When the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side began planning the renovation of its Wetlands habitat, Vitro Architectural Glass, a longstanding partner, was ready, willing, and able to contribute to this historic restoration project.

To provide the perfect ambiance for the new habitat, Vitro donated more than 20,000 square feet of Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass – one of the world’s clearest, most transparent float glass products, transmitting 91 percent of visible light in a standard ¼-inch (6 millimeter) thick lite.

Another component of this project was to incorporate ‘bird-friendly’ glass, so a portion of the donated Starphire® glass is AviProtek® glass, created in conjunction with Vitro partner Walker Glass. AviProtek® glass has an acid-etched pattern on the exterior surface of the glass which maximizes glass visibility to birds and helps prevent collisions. Walker also etched the standard Starphire® glass used on the project.

On October 31, the ‘New’ Wetlands reopened to the delight of both its birds and guests.

 Ribbon cutting (L-R): Ricardo Maiz, President, Vitro Architectural Glass; Sara Innamorato, PA State Representative; Cheryl Tracy, Executive Director, National Aviary; Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive; Bobby Wilson, Pittsburgh City Council District 1; Emily Kinkead, PA State Representative; Maggie Pike Iddings, Program Officer, Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD)

“Vitro is honored to once again support the National Aviary in a monumental improvement that will have profound impact on the community and the environment,” said Ricardo Maiz, president, Vitro Architectural Glass. “This recent renovation provides comfort and beauty for the Wetlands’ birds and its visitors, and these modifications guarantee a thriving future habitat.”

Originally built in 1969, the Wetlands is the National Aviary’s largest habitat and is home to diverse species, from familiar species like American Flamingos and Brown Pelicans, to lesser-known birds like Boat-billed Herons and Sunbitterns. The revamped Wetlands exhibit features new species of birds, gorgeous bird-friendly glass, a new walkway, new rockwork, and an interactive coastal tree sculpture.

Vitro’s relationship with the Aviary is longstanding, as the company also donated glass for renovations to the Tropical Rainforest and The Garden Room. This latest collaboration to improve the Wetlands, according to Maiz, will not only enhance the National Aviary’s status as a world-class attraction, but also further its mission to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds.

To learn more about Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass or AviProtek® glass by Walker Glass, visit https://www.vitroglazings.com/ or call (855) VTRO-GLS (887-6457).

Located on Pittsburgh’s historic Northside since its founding in 1952, the one and only National Aviary is home to 500 birds representing more than 150 diverse species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. The National Aviary’s large walk-through habitats create an intimate, up-close interaction between visitors and free-flying birds, including opportunities to hand-feed and to meet many species rarely found in zoos. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily except for Tuesdays. For tickets and more information visit aviary.org.

Vitro Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV:VITROA), the largest company of its kind in the Americas, manufactures a range of industry-leading, energy-efficient products such as Solarban®, Sungate® and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glasses at U.S. plants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fresno, California; Salem, Oregon; and Wichita Falls, Texas. Committed to sustainable manufacturing processes and products, the company also operates one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh and four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada. In celebration of the International Year of Glass in 2022, Vitro upholds the values of “Together, We See Further” across the architectural, automotive and containers markets and strives to realize the power of partnership to ensure that projects meet or exceed ever-evolving sustainability expectations as well as glass requirements. For more information, please visit www.VitroGlass.com.

*Featured Image Courtesy: Vitro Glass