About Landforce
A just world, where everyone belongs.
We nourish a culture of self-empowerment for people aspiring towards meaningful and stable employment, as we protect and improve the environment.
Our vision
Landforce is committed to building a just world, where everyone belongs, lives in a healthy environment, and surpasses their greatest dreams.
Our mission
We nourish a culture of self-empowerment for people aspiring towards meaningful and stable employment, as we protect and improve the environment.
Our teams
Professionally skilled crews who help restore and maintain land and green assets and can assist in a wide array of environmental management.
What we do
Working closely with a coalition of public and private agencies as well as a network of greenspace and workforce development experts, Landforce…
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Recruits, trains, educates, employs and supports adults who have faced structural barriers to stable, family sustaining, employment based upon race or personal histories.
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Facilitates quality land stewardship services such as: invasive plant management removal, vacant lot stabilization, garden bed installation, wooden step installation, trail building, reforestation, garden maintenance, erosion control, tree care/maintenance, riparian zone management, and additional green infrastructure maintenance needs for a variety of land types throughout the city and county.
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Provides meaningful employment coupled with transitional career coaching using best practices and a trauma-informed approach.
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Establishes a collaborative brand that creates value for all stakeholders and can be both adaptive and enduring.
Guiding principles
Landforce commits to:
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Center the needs and experiences of our participants in all we do, on the job site, in training, & with career coaching.
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Maximize the public benefit of the work we do by combining employment opportunities and environmental stewardship.
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Adapt to different land types, stewardship services and the needs of our crew members.
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Recognize that market demand informs program size.
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Provide high quality and relevant training, on the job experience, and credentials.
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Create strong partnerships with potential employers and land steward and workforce development organizations.
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Value multi-organizational collaboration, shared services, and inclusivity.
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Support partner organizations working in similar sectors rather than competing with them.
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Ensure that Landforce is an organization built upon respect and compassion for all of our employees and partners.
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Acknowledge the challenges and trauma many of our employees face and build appropriate tools and capacity.
History of Landforce
In just a few years, Landforce has evolved and grown from a community development project into a regional stewardship and employment training resource.
2011
Mount Washington’s Emerald Trail Corps
In 2011, the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) created the Emerald Trail Corps (ETC) with help from a host of partners including the A. Philip Randolph Institute, GTECH Strategies and the Student Conservation Association. The goal of the ETC was to develop Emerald View Park and its trail network by training and employing a local workforce from historically disenfranchised community members.
2014
Researching for expansion
In late 2014, MWCDC, GTECH Strategies, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC), UrbanKind, and the Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) used support from the Hillman Foundation to begin researching national models to inform the scaling, expansion, and growth of the Emerald Trail Corps. After examining over 25 programs in 15 cities, the research team discovered that other cities and organizations are also using an abundance of green space as a platform for changing lives and creating jobs.
2015
Launching Landforce
In 2015, ETC began the process of restructuring for expansion and launch, adopting the working name Pittsburgh Conservation Corps until the organization settled on their permanent name, Landforce, in early 2016.
Impact reports
Celebrating 10 Years of Impact!
Because of you, Landforce has trained and hired 207 Crew Members and completed 193 community projects, delivering more than 75,000 hours of environmental service across our region. Beyond jobs, we create pathways to financial stability, pride, and belonging. With an 83 percent training completion rate and 91 percent job placement rate, the impact is real and lasting.
As we celebrate this milestone, we are growing through The Mill: A Responsible Wood Production Facility to deepen our environmental and workforce impact.
207
Crew Members trained and hired
193
community projects completed
75,000+
hours of environmental service
91%
job placement rate
More about Landforce
- Our team The staff behind the crews, The Mill and the office. Open
- Board Board officers and members. Open on landforcepgh.org
- Work with us Staff openings at Landforce. Open on landforcepgh.org
- Press Landforce in the news, and releases. Open on landforcepgh.org
- Non discrimination Our non-discrimination statement. Open on landforcepgh.org
- Office location 201 North Braddock Avenue, #230 — how to find the entrance. Open
Questions for Landforce?
Email info@landforcepgh.org or call the office at 412-727-6936.