Call for Volunteers Posted on July 1, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Volunteers Needed for Two Wheels Lots of Green Our 3rd annual Two Wheels Lots of Green is happening August 16, and we need a few good volunteers to help make it the best that it can be! As a volunteer, we will provide you with admission to the bike ride, a t-shirt and a beer. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form below. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sara. Volunteer Form…Read More
GTECHer Spotlight: Albert Pantone Posted on June 27, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Get to know...Albert Pantone [one_half][/one_half] [one_half_last] Hometown: Pittsburgh - Sharpsburg neighborhood Alma Mater: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Favorite Activity: Watching and reading classic science fiction Favorite Burrito Topping: Verde tomatillo sauce and black beans! Current GTECH Project: Knots on Lots [/one_half_last] Albert has always been up for an adventure. Growing up in Sharpsburg, only a few miles from the Guyasuta boy scout camp, he spent his days hiking in all sorts of weather, discovering new wildlife, and splashing in the river. Eventually this…Read More
Northside Block Party Posted on June 26, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Join GTECH and your Northside neighbors for an afternoon of food, music and family-fun activities as we celebrate another year of reclaiming vacant land in Northside neighborhoods at the Wigle Whiskey Garden in Spring Garden. This year GTECH is hosting our third year of hosting an Ambassador program in the Northside neighborhoods. You can read more about the latest round of ReClaim Northside Ambassadors here. Past participants and staff will be available to answer questions. If you aren't interested in…Read More
Design a T-Shirt for Two Wheels Lots of Green Posted on June 16, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Use your design skills for good! Enter our Two Wheels Lots of Green T-shirt design competition. WHAT IS THE CONTEST Submit your awesome, orginal artwork that best represents any combination of bikes, Pittsburgh’s communities and public green space. Artwork must meet the following criteria: no more than 2-color artwork incorporate the theme(s) of biking, neighborhoods, Pittsburgh and/or green space, which is what the bike tour is all about! WHY ENTER You love bikes, Pittsburgh, green space or community development! Your…Read More
4 (Edible) Uses for Japanese Knotweed Posted on June 13, 2014 by Grounded Strategies 4 knotweed recipes that we want to try. At GTECH we are always looking at ways in which to turn waste into something useful. That's why we are looking at Knotweed as a feedstock for paper making and biochar production (read more about that project here). Knotweed is "knot" your typical ingredient - you can't buy it in a grocery store and you sure don't want to grow it in your garden. But despite its invasive nature (and my bad puns), the young shoots…Read More
Save the Date! The Third Annual Two Wheels Lots of Green Bike Tour. Posted on June 6, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Explore Some Urban Green during the Pittsburgh Bike Fest. The 3rd annual bike tour, Two Wheels Lots of Green, will take place August 16, during the 2014 Pittsburgh Bike Fest organized by Bike Pgh. The bike tour take riders on a journey through Pittsburgh neighborhoods and highlights the residents who are repurposing former vacant, urban lots into positive, green places. Looking for questions about sponsorships, partnerships, volunteer opportunities or anything in between? Fill out the form below, and we will get in touch.…Read More
GTECHer Spotlight: George Jones Posted on June 4, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Get to know...George Jones [one_half padding="10px 0 0 0"][/one_half] Current GTECH connection: SCC Member Hometown: Birmingham, AL Alma Mater: Vanderbilt and Carnegie Mellon University Favorite Activity: Grillin’ at Bayardstown Favorite Cocktail: Boulevardiers from Bar Marco Favorite Burrito Topping: Queso is King! These days George's favorite view of Pittsburgh comes from a top a bike. In fact it was on his bike last year at the Two Wheels Lots of Green Bike Tour that the group rode past a community garden that…Read More
Social Technovation: Meet the Panelists Posted on May 20, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Social Technovation 412 is just two days away! (have you picked up your tickets yet?!?) We've hand selected the panelist based on their experience bridging the gap between technology, innovation and social cause. To give you a sneak peek, we asked our panelists to answer a few questions. Q: How do you use technology in your company? Josh Lucas, Crowdasaurus and The Hardware Store, Founded 2011 Crowdasaurus supports regional crowdfunding ecosystems by providing custom built crowdfunding web-platforms, offering consulting, and marketing support. We use…Read More
In the Hilltop Community – Vacant Lots Come to Life Posted on May 13, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Last Wednesday, the ReClaim South Ambassadors shared their designs for the transformation of 10 vacant lots in the Hilltop neighborhoods with friends, family, local organizations and government officials at the Hardware Store in Allentown. "I came into this program to do good work in my community." Melanie, ReClaim South Ambassador: Mt. Washington There designs included everything from community gardens to a life-sized checkerboard, from little libraries at bus stops to one big garden for the Knoxville Library. "It is…Read More
GTECHer Spotlight: Brian Verdi Posted on May 9, 2014 by Grounded Strategies Get to know...Brian Verdi [one_half] [/one_half] [one_half_last] Role at GTECH: Research Intern for Knots on Lots Hometown: Pittsburgh Alma Mater: Washington and Jefferson College - Cell/Molecular Biology Current Education Endeavor: part-time Duquesne University student in the Environmental Science and Management Master's Program Favorite Burrito Topping: Guacamole [/one_half_last] I started volunteering with GTECH because of the many outstanding projects they help accomplish in Pittsburgh. I plan to provide whatever assistance I can to help this organization continues to enhance and strengthen the…Read More
Building Art from Trash in Homewood. Posted on May 7, 2014 by Grounded Strategies It was a cloudy, drizzly, predawn Sunday morning when the ReClaim team arrived on a vacant parcel located on the corner of Frankstown Avenue and North Lang,which adjoins the Marathon route. While nearly 30,000 individuals lined up Downtown to start their 26.2 mile trek to the finish line, we prepared for a marathon of reuse - using found, donated, and recycled materials from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse and the streets of Homewood to build a collage with the neighborhood of Homewood.…Read More
Pittsburgh Day of Giving 2014 Posted on May 2, 2014 by Grounded Strategies This year The Pittsburgh Foundation switched up the invariably fall giving campaign to this spring - May 6, 2014. Even though it hasn't been a full year we've been up to a thing or two: Trained 10 new Ambassadors in the Hilltop neighborhoods, who together will be turning 12 vacant lots into productive green spaces, including a life-sized checker's board Recycled 741 gallons of waste cooking oil used community-based Lenten Fish Frys Launched a brand new project, where GTECH is giving…Read More