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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.
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Visit Our Newest Preserve: Babcock Family Nature Reserve in McKean County |
Nature enthusiasts can enjoy Babcock Family Nature Reserve, the Conservancy’s new 460-acre natural area in McKean County, thanks to significant funding from the Babcock Family Charitable Trust and other funders. The preserve is open to everyone for outdoor recreation and is available for research and nature study. Parking and trail access will be added in the future.
Lying entirely within the Ormsby Swamp Natural Heritage Area, the large wetland complex comprises upland forest, shrub thickets, open boggy areas, and several ponds that form the headwaters of Little Black Brook, a tributary to Kinzua Creek. These habitats support several rare species, including two plant, four butterfly and six dragonfly species of conservation concern in Pennsylvania.
This recent land conservation that’s now a WPC preserve is one of many wonderful examples of how your generosity helps to support nature and our community! We’re grateful for you, our generous donors, partners and volunteers, who supported nature in so many ways in 2023, including:
- Helping us plant 799 trees in urban communities. We’ll celebrate our 40,000th
tree in 2024!
- Planting and maintaining 130 community gardens that brighten neighborhoods and
provide food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife.
- Giving 900 hours to maintain trails and remove invasive plants and trash at our nature preserves, which are free for all to enjoy.
- Improving water quality on our region’s streams, including by planting riparian trees and dedicating more than 205 hours for large woody material restoration.
- Supporting preservation of major building systems at Fallingwater.
From all of us at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, thank you and best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy 2024.
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 Learn more about Babcock Family Nature Reserve |
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Fallingwater Preservation Work: Stay Updated |
This winter, you have a unique opportunity to follow complex conservation work in action. Every house needs upkeep from time to time Fallingwater is getting much-needed repairs as part of World Heritage Preserved, a three-year project that is our most comprehensive restoration effort in 20 years. Stay updated by reading our blog, where we share photos and videos and introduce you to the talented people doing this important work. Your donation helps ensure Fallingwater lives on to inspire future generations.
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You Can Protect Biodiversity |
From supporting and studying native plants and wildlife and conserving their habitats, to improving rivers and streams to help fish and aquatic species thrive, and studying and documenting at-risk species, we’re protecting our region’s unique biodiversity and its most ecologically important places—and you can, too.
Learn about this work in the latest issue of Conserve magazine and find tips on how you can help biodiversity flourish, especially in the face of climate change and habitat loss.
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Be a Birder |
Birding, or birdwatching, is a fun, year-round activity for people of any age that requires little or no equipment. Set up a feeder outside a window to invite birds to gather, or see and hear our feathered friends in meadows, forests or urban settings.
You can use eBird, a free mobile app, to log data about birds, which helps scientists track bird distribution, populations and more.
All of our preserves are open for birding and wildlife watching. Many are eBird “hotspots," where you can see many species. Get our bird habitat scavenger hunt worksheet for young birders.
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Help Youth Discover Nature |
Young people can explore, observe and directly experience nature in “outdoor classrooms,” such as backyards, school gardens, neighborhood parks or nature preserves.
To enhance those experiences, teachers and parents can find nature-based learning resources created by Conservancy staff, including climate science activities, virtual tours of a nature preserve, mapping skills, nature backpacks and book recommendations for young explorers, iNaturalist projects and more.
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Download Winter Images |
Fallingwater is the finest example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture philosophy, where nature, landscape and architecture are united in harmony.
A snow-covered landscape creates a beautiful backdrop for the house in winter, when Bear Run sometimes freezes into an icy curtain as it cascades over the waterfall.
Experience the peaceful landscape during a self-guided Winter Walk on the grounds, Jan. 2
through March 15, except Wednesdays.
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Fallingwater Museum Store: Fallingwater Model |
Winter isn’t just for building snowmen…it’s also a great time to build a premium model of Fallingwater! Whether alone or with family and friends, while away those cold winter days by constructing a model of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece—Fallingwater.
Adam Reed Tucker, founder and creator of The Atom Brick Company, has skillfully created a stunning and intricately detailed model of Fallingwater. This 4,383-piece model, which is designed to have removable floors to display the interior, is sure to delight fans of Fallingwater and Wright, along with architectural buffs, toy enthusiasts, and model collectors around the world.
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| Make this winter merrier with a Fallingwater model |
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- Take photos during walks in nature.
- Submit your observations through iNaturalist, a smartphone app.
- Scientists use your data to see when and where organisms occur.
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PROTECT WILD PLACES AND GREEN SPACES
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IT'S OUR NATURE!
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