Fox Chapel to Install Signs Protecting Salamander Park Habitats

The borough of Fox Chapel will install educational signs in Salamander Park to help visitors understand the fragile habitat of spotted salamanders and wood frogs. The project is funded by a $1,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This award was part of a state initiative that distributed funds to 30 municipalities.

The signs will be placed in the nearly 21-acre natural space located off Fox Chapel Road. The park features a rare vernal pool and the Sycamore Run watershed. These elements support a growing number of pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. The borough aims to use the new markers to clarify the ecological value of the area for the public.

The restoration of this habitat began nearly three years ago. Fox Chapel Park Commission volunteers, including AP Environmental Science students from the local school district, removed invasive privet and other woody species. Their work cleared space for native trees to grow. These efforts earned the borough the 2024 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

Melinda Guinn, a commission member who led the project with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, noted the positive results of the planting. She stated that as stream buffers, forests, vernal pools, and meadows are strengthened with native plants, the diversity of pollinators and birds attracted to the site increases.

The borough joined the Bird Town Pennsylvania program in 2024 after council approval. This grassroots municipal conservation program has operated in the state since 2010 and costs nothing to taxpayers. It seeks to protect birds and natural habitats. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, there are 3 billion fewer breeding birds in North America than 40 years ago. Additionally, 432 bird species are threatened with extinction.

Participating municipalities pledge to take action in five areas, including municipal action, youth engagement, and community collaboration. Fox Chapel’s report lists specific community efforts such as tree planting, invasive plant removal, and erosion remediation. The borough also hosts community cleanups and organizes native plant sales and swaps.

Within a few months of joining, the municipality earned the program’s gold standard for education. This is the top level of a four-tier certification system. The distinction allows the borough to use its status on grant applications for environmental projects. More than 110 municipalities across the state are designated as Bird Towns.

Jeff Cohen, the Park Commission Chair, described the site as a distinctive ecological asset. He noted that a local school teacher originally saved the land after recognizing the rarity of its clean stream and vernal pool. Cohen said the ongoing restoration has created a native sanctuary that sustains local bird populations. The park also serves as an outdoor classroom and a scenic anchor for the borough’s annual family fun run.

The site is closed to the public at night during the spring breeding season to protect the animals from disruption. The borough also monitors the area to manage pet access. Other conservation sites in Fox Chapel include the 130-acre Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, which attracts more than 100 species of birds each year. Julie Bastianini, the borough manager, said the administration is grateful for the funding that supports these educational and conservation goals.