integrated planning efforts.

    Some of these efforts include the development of sustainable green infrastructure programs that help communities quantify and implement green initiatives for long-term benefits, the development of defensible benefit/cost analyzes for the use of green infrastructure, stormwater and floodplain program development, sustainable site development criteria, watershed planning and implementation. In addition, Kari is a strong advocate for diversity in the workforce and will be speaking at the next ACEC conference on the topic of Diversity in the Workplace in 2021.

    Dr. Aurora Sharrard is the Director of Sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh, tasked with enabling the Pitt Sustainability Plan, which formalizes decades of university-led and partnered initiatives at the intersection of equity, environment, and economics.  In pursuit of the Plan’s 61 measurable goals, she leads Pitt’s Office of Sustainability, cross-departmental sustainability staff, and University-wide sustainability strategy, activities, policies, collaborations, and partnerships.  Building on past progress and successes, Dr. Sharrard and her colleagues work daily across the spectrum of sustainability, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, providing access and opportunity to all, transparently communicating progress, and embedding a culture of sustainability into the University of Pittsburgh so that it’s a sustainability leader in every scale, from campus to international.

    Prior to joining the University, Dr. Sharrard worked at Green Building Alliance (GBA) for 11 years, ultimately serving as its Executive Director. In her time at GBA, Dr. Sharrard most notably co-founded the Pittsburgh 2030 District, which boasts 500+ buildings aspiring towards measured high performance of 50% reductions in energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by the year 2030.  The University of Pittsburgh was a Founding Property Partner of the Pittsburgh 2030 District’s Oakland boundary – and embraced 2030 Challenge goals University-wide with the Pitt Sustainability Plan.

    A nationally recognized green building and sustainability expert, Dr. Sharrard has also provided strategic and technical support to innumerable regional green building and sustainability projects, inlcluding Hazelwood Green, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

    Dr. Sharrard holds a master’s and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering with an emphasis in Green Design from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tulane University.  She serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Higher Education Climate Consortium, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services’ Board of Directors, Will Allen Foundation’s Board of Directors, the International Living Future Institute’s Pittsburgh Living Product Hub Advisory Council, and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development’s Sustainability Committee.

    Follow on Twitter (@SustainablePitt & @AuroraSharrard) and Instagram or connect on LinkedIn.

    Elisabeth Udyawar serves as Green Building Alliance’s Relationships and Development Director. In her role at GBA, she specializes in strategic network building to direct GBA’s strategic fundraising and development. With an eye towards equity and innovation, Elisabeth cultivates cross-sector partnerships, fostering a diverse community of national and regional thought leaders. She manages sponsor and member engagement, in addition to organizing key events including Women+ in Green and Emerald Evening Gala.

    Prior to GBA,  Elisabeth administered several of Carnegie Mellon University’s different research institutes over seven years. She supported the CMU team established the Manufacturing Futures Initiatives, which also funded CMU’s Mill19 development at Hazelwood Green. As the Coordinator for the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making, Elisabeth fostered collaboration through legislative workshops, a climate speakers series, and interagency workshops in Washington DC. Elisabeth holds a Master of Arts in English Literature from The George Washington University, specializing in Post-colonial Literature in South Asia.

    She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California Riverside, and has also studied at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.

    Follow on Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook.

    Kim Kipin-McDonald is a sustainable development leader with wide-ranging experience across a variety of disciplines including energy and emissions data management systems, supply chain sustainability and circular economy.

    Kim promotes the potential for every organizational function to contribute to transformative change and she continuously capitalizes on this belief to advance efforts through the value chain.  Driving Covestro’s non-financial targets through digitalization and advanced analytics and ongoing cross-sector partnerships have resulted in internal and external awards and recognition. Kim is a member of the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee, which advises the Department of Environmental Protection on implementing the 2008 Pennsylvania Climate Change Act.

    Prior to leading sustainable development at Covestro, Kim served in multiple positions at Bayer, including regional head of sustainability governance, partnership initiatives for sustainable building and construction, and environmental risk and product stewardship programs. She developed her passion for motivating people of all walks of life to appreciate and become active participants in environmental stewardship with her first role at The Pittsburgh Zoo, where she created the Education Outreach ZOOmobile program. 

    Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh and graduate degrees in both environmental science & management and science education from Duquesne University.

    Rebecca Kiernan is a Principal Resilience Planner with the City of Pittsburgh, focusing on building social, ecological, economic, and physical resilience to city-wide shocks and stresses. Her work includes developing and implementing initiatives such as the ONEPGH Preliminary Resilience Assessment, Resilience Strategy and Investment Prospectus; the Pittsburgh Equity Indicators Reports; and aligning the City’s work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She also supports the City’s Climate Action Plan with a focus on transportation electrification, zero waste, and urban ecosystems initiatives.

