Trip #181 Cust Street, Hazelwood, Pittsburgh took place on August 19, 2018, and was published on September 3, 2018.
Here at the Cust Street stairs in Hazelwood, the sounds from insects are so robust they nearly drown out the rumbles of a freight train moving along in the distance. Within easy eye-sight distance, I’ve spotted over a dozen different species I’ve never seen before feasting on purple, white and yellow flowers. Like the winged creatures, I don’t know most of the plant names, but I identify knotweed, wild grape vines, and native grasses with their feathery plumes. As humans, we rarely acknowledge the environment as a “natural foods” supermarket. Most would see this semi-secluded spot as being overrun by weeds (some prettier than others, but weeds still). But, to our flying friends, it’s an all you can eat buffet with lots of delicious fixings. And here’s an interesting bit, during my time quietly sitting on the steps, not one bug was even remotely interested in “bugging” me – and I was not the least bit offended by that!
Field Notes: Cust Street is a super quiet little street. On the day of my visit, the sun was breaking through and all the bugs and insects were all over the flowers. Not sure what kind of flower…. maybe milkweed?
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
