We are a member-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the region’s waters, forests, natural areas and wildlife, planting community trees, gardens and greenspaces, and caring for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.
Our Protected Land Now Becomes a New Addition to ANF
Since 2012, the Conservancy has owned 532 forested acres in Elk County near Ridgway, Pa., where bald eagles nest in white pines and hemlocks, and goshawks and timber rattlesnakes make use of the rocky slopes along the Clarion River. The property, viewable from the Clarion–Little Toby Trail, is part of a corridor of adjacent protected local, state and federal public lands in Northwestern Pennsylvania. So, it was natural to transfer this land to the U.S. Forest Service for addition to the now 514,185-acre
Allegheny National Forest. This land is now a part of the Clarion River Remote Recreation Area within the ANF. The Conservancy has worked in this area since the 1970s to protect land and improve water quality. Your support has helped save more than 13,000 acres along what was deemed “one of the worst streams in the state” a century ago. Today, the Clarion is recovering – aquatic wildlife is rebounding and outdoor lovers float and fish its waters – all due to decades-long conservation efforts by WPC and many partners. The federally designated National Wild & Scenic Clarion River was named Pennsylvania’s 2019 River of the Year. Read about this new
addition to the ANF.
Invasive plants such as purple loosestrife, English ivy and bush honeysuckle crowd out native plants, diminishing food sources and habitat for native plants, insects and wildlife. Join WPC staff on June 16 at noon, EDT, to learn about invasive plants and ways we
control and track them, and about beneficial native plants to plant at home.
Start a Career or Volunteer at Fallingwater or WPC
Do you love history, teaching, architecture or providing great customer service? Fallingwater seeks enthusiastic people to join its education, café, museum store and visitor services teams. Fallingwater also welcomes volunteers. If you love technology, WPC seeks an IT director and also welcomes volunteers.
Our rivers and streams are calling everyone who loves to paddle. Thanks to the generosity of longtime WPC members and outdoor enthusiasts Roy Weil and Mary Shaw, WPC’s Canoe Access Development Fund has enabled improvements to or construction of more than 80 canoe access sites in our region.
Each
year, we welcome summer in downtown Pittsburgh by hanging annual summer flower baskets along streets and from the city’s iconic bridges. Many thanks to the generosity of Laurel Foundation, which provides funding for the hanging baskets. Take a stroll along the city streets and you’ll also enjoy the vibrant blooms in hundreds of sidewalk planters thanks to Colcom Foundation.
Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is an insect that kills some hemlock trees, including Pennsylvania’s state tree, the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Hemlock death will lead to the loss of some fish, birds, insects, fungi, microbes, plants and mammals. We’re working to control its spread in select stands of trees on our properties.
National Trails Day is June 5. Celebrate by getting out on WPC trails where you can walk, view wildlife and experience the serenity of nature. We own and manage more than 14,000 acres that are open to the public, free of charge. Learn more and explore our properties. Want to get more involved? We need volunteers to help maintain our trails.
Dress up your computer desktop or virtual meeting backgrounds with our free springtime images of nature and Fallingwater. Display wildflowers or Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous house for everyone to enjoy. The images replace our monthly desktop calendar and you can change them as often
as you like. Look for new selections when the seasons change!
Our new T-shirt, designed exclusively for Fallingwater, has arrived! It features a bold graphic image of Fallingwater on 100% cotton shirts available in black, red and dark heather grey. Made in the USA, all three colors of shirts are available in sizes from small to 2X.
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and 100% of your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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