Party on the Mount: Sustainable Celebrating

GREEN VOICE VERVE

Party on the Mount: Sustainable Celebrating

May 20, 2025

Every city has its notable landmarks. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Manhattan has the Empire State Building. Seattle has the Space Needle.

And Pittsburgh has Mt. Washington.

Any time a special occasion arises, Grandview Avenue is the “go to” - whether visiting from out of town; celebrating a graduation, a prom, Mother’s or Father’s Day, an engagement, a birthday; observing or commemorating; puckering for a first kiss; this renowned scenic byway is the honorary host.

Just about all visitors to the city find themselves Pittsburgh South for a river cruise with The Gateway Clipper Fleet or a double decker bus tour from East Carson, always fitting in a ride up an incline to the top of the Mount (all sustainable forms of transport) to join other merrymakers for grand views and photo ops of the skyline, three rivers, stadiums, bridges, and beyond.

But Pittsburgh’s number one tourist destination is more than just a pretty view.

Home to Emerald View Park

Mount Washington is part of a 257 acre wooded hillside called Emerald View Park, officially named on Earth Day 2007.

Make sure to come back to learn more about the park and its ongoing projects between the City of Pittsburgh, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in next issue’s column!

This urban gem, that has served as the gorgeous venue for so much memory making, is also home to many of nature’s wildlife, and celebrants should stay in the green zone when partying on the mount.

Celebrations and Commemorations bring us all together to spread comfort and joy.

But those feelings go even deeper, when we are mindful of the health and wellness of those around us, and of our planet.

Sustainable celebrating focuses on minimizing the environmental impact of gatherings, while still enjoying them. This can involve reducing waste, using eco-friendly materials, and incorporating activities that can even be helpful and not harmful to nature.

The following is a list of considerations to help make your occasion on The Mount (and anywhere else on earth) more eco friendly.

No to Balloon Releases:

Balloon releases are harmful for several reasons. They contribute to pollution when they fall back to earth, even contaminating water sources; they can injure or kill wildlife through ingestion or entanglement; and can pose risks to infrastructure like power lines, especially metallic mylar balloons, as they conduct electricity and can cause outages or fires, when they come in contact with lines.

What to do instead:

• Blow Bubbles: There are many brands with clean ingredients, loads of DIY recipes online, and the iridescent round floaters look good in pictures.
• Use Reusable Paper Kites: Emerald View Park has three historic green spaces to choose from.

No to Paper or Plastic Confetti:

Confetti is harmful to the environment, similarly to balloons.

What to do instead:

• DIY your own naturally beautiful “sprinkle”with flowers, leaves, berries, seeds, petals,… all which you can compost afterward.

No to Cruising, Revving Engines, and Idling Vehicles:

Aimlessly running a motor leads to increased fuel consumption, emissions, noise and air pollution, along with wear and tear on engine components.

What to do Instead:

• Take Public Transportation: In Pittsburgh, all of the site seeing experiences have their HQ south of the city:
  • The Gateway Clipper Fleet, Station Square
  • Historic Inclines, Mt. Washington
  • Pgh Tour Co: Double Decker Bus, South Side
• It’s a more well rounded experience, you get to relax, and it’s better for the environment.

No to Smoking, Vaping, Fire Lit Candles

All three can negatively impact air quality by releasing harmful chemicals, which can be irritating to the respiratory system, potentially causing headaches, nausea, and even more serious health problems. They can also be carcinogenic and hormone disrupting.

In addition to health concerns, burning candles and smoking also pose a fire hazard, especially to wooded spaces.

What to do Instead:

• Use flameless rechargeable candles for ambiance.
• Take something to chew on, and enjoy a walk. Make sure to use trash and recycling bins.
• Stop at a local vendor for ice cream, a meal, or a drink.

No to Exchanging Wasteful Gifts

Wrappings, and even meaningless gifts can easily become litter.

What to do Instead:

• Give an experience, rather than an item.
• Gift something that can be enjoyed, as a plan for another day: tickets to a game or concert at Highmark Stadium, a show at City Theatre, a museum membership, a nice dinner at La Mont, or even a gift card to a Pittsburgh South business. You'll be supporting a local — and giving your recipient something to look forward to!

Life is a cyclical process.

What goes around, comes around.

We reap, what we sow.

Life is also a celebration.

So we should enjoy every minute, sustainably.