    Rebecca was previously Sustainability Coordinator for the Township of Moon, worked in coastal livelihoods restoration in Indonesia, and has 7 years of experience in education and facilitation. She holds a BA in English and Education from SUNY Geneseo, and an MS in Public Policy and Management with a focus on Environmental Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. She’s a board member of Three Rivers Waterkeepers and serves on ALCOSAN’s Municipal Advisory Committee and the City’s Shade Tree Commission.

    Follow on Twitter and Instagram.

    Dr. Joylette Portlock earned her PhD in genetics at Stanford after studying biology and anthropology at MIT. Her area of expertise is climate change, more specifically, communicating its potential perils and strategies to combat them.  

    In addition to creating the climate change communication nonprofit Communitopia, and the series of videos, “Don’t just sit there—do something,” Joylette worked for Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. She also served as Western Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator with PennFuture, a statewide environmental advocacy group where she worked with the organization’s members, elected officials, and the public on energy, air, water, mining, and transportation issues.

    Sustainable Pittsburgh is about equity, environment, and energy—a future with opportunity for all. Joylette's plan includes building opportunities for all communities and stakeholders to be involved in the environmental issues that affect their lives.

    Follow on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

    Diamonte Walker is the Deputy Executive Director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (URA), where she provides strategy, vision, operations management, team development, and leadership. Diamonte joined the agency in 2017, quickly becoming the driving force behind URA’s MWBE strategy. Her commitment to the advancement of equitable development is demonstrated through the administration of the URA’s MWBE Program, compliance monitoring, reporting functions, and other economic inclusion focused initiatives.

    With a career span of more than 15 years in the for-profit sector and having recently served as a business development program manager in the non-profit sector, Diamonte understands the complex challenges we face as a region when trying to effectuate meaningful change in neighborhoods. Diamonte offers a serious look at what can happen when we expand the work of economic development beyond metrics, goals and buzzwords to create impactful experiences that empower people while transforming place.

    Diamonte holds an MBA and Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. She is a Mayoral appointee to Pittsburgh’s Land Bank Board, serves on the Neighborhood Allies and InnovatePgh boards, and currently sits on the Housing Opportunity Fund’s Advisory Board. Her notable achievements include being named one of the Pittsburgh Business Times 2019 Women of Influence, a 2019 Lead Now Pittsburgh Fellow, a 2018 Onyx Woman in Leadership, 2017 Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40 honoree, and 2016 New Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40 Under 40 awardee. She was recently named one of Talk Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Pennsylvanian African-American Women. She is strongly committed to helping entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds take full advantage of today’s marketplace innovations to cost-effectively operationalize their ideas and better position themselves to experience an equitable stake in Pittsburgh’s economic resurgence.

    Follow on Twitter (Ms. Walker & URA), Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

  • Saturday, September 12, 2020 9:58 AM | Anonymous

    This year, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is hosting a Virtual Open House to showcase their facility and the vital work they do in our community. The Open House features an update about clean water in our region, educational activities, tours of the plant, and features from ALCOSAN's environmental partners, including SWEP Three Rivers!

    We hope to join our community in person again soon, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy our video booth for this year's Virtual Open House! Visit ALCOSAN's website (https://www.alcosan.org/) to join the fun!

    Produced by Lauren Terpak
    Edited by JD Mango
    Pittsburgh Photography donated by Todd Wilson, PE

    Thank you for SWEP Three Rivers Board members, Public Service Committee, membership, and all the video helpers, friends, and family. A special thank you to ALCOSAN for your participation and support!

  • Monday, June 22, 2020 7:48 AM | Anonymous

    On June 16, 2020 SWEP hosted our first ever virtual Conversation with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. We were so delighted to have Secretary Dunn join us, especially after having to cancel our in-person Conversation in mid-March as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

    Caron Glotfelty, Director of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, active SWEP Program Committee member, and former “Conversation” interviewee, took on the role of interviewer and opened the Conversation with a question about the impact of coronavirus on DCNR. Secretary Dunn assured the members that all the facilities that will be reopening for public use this summer are now open and ready to be enjoyed by the public (For details on what facilities are open, visit https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/FacilitiesMap/Pages/default.aspx). 

    Our conversation also touched on another pressing topic – the Black Lives Matter movement, and how DCNR is continually reevaluating and pushing forward efforts to diversify its, workforce and to assure equitable access to public lands for all citizens of the Commonwealth. Secretary Dunn mentioned one way the Department encourages the growth in diversity is through its Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps program, which offers work experience, job training, and environmental educational opportunities to young people who complete recreation and conservation projects on Pennsylvania’s public lands.

    Secretary Dunn also shared some of her personal story, and how her passion for the outdoors and exploring new places led her to pursue a biology degree and, with the encouragement of one of her professors, a career in conservation. She also shared that she feels her proudest accomplishment is her ability to build coalitions to achieve common goals, which is a great testament to the kind of leader Secretary Dunn is.

    One of her most poignant anecdotes, which I believe resonated with many SWEP members, is that self-confidence is a constant struggle for her. What she has learned about herself is that if she gives 100 percent to whatever task she has before her, that dedication and drive to do her best is freeing, and her self-consciousness takes a back seat to whatever she is trying to accomplish.

