This Former Country Club Is Now A Vibrant Birding Hotspot

The Churchill Valley Greenway is a reclaimed nature preserve. It's also become a birding hotspot. Find the Greenway in Pittsburgh's eastern suburb of Penn Hills. You need to see this place. Watch my video to better understand.

Churchill Valley Greenway: A Birding Hotspot

As a nature and wildlife photographer I keep hearing about the Churchill Valley Greenway. Students tell me about it.  Attendees of my Nature Photography Meetups tell me about it. So, I made time to visit finally. Truly I have no excuse for not doing so. Afterall, it's 10 minutes away from my home studio.

First Impressions

To say that I'm impressed is to say nothing. First, we should return many more golf courses to nature. Of course, a more managed transition would be ideal. Still, this is clearly a better use of that land.

The birds don't mind the invasive plants that flourished while it was abandoned. I'm an avid bird photographer. So, if the birds are happy then I'm happy. That said, they're planting lots of native species. That is great to see. Of course, doing so will help the birds thrive all the more.

A Birding Hotspot

Watch my video or visit my Youtube channel. You'll see, this place really is a birding hotspot. During my short visit I spotted dozens of different bird species. Too, I heard far more of them. Plus, thanks to the Merlin Birding app I IDed many of them.

Churchill Valley Greenway History

This spot wasn't always a nature preserve. In fact, it was the site of the Churchill Valley Country Club. That is, until 2013 when it closed after years of declining membership.

Are you familiar with Country Clubs? If not then you might be surprised to learn how important racism was to their growth. Their rapid growth in the middle of the 20th century was deeply influenced by American racism.

Country Clubs and Racism

Redlining drove white people from inner-city. They fled city neighborhoods to first-ring suburbs. Then, desegregation lead affluent Black people to follow suit. Integration of public facilities made country clubs a respite for racists. For whites looking to avoid mixing with other races they were ideal.

Private clubs create their own rules. As a result, country clubs excluded Black people and other minorities. This gave white racists a "safe space" for their families. Here, they were free of different cultures. Thus, they were allowed to carry on the grand tradition of marrying their cousins. I joke but also, not really.

 The Decline of the Churchill Valley Country Club

Racism giveth and integration taketh away. The CVCC's fate wasn't solely down to racism. Of course, Fair Housing leading more affluent Black families to move to first ring suburbs was a factor. After all, this resulted in a second round of white flight. Penn Hills, where CVCC was located, is a first ring suburb. Thus, many white racists moved to farther away suburbs.

Woodland Hills School District

Woodland Hills School District was created by Federal Decree. In fact, Woodland Hills was specifically created to force integration. White districts around the CVCC were combined with neighboring districts.

The whites freaked out. Seriously, read that article. More white people fled the area. In fact, by the mid 2010s the Woodland Hills student body was over 60% Black.

Other Factors

So, racism is clearly tied to the decline of the CVCC. Of course, there were other factors. Integration caused a relaxation of race relations more generally in the US. Fewer people freaked out about race.

America's slow economic decline of the working class certainly also played a part. Too, Pittsburgh is a Rust-Belt City. When the mills closed a lot of people left for the Sunbelt.  Then Westinghouse closed their campus.

Westinghouse Closure

In 1995 Westinghouse closed their massive campus. It sat just over the hill from the CVCC. While evidence is sparce there must have been employees who were members. Due to proximity alone it makes sense. The closure of the campus had to have reduced the CVCC's numbers.

Death of a Country Club

From the articles I've read online CVCC died a less than honorable death. First, they auctioned off what they could. Then they just abandoned it. They sold to a developer who didn't maintain the property. Like other properties left behind due to white flight, the CVCC became an eyesore that was "somebody else's problem" and not the former members. Whose problem? It was the community's problem.

Community Consensus

The former clubhouse was vandalized. It was left crumbling. However, the community worked on a plan. Of course, the developer who owned it did too. However, the developer's plans never came to fruition. Instead, the community got their wish for a large park to walk their dogs, jog, and bird watch. Then, in 2021 the Allegheny Land Trust took possession of the property.

The Future of the Churchill Valley Greenway

The Allegheny Land Trust is working with the community. Since 2021 they've protected it from redevelopment. Additionally, they've raised funds to help plant native trees and to maintain the property.

Speaking with visitors to the Greenway I found that people are really happy and excited about the future of the Churchill Valley Greenway. As a bird photographer who is always looking for birding hotspots I'm happy too!

I'm professional nature photographer Don Orkoskey. Be sure to take a look at my nature portfolio, bird photos, fine art, and the rest of my work. View the articles on my blog and be sure to follow me on social media accounts:

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