EAC Resources

This page is dedicated to provide residents with environmental resources from the Environmental Advisory Council.

MERLIN BIRD ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a free app useful to identify birds.Merlin

  • Sound ID: It listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who’s singing. 
  • Photo ID: Snap a photo of a bird, or pull one in from your camera roll, and Photo ID will offer a short list of possible matches. Photo ID works completely offline, so you can identify birds in the photos you take no matter where you are.
  • Bird ID Wizard—Step-by-step: Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country in the world. 
  • Save Birds to Your Life List: Build a digital scrapbook of your birding memories with Save My Bird. Tap “This is my bird!” each time you identify a bird, and Merlin will add it to your growing life list.
  • Explore Lists of Birds Near You: Merlin is powered by eBird, allowing you to build custom lists of the birds you’re likely to spot wherever you are. Use the filter options to explore birds for different locations or time of year, or switch to show all the Offline Birds you’ve downloaded.

Go to https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/  to learn more and download the app.

NATURAL WEED KILLER - The Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) tested alternative natural weed killer (herbicide) recipes to use instead of commercially available herbicides. This recipe worked well for the testers. It was applied to grass and weeds in full sun. For the first test, in spite of rain after two days, everything that was sprayed died. Nothing had regrown after 60 days in the first tested areas.

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon 5% acetic acid white vinegar
1/2 cup table salt
1/2 tablespoon dish soap

Instructions:
Mix vinegar and salt until salt is fully dissolved. (The vinegar may have to be warmed for all salt to dissolve.)
Mix in 1/2 tablespoon dish soap, once the salt has dissolved.
Add cooled mixture to spray bottle or larger garden sprayer.

Click here for more information on this natural weed killer.

SPOTTED LANTERNFLY (SLF) UPDATE (8/1/23) - Allegheny County is now in the “Contain and Control” mode with respect to the spotted lanternfly (SLF) population.  The SLF will remain in the area and there are currently no effective large scale eradication methods or effective natural predators.  From September until the first frost, adult SLFs will be active laying eggs as egg masses – which to a very limited degree, you may be able to control.  It is best to avoid chemical controls.  The SLF will not hurt you or your pets and probably not kill your plants.  The SLF is not known to carry any diseases.  The fear of extensive damage to fruit plants has not materialized – except for grapevines.   Allegheny County is one of many PA counties currently under a quarantine.  Businesses involved in transporting goods to non-quarantined areas are required to secure a permit with the state.  For more detailed information, see the following link,  https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/blog/detail/greener-gardening, which is to a very informative 23 minute seminar (with 27 additional minutes of Q&A and thereafter a list of further resources) presented on August 1, 2023 by Braley Burke, an entomologist and Integrated Pest Management Specialist at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh, PA.  Another good resource is https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.

Spotted Lanternfly

FRANKLIN PARK AIR QUALITY - A Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Sensor is located in Franklin Park, which provides a local Air Quality Index (AQI).  The real-time AQI resulting from this sensor (PA_77289) can be viewed by going to https://fire.airnow.gov, zooming in on the map to the Clover Hill Golf Course in Franklin Park, and clicking on the sensor.

TICKS - Know what to do if you find a tick on you or a loved one and learn how you can work to prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases:  https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Vectorborne%20Diseases/Pages/Tick%20Diseases.aspx

BATS provide critical ecosystem services and are essential to a healthy planet.  To find out some amazing bat facts, myths or truths, threats to bats, how to help bats and how to place and install a "bat house" click here to view the educational pamphlet.

WHEN PLANTING TREES in new developments or on your own private property, the Pittsburgh Shade Tree Commission has prepared a helpful list of species to provide guidance on species selection. 

HOW TO PLANT YOUR TREES -  Visit arborday.org for instructions based on the kind of tree you are going to plant.  Look at the root configuration to determine the best planting process.