Current Use
Hays Woods has served as a de-facto recreational green space for the residents of the surrounding communities for 70 years. A network of trails 
has developed to support activities such as hiking, bird watching, trail biking, cross country skiing and hunting.
Pictured to the left are Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). In recent times, as a result of fragmentation of forests, it has been increasingly exposed to nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds, as well as loss of habitat in the winter range. The Wood Thrush is the official bird of the District of Columbia.
Hays Woods has spectacular vistas of the Monongahela River, the 
community of Hazelwood, and downtown Pittsburgh. If so much of the surrounding area of the forest can be seen from the top of the hill, it follows that Hays Woods can be seen from many locations around Pittsburgh. There is a term for this, viewsheds. What value does this green hillside provide for the people in the viewshed? Shouldn't we think about this before it is lost?