P-G: Knotweed not our weed, Mt. Lebanon conservancy

As they walked through Mt. Lebanon's public parks over the last few years, members of the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy started to notice invasive species encroaching on native plants.

Fast-growing vegetation, such as Japanese knotweed, Oriental bittersweet, English ivy and tree-of-heaven, are overwhelming the native plants and damaging Mt. Lebanon's public parks, especially Bird Park, said Ron J. Block, the president of the conservancy.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/pg/11006/1115820-55.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Conservancy Chapter Thinks Big

The Nature Conservancy's fight for worldwide conservation and protection of natural resources has brought changes to Mt. Lebanon. But not the environmental kind.

The local branch of the non-profit organization has hired Roy Lenhardt as associate director of philanthropy, and Amanda Cherry as senior donor relations manager in the conservancy's office. They have an audacious task: raise $5 billion dollars by 2015.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08314/926231-140.stm