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Alcoa and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Produce Field Guide to Pittsburgh's Trees

Alcoa and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Produce Field Guide to Pittsburgh's Trees

Published 12-18-03

Submitted by Alcoa Inc.

PITTSBURGH - November 20, 2003-Students in Pittsburgh-area schools have a new tool to introduce them to an important regional asset - trees. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has produced The Trees of Pittsburgh , a 120-page pocket-sized guide to encourage students to learn about and protect the trees of our region.

Funded by Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation, the guide provides readers with information on tree species found within four public parks in the city of Pittsburgh, and is aimed primarily at students in fifth grade. It provides natural history as well as details on sites to view specimen trees and unusual arbor collections. The Trees of Pittsburgh is provided at no charge to all public, private and parochial schools in the city of Pittsburgh.

In the U.S and internationally, Alcoa takes a keen interest in the establishment of trees in conjunction with its mining and forest rehabilitation. "Alcoa was eager to support this book because it offers an interesting and highly relevant local guide to the trees of Pittsburgh while opening the door to a wider appreciation and understanding of the role of trees worldwide," said Patrick R. Atkins, Alcoa's director of corporate environmental affairs.

"Trees are intergenerational, they're indicators of the health of our landscapes and of our communities," said Kathleen W. Buechel, president of Alcoa Foundation. "Knowledge of our local environment is essential if we are to fully understand what it takes to manage and conserve valuable resources globally."

There are 87 tree entries in the guide, and each one includes the tree's common name, its Latin name, a brief natural history, a graphic profile of the entire tree, leaf or fruit detail, and where applicable, locations of local specimen trees. The book includes a simplified key for field identification, a map and an index.

Guide for Teachers

In addition to the book, Alcoa Foundation made possible the creation of specially designed teacher's kits, complete with suggested classroom activities and lessons, and an interactive CD-ROM, with a plant key to identify these trees starting from their leaves.

To help introduce teachers to the book, Alcoa Foundation also underwrote a credited teacher course, "The Trees of Pittsburgh," held this August with the cooperation of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

The Activity Guide offers multidisciplinary activities that cover three general subject areas:

* Tree Structure
* Tree Mathematics
* The Benefits of Trees

with links to Pennsylvania Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology; Science and Technology; Mathematics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; and Health, Safety and Physical Education (Proposed). Western Pennsylvania Conservancy President Larry Schweiger couldn't be more pleased with the project. "Trees are an essential ingredient to improving the quality of life and quality of air in our community," said Schweiger. "Thanks to Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation, this book will help teach a whole new generation about the importance of trees and their role in maintaining our way of life."

In addition to this Pittsburgh-based project, Alcoa has instituted an employee-driven Ten Million Trees initiative to plant ten million trees worldwide by the year 2020. Under the program, Alcoa employees and their families around the world are given the opportunity to make a personal contribution to the environment by planting a tree each year. The company reached the one million tree landmark in June of this year.

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is committed to "Saving the Places We Care About," and is proud to participate with Alcoa in this focus on the Trees of Pittsburgh. As Schweiger notes in the introduction to the field guide, "I hope that this book stimulates your interest and concern for trees. They give us so much, and they desperately need our attention."

About Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy protects natural lands, promotes healthy and attractive communities, and preserves Fallingwater. Our mission is to save the places we care about by connecting people to the natural world. We do this by conserving the region's places of exceptional ecological, recreational and scenic value; preserving Fallingwater as a symbol of human activity in harmony with nature; engaging others in cooperative partnerships to promote the linkages of ecological protection with social and economic values of communities; connecting people of all ages with the natural world through experience, education and responsible stewardship; and working with communities to enhance the livability and reduce pressure on undeveloped areas.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 127,000 employees in 40 (39) countries. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

About Alcoa Foundation

Established in 1952, Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in more than 29 countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and local need in Areas of Excellence that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation manages Alcoa's employee engagement programs known as ACTION and Bravo!. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com, under Community.

The book's authors:

George A. Pegher has been a practicing arborist since 1976. A certified arborist and graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, George is a certified arborist and member of the American Society of Consulting Arborists, the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Tree Care Industry Association. George has also taught Arboriculture for the Master Gardener Program.

Mark Anderson is a partner in McGuire Anderson Design, a design and communications firm in business since 1986. Mark is also a recognized outdoor artist and a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association. He has done a variety of magazine covers for various publications and is actively involved in a number of conservation efforts throughout the state.

Alcoa Inc. logo

Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap® foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa® wheels, and Baco® household wraps. Among its other businesses are closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com

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