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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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New Preserve Established in Venango County |
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Fond childhood memories and family ties to French Creek led WPC member Gretchen Augustyn to donate funds for the stewardship of the Conservancy’s new 250-acre preserve, French Creek Hemlocks Natural Area, in Frenchcreek Township, Venango County.
Gretchen’s donation is in memory of her father, Richard J. Freni, who fished French Creek for more than 60 years. “It was my dad's favorite fishing spot,” Gretchen says. “I am happy that the public will be able to enjoy the area just as my family did for many years.” Outdoor enthusiasts will eventually be able to visit the preserve to fish, hike, watch birds and wildlife, study nature and more.
The preserve hosts forests, wetlands and more than one mile of frontage on French Creek and will provide one of the county’s few public fishing locations along the creek. Numerous tall, old trees create forest canopies, while riparian trees along the stream cool the water, helping fish thrive. Wetlands provide floodplain protection and erosion control, improving water quality and habitat for fish, freshwater mussels and many other aquatic species.
Since 1969, the Conservancy has protected more than 6,000 acres in the French Creek watershed, known for its especially high aquatic biodiversity.
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 Learn more about the new preserve |
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Visiting Downtown Pittsburgh? Enjoy the Colorful Blooms |
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Colorful blooms are filling 420 sidewalk planters in downtown Pittsburgh and soon, 400 flower baskets will be hanging along the city’s streets and from its iconic bridges. See them when visiting for a summer festival, concert, play or sporting event or enjoy them during your lunchtime walk.
Thank you to Laurel Foundation for funding the baskets for 19 years and to Colcom Foundation for funding the planters for 16 years! |
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Delight in a Fallingwater Guided Grounds Tour |
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Summer is a lovely season to visit Fallingwater. Learn about the house on a Guided Grounds Tour while your senses take in the lush, green tree canopy, sounds of birds singing and a cool breeze from Bear Run stream. A Fallingwater educator will guide you on a tour of the grounds, the house’s exterior and some outdoor terraces.
And don’t miss our free June 6 webinar, “Still Lives: In the Homes of Artists, Great and Unsung,” with photographer Leslie Williamson.
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Discover Indicator Species and Why They Matter |
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What do carnivorous pitcher plants, elusive hellbenders, singing woodthrush and humming mayflies have in common?
They’re all important species known as indicators, which means their presence can signify many things, including type or quality of habitat, health of an ecosystem or even land conservation value, just to name a few.
Learn about some indicator species our scientists look for and study that are important to our work and the region. |
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Volunteer with Us: Opportunities Await! |
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Several of our gardens need special people to keep them looking great all season long. Volunteer as a garden steward! Can’t volunteer, but want to support the blooms? Your business, organization or family can sponsor a garden!
If being in the woods appeals to you, volunteer to help maintain trails at Katz Natural Area on June 13 or 27 or at Bear Run Nature Reserve on June 22.
Or volunteer at Fallingwater! |
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Camp, Hike, Bird, Kayak! |
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June is the month for all things outdoors: camping, hiking, canoeing and birding!
Camp rustic-style for free on three WPC preserves: Nicolson Island in Allegheny County, Bennett Branch Forest in Elk and Clearfield counties, and Bear Run Nature Reserve in Fayette County.
Use the filter on our Explore Our Preserves webpage to discover 28 miles of trails, off-trail hiking, great birding spots and more.
Planning a watery adventure? Get on the water at 94 WPC-funded canoe access sites: Find suggested trips on local streams. |
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Download Spring Images |
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Looking for a new kayaking adventure? Put your kayak in at our Utica Access and float to the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River in Franklin.
Lower French Creek in Venango County brings paddlers to WPC’s Franklin Line Canal Natural Area, a 33-acre archipelago of nine islands just upstream of Franklin. Explore the floodplain forests and see the ostrich fern, Pennsylvania’s largest fern, which can grow to six feet.
Select spring images for virtual backgrounds through June 19. |
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Fallingwater Essentials: June Limited-time Offer! |
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In honor of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday and to celebrate Fallingwater, we are offering our Fallingwater Essentials Package to all online customers. Usually available to only our onsite visitors, we are presenting this package to all Frank Lloyd Wright and Fallingwater fans across the globe!
Specially priced at only $28, the Fallingwater Essentials Package contains some of our best-selling souvenirs – a Fallingwater booklet featuring stunning photos, a magnet, a pen and two postcards. Purchase now through June 30! |
| Get Fallingwater Essentials, specially priced in June! |
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PROTECT WILD PLACES AND GREEN SPACES |
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IT'S OUR NATURE! |
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