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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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WPC Preserve in Erie County Expands by 164 Acres. And You Can Conserve Your Land! |
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Nature enthusiasts can hike, watch birds and wildlife, hunt and fish in Erie County, thanks to our permanent protection of 164 acres in Concord and Wayne townships. We added the land—a mix of forest, wetlands and swamps—to the Conservancy’s now 400-acre South Branch French Creek Conservation Area.
The addition brings the total number of acres protected by WPC to 297,680. Land conservation permanently protects our region’s wildlife, rare habitats, forests, rivers, meadows, streams, wetlands and scenic landscapes. This work allows us to provide nature preserves, open to all, and expand public lands across the state.
Science, research and conservation priorities guide how we protect land. For example, a property’s conservation values, such as how much of it protects a stream or if it connects to another forested landscape, prioritize it for protection.
Many other considerations play a part in land protection decisions, such as whether the land safeguards rare species, hosts a variety of habitats and species, helps build resiliency to climate change, and provides the public with fishing, hiking and other recreational opportunities.
Are you a local landowner who wants to protect wildlife habitats, streams and forests? Learn conservation options to permanently protect your land. Or watch our free recorded webinar from 2023, “Land Protection at WPC: Preserving Exceptional Places Since 1945,” which provides a great overview of our land protection work |
 Read about land protected in Erie County |
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Visit Fallingwater with Someone You Love |
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Looking for a peaceful or romantic setting to spend time with someone you love on Valentine’s Day, or any other day?
Experience the winter beauty of Fallingwater’s exterior and its landscape on a Winter Walk through March 13, except Wednesdays.
Or make reservations now for 2026 Guided Interior Tours and Guided Exterior Tours, which begin March 14. |
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Get Practical Experience With an Internship |
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College students: We’re seeking a botany intern to work with our natural heritage program; watch for more internships coming soon from WPC.
Want to live and work at a site on the UNESCO World Heritage List? Apply now for paid summer internships in landscape architecture, digital multimedia, education and collections at Fallingwater. |
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Start a Career With WPC! |
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The Conservancy is hiring an operations manager for our natural heritage program and a PMSC AmeriCorps member to serve with our land stewardship team at Bear Run Nature Reserve.
At Fallingwater, we’re hiring a baking and pastry lead, baristas and culinary team members, as well as a security officer and a maintenance specialist.
Feel free to share with someone who might be interested! |
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Hold Your Wedding at the Barn at Fallingwater |
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Someone popped the question. Another person said yes! Now it’s time to plan the ceremony and the celebration! If you’re looking for a peaceful, scenic, rustic setting for your big day, check out the Barn at Fallingwater.
This Silver LEED-certified historic building in the heart of the Laurel Highlands offers a unique location, gorgeous photo opportunities and more.
The Barn is also a great place to hold your workplace retreat or corporate event. |
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Get Trees Planted in Your Community This