Gabrielle Marsden
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zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Gabrielle Marsden
@zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
130 followers 180 following 140 posts
I’m working on restoring the zebra swallowtail back to Pittsburgh and beyond. That means lots of pawpaw, Asimina triloba for Eurytides marcellus, hike, canoe, industrial history
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Gabrielle Marsden @zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social · Dec 3
During pawpaw season, I was on the TV. #kdka #boaz
#PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

youtu.be/VvIqQdKoG_Q?...
Boaz visits a garden in Wilkinsburg to learn more about the pawpaw
YouTube video by CBS Pittsburgh
youtu.be
Reposted by Gabrielle Marsden
publicsource.org
For 21 years, a Natrona Heights orchard has produced North America’s largest native fruit — the pawpaw. Now locals hope it plays a role in bringing back a long-displaced butterfly. www.publicsource.org/pawpaw-nativ...
Pittsburgh’s pawpaw revival takes root —and could bring a rare butterfly back to town
From Natrona Heights orchards to a Wilkinsburg pawpaw party, a native fruit is gaining favor as a tasty snack for residents, human and insect.
www.publicsource.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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Spicy spicebush swallowtail in Donora
September 6, 2025 at 11:55 AM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
A lovely surprise #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
August 28, 2025 at 2:57 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
I’ve been thinking about relationships. The world is built on relationships and the relationships I mean are those of the natural world. I had this thought yesterday which I will describe in the photo descriptions.
I am canoeing on the Monongahela with someone from 3RiversWaterkeepers who started having free kayak outings to help people get their feet wet, quite literally, in the hopes that more people will think of recreation on our rivers. I have my own canoe with my co-pilot Todd. It is a bit monotonous actually hearing about all of the various current insults to our rivers plus most of the people who sign up are quite tardy, then we go over safety info for boating, including inspecting my PDF to assure that we are safe as well as everyone else. However, the majority of participants are very much novices. A number aren’t aware that when you go kayaking your feet will get wet. Eventually, we are on the river. I tend to feel like I’m a little obnoxious with imparting my knowledge of various things. Many of the people who work for the nonprofits know me and I’m a bit of an interloper. I’m not sure whether or not they appreciate that. One of the kayak people asks about the flora that existed and I share a bit of my knowledge on that front. I am learning that less is more and it helps that my knowledge is not comprehensive but it’s still easy to overwhelm people. It does surprise me when some folks that work for these folks have large gaps in their knowledge on these matters which is true of one of the kayak employees. Anyway, it is fortunate that one river plant, eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) is in bloom so I had something to show anyone who showed interest is a good number of people there. In writing this, I look up more details of this plant. Eelgrass has male and female flowers that cross pollinate via water. The female flowers are the ones that are visible as the males stay under water. We meander upstream, not very far as there is a time limit, and between the tardiness and the lectures, not much time was left to paddle, at least not to my liking. I chat with, an employee of 3Rivers about her botanical knowledge though she knows a bit, she opines that fungi are more important to learn about than plants. I gently disagree as I see that all are important. I don’t say it there and then, but I later reflect on the river that it’s the relationships between the plants, fungi, and the land and water that they exist on that are more important to me and how human activity impacts them. I worry a lot about my relationships with the various nonprofits that have more power to impact our neglected environments than I do as a single person. I actually signed up for this outing because I would like to organize outings similar to it. I want to take groups of people out on our rivers, especially rivers like the Monongahela that tend to scare people due to the massive insults that it has endured and still endures today. I honestly don’t care to do the heavy lifting in organizing an outing like this because at heart, I’m a bit lazy. I tried to organize an outing like this past year but failed, though I can use poor weather conditions partially as an excuse. The facts are that any individual does have the power to have a positive impact on their environment, but it is limited. A lot of compromise is needed if one wants to get more done. It’s about building relationships that last which is what our natural world is built upon. I will eventually organize a boat outing. I am getting closer to finding a viable collaborator, but I’m not there yet. In the meantime I am watching. My cross pollination might be akin to flowing water, but I’m not really sure, and it is evolving.
August 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
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River rings on the lower lower Youghiogheny
August 5, 2025 at 11:11 PM
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Hawk being pestered by a mockingbird
August 5, 2025 at 6:56 PM
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#PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
August 2, 2025 at 2:23 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
A few things that make me happy
July 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Grafted pawpaws in sterile patches. In theory, these will bear fruit in a few years which will help them grow and spread. There’s a mix of cultivars and wild stock from the vicinity #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
July 18, 2025 at 11:53 AM
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Some wonders that I saw yesterday
June 8, 2025 at 2:05 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Mahatma Pawpaw! And more!
May 18, 2025 at 12:29 AM
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Hey butterflies! Come see me talk about butterflies! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele
#banjolele maps.app.goo.gl/MuGbWCUYMxet...
May 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
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Battus philenlor on Arisolochia serpentaria, Greene County, PA
May 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Battus philenor, pipevine swallowtail climbs up, then flies. I’m not sure if this is a pattern but several showed this specific behavior while other species seem to just take off where they are. When I release insects I try to move them to a more natural setting before they are eager to go.
April 25, 2025 at 12:47 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
I love the flowers I love the millipedes
April 24, 2025 at 12:09 AM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Battus philenor, hand reared last year from eggs collected in my yard. Their host plant is various species of pipevine, thus their common name pipevine swallowtail. They aren’t common in the Pittsburgh area but they aren’t rare either.
I am finding that wings are not 2 dimensional. Here we see rounded spoilers just above the tails. Zebra swallowtails have them too. I love the shimmering dark blue that’s not only on the wings, but also the body I had 2 today The shimmery back
April 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
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#ZebraSwallowtailTrails #pawpawpathways #pittsburghpawpawpathways #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
April 17, 2025 at 8:29 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Here’s a song that I sing daily that is like a prayer #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8jmJ3tM/
I’m, not dead, I should be in Pittsburgh #Frankblack #reidpaley #Pixies #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele
TikTok video by Gobbism
www.tiktok.com
April 16, 2025 at 1:43 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
here we go! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
April 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM
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Some of the wonders that I saw at Enlow Fork
My iPhone takes decent night photos Blue eyed Mary, Collinsia verna. I forgot the name and called them blue blooded Mary. I kinda like my name! Pawpaw blossoms getting ready to bloom. This is on Wheeling Creek and Wheeling West Virginia is the only place in Westsyvania where I have seen the zebra swallowtail in the wild. It is highly likely that it still flies in Enlow Fork Devil’s Urn, Urnula craterium with some insects, springtails and something else
April 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
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It’s happening! This is a very, very rare butterfly in Pittsburgh thank you @laughingmantis.bsky.social #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
This butterfly is a result of a stray that came from somewhere close to Greensburg that landed in Greenfield.
April 7, 2025 at 11:12 PM
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My protest sign
April 6, 2025 at 1:23 AM
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Blurry blue butterfly Celestine Landon?
March 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
A big thank you to all who came to my fireside last night. There was no fire due to rain but I told the story inside #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele
March 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
zswallowtailpgh.bsky.social
Drone recording during the golden hour
March 28, 2025 at 11:38 PM