In the urban tapestry of Pittsburgh a 64-acre enigma unfolds, South Side Park. This sprawling green space, hidden amid bustling neighborhood streets, stands as a testament of urban neglect. With its 400-foot elevation change from north to south, the park is a dramatic canvas of nature's resilience.

South Side Park is a critical component in Pittsburgh's stormwater management infrastructure. The park crowns the M16 combined sewer shed, which annually discharges a staggering 102 million gallons of combined sewage overflow into the Monongahela River. The various plans and studies this work draws upon, from the Open Space, Parks and Recreation Plan to the South Side Neighborhood Plan, are blueprints for green spaces as central to our urban identity.

The park's challenges - combined sewage overflow, invasive species, potential landslides - are urgent signals of how ecological neglect cascades into threats to human safety and infrastructure. Sarah Baxendell of ArtEcology served as Director of Green Space Projects, leading comprehensive planning and community engagement efforts. Through roles as Park Planner & Designer and Advisory Committee member for the South Side Park Master Plan, ArtEcology delivered extensive research including the Report on Public Use, User Survey, South Side Park Map and Guide, and the detailed Master Plan.

We coordinated innovative invasive species removal using Allegheny Goatscape, an urban goat herd that cleared invasive plants from the valley section of the park, preparing the area for native restoration tree planting to stabilize slopes. Through co-developing the Friends of South Side Park organization representing park users, we led GoatFest 2018 & 2019, creating 2 major park gatherings that attracted 8,000+ attendees while celebrating the intersection of urban ecology and community stewardship. We also mobilized 500+ volunteers across 40+ events for ongoing invasive species management and park cleanup efforts.

The formation of Friends of South Side Park represents a shift from passive park users to active ecosystem stewards. Their innovative approach to tackling invasive species in Jurassic Valley, using urban goat herds, is an example of biomimicry in urban land management. It's not just about clearing unwanted plants and planting restoration trees; it's about relearning to work with nature rather than against it.