    It was such a pleasure to host this Conversation, and SWEP-Three Rivers would like to thank our Conversationalists, Cindy Adams Dunn and Caren Glotfelty, and our sponsors. We could not offer such a wonderful program without the following organizational support: Diamond Level Annual Sponsor, Geosyntec, and Sapphire Level Sponsor Arcadis, and Bronze Event Sponsors: Cosmos Technology and R2O.

    Interested in keeping tabs on Secretary Dunn’s initiatives at DCNR? See the links below!

    DCNR website: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov

    DCNR Twitter: https://twitter.com/DCNRnews

    DCNR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/padcnr/

    PA State Parks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/visitPAparks/

    DCNR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/padcnr/

    DCNR YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/pennsylvaniadcnr

    Subscribe to our resource newsletter: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Subscribetoresource/Pages/default.aspx

    SCORP

    https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Recreation/PAOutdoorRecPlan/Pages/default.aspx

    Penn’s Parks for All

    https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/PennsParksforAll/Pages/default.aspx

    DEI statement:

    http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/DCNR_20033730.pdf

    Grants program:

    https://www.brcgrants.dcnr.pa.gov/

    State Parks & State Forests what is open map site: 

    https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/FacilitiesMap/Pages/default.aspx

    Register as a vendor to do business with the Commonwealth:

    https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Small%20Diverse%20Business%20Program/Small-Diverse-Business-Verification/Pages/default.aspx

    To certify as a small business:

    https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Small%20Business%20Contracting%20Program/Pages/default.aspx

    To complete the self-certification as a small business, women owned business, LGBTQ-owned business or Veteran-owned business, please visit this link.

    https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Small%20Diverse%20Business%20Program/Small-Diverse-Business-Verification/Pages/default.aspx

  • Thursday, June 04, 2020 2:06 PM | Anonymous


    SWEP Three Rivers’ mission is to provide women environmental professionals, working within the Three Rivers region, a community that recognizes and supports women's leadership and career development and provides a forum to share information and ideas and promote public service within the environmental field. We recognize the pain and challenges that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, particularly Black women face in this country and in the Pittsburgh region, and that our success is made possible by the Black women who have lifted this organization up. We are angered and saddened by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others, and stand in solidarity with SWEP members, our communities, and the many organizations fighting for racial justice. We commit to amplifying marginalized voices and engaging with our members to ensure that all women feel supported by this organization. We will listen to the leaders in the fight for racial justice and identify how we as an organization, through our programs and partnerships, can live the values of anti-racism, inclusion, and appreciation for the communities that support us. Please stand with us in recognizing that Black Lives Matter. 


  • Friday, April 17, 2020 6:19 AM | Anonymous

    On February 7, 2020, SWEP members trekked through wind, sleet, and snow to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Southwest Regional Office for an update from Department staff during our Brown Bag lunch event.

    Brian Schimmel, Local Government Liaison for DEP kicked off the meeting by introducing Regional Director Ron Schwartz. Director Schwartz provided an overview of operations and programs in the Southwest region, which covers eight counties and 494 municipalities, including Pittsburgh where the office is located. Director Schwartz outlined some challenges particular to the Southwest Region, including an increase in flooding events impacting permitting for projects across industry sectors and the institution and implementation of new e-permitting and other electronic filing initiatives, and described how the Department was adapting and rising to meet those challenges.

    Director Schwartz was followed by Dana Drake, Waterways & Wetlands Program Manager in the Southwest Region. Ms. Drake provided an overview of hot topics in her program including the establishment of the Regional Permit Coordination Office, a centralized office within DEP to support Chapter 102, 105, and Section 401 State Water Quality Certifications required under the federal Clean Water Act for pipelines spanning three or more counties and two or more DEP regions or those crossing state lines. Ms. Drake also covered recent changes to the PAG-02, General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Construction Activities, which was renewed with significant updates in December 2019.

    Our third and final speaker was Kareen Milcic, Environmental Group Manager for  permitting in for the  Oil and Gas program. Ms. Milcic focused her update on the Geologic Hazard Mitigation Program administered through the Erosion and Sedimentation Control General Permit For Earth Disturbance Associated With Oil And Gas Exploration, Production, Processing, Or Treatment Operations Or Transmission Facilities (ESCGP-3) that was finalized by DEP in October of 2018. The Geologic Hazard Mitigation Plan is a new component in the ESCGP-3 and is a vitally important component of the permitting process as flooding and landslide events continue to increase across the commonwealth.

    We wrapped up the lunch with some cookies and a Q&A session, where all three speakers graciously answered questions from SWEP members. We are so grateful for the opportunity to hear from DEP in this informal yet incredibly valuable setting for our membership! We hope continue offering this event annually for our members and look forward to our next lunch with the Department.

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Three Rivers Society of Women Environmental Professionals

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