Category Archives: Green PGH

FREE Green Building Workshop on Feb. 18

English: Logo of the .

Image via Wikipedia

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation is a great organization that has been doing some great work here in Pittsburgh since 1964.  This workshop is just one of the many programs they offer throughout the year.

If you are looking to learn more about historic buildings or just want to meet some great people – check out one of their SOTS events.   SOTS is short for the Society of Tavern Seekers – every few months they meet at a historic bar in Pittsburgh for a happy hour event.

‘Building Green’ with ARTEMIS Environmental

What does “building green” really mean?

Green building is an often over-used and not entirely understood term.  For our February workshop at the Landmarks Housing Resource Center in Wilkinsburg, Ian Miller, managing partner of Artemis Environmental in Lawrenceville, will discuss elements of green building and design.

He will also talk about Artemis Environmental’s wide range of products, which include everything from boards made of sustainable materials such as bamboo and sunflower seeds to toxic free finishers and recycled tiles. Mr. Miller’s show-and-tell of sustainable building products will include a demonstration of American Clay plaster and cork flooring.

Date: Saturday, February 18
Time:10:00am to 11:30am
Location: Landmarks Housing Resource Center
744 Rebecca Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221
Map and driving directions

Janice Webb Donatelli started Artemis Environmental, which is located at 3709 Butler Street in Lawrenceville, in 2005.

Mr. Miller is transforming Artemis from a high quality green building products supplier into a full-scale design, supplier and installation business.

Mr. Miller is owner of Zambano and Sons, a general contracting firm focused primarily on residential remodeling and exterior hardscape projects. He lives with his wife, Carla, a landscape architect, their daughters, Stella and Rose in a 100-year old house in Friendship that has no shortage of green remodeling projects on the horizon.

This workshop is FREE

RSVPs are appreciated. Contact Mary Lu Denny: marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808 ext. 527.

Tree Pittsburgh Presents Arbor Aid 2011

Arbor Aid is an annual fundraiser for Tree Pittsburgh, an environmental non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the City’s vitality by restoring and protecting City trees.  This fundraiser has grown over the years into one of Fall’s more fun and unqiue events.  Art made from salvaged wood is exhibited, food and drink is plentiful, and entertainment this year is provided by Pairdown, and the Armadillos.  And the folks at Tree Pittsburgh know that to make it a true Pittsburgh celebration you need to include an epic Cookie Table … and a Hug a Tree Photo Booth.  So strap on your dancing shoes and head over to Guardian Storage Solutions this Friday, October 28th at 9pm.

G-Tree – Help Plant More Trees in Town

Lets talk Pittsburgh trees! Trees are an important thing here in the city – they help to keep the air clean and the city cooler.  Tree Pittsburgh (which used to be called Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest) is an organization that works with the communities and neighborhoods to preserve and protect Pittsburgh’s urban forest.

Tree Pittsburgh has teamed up with Groupon’s charity site, G-Team, to plant more trees in Pittsburgh.  This isn’t your usual groupon deal – just an opportunity to use the Groupon platform to help Tree Pittsburgh plant more Trees.  Each donation of $10 will plant another Tree here in Pittsburgh.

Click here to buy a tree for Pittsburgh from Groupon


Don’t have a Groupon Account yet? Click here to sign up for Groupon via our referral link.

Eco Race Car Driver, Leilani Munter’s, Pittsburgh Connection

I know we tend to post about Pittsburgh events, but I hope that we can do more posting about businesses, organizations and people here in Pittsburgh too.  This is a cool update about a Pittsburgh company that has been quietly working to become a very green business.

Earlier this year – you may have remembered that we moved IheartPGH website hosting to pair Networks.  First of all pair Networks is kind enough to support IheartPGH by donating website hosting (and in the interest of transparency I am working with them on another blogging project – sneak peek here).  We are also excited to use pair Networks for website hosting because they are, and have been, located in Pittsburgh for the past 15 years and pair Networks is one of the greenest website hosting companies around.

So in an effort to continue their green work – pair Networks has just announced that they are partnering with Leilani Munter, aka Carbon Free Girl.  Munter has been named one of the top ten female drivers in the world by Sports Illustrated.  Every time  Leilani races, she adopts an acre of rain forest to offset her carbon footprint. Leilani holds a degree in biology from the University of California in San Diego.

A little more about pair Networks:

Here is what pair Networks says about being green:

A 100-percent carbon neutral company, pair Networks (http://www.pair.com) makes environmental conservancy a central commitment, with workplace policies that encourage Earth-friendly commutes and many other sustainable practices.

I can attest to the fact that pair Networks is serious about being green – Carbon neutral is just the beginning – everything about their office  is approached with a mindset of conservation – there are no disposable coffee cups or forks at the pair Networks headquarters.  pair Network is also an enthusiastic support of many Pittsburgh organizations like BikePGH, Gasp and Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

Urban Chicken Coop Tour

First-Ever City of Pittsburgh Chicks-in-the-Hood Urban Chicken Coop Tour

Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Curious about what it would take to raise chickens in the city? Have a hankering for fresh local eggs in the morning? Wish you could take advantage of some of the benefits of country living right here in the City?

Or maybe you just like chickens . . .

Join us for the First Ever City of Pittsburgh Chicks in the Hood Urban Chicken Coop Tour, a self-guided tour of  backyard chicken coops around the City. Take a peek at backyards all over town for creative coop ideas and a chance to talk
chicken with owners and other poultry enthusiasts. Plus you’ll get a chance to see other back- yard sustainability practices in place — like rain barrels, organic gardening techniques, composting, and more.

Tickets for the tour are $5 – kids are free! Ticket purchase gets you a map with directions to each participating coop on the tour.

All proceeds from each ticket sale will be donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Urban Agriculture Programs, including The Farm Stand Project and the Plant-A-Row Project.

Tickets will be available the morning of the tour at:

  • The Quiet Storm www.qspgh.com at 5430 Penn Avenue in Friendship/Garfield,
  • Tazza D’Oro www.tazzadoro.com at 1125 North Highland Avenue in Highland Park,
  • Crazy Mocha www.crazymocha.com, 2 East North Avenue on the North Side,7665 Lock Way West, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, located at the Highland Park Dam at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Allegheny River Boulevard.

read more about chicken coops:

  • Food Stuff: Fresh Eggs So Local, They’re at Your House (nytimes.com)
  • 11 Contemporary Chicken Coops – From Urban Hen Houses to Green Chicken Coops (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
  • Chicken Coop Plans: Offer Your Chickens Treats (animaltopics.com)
  • Austin chicken coop tour this weekend (boingboing.net)
  • How to Build a Chicken Coop (Video) (treehugger.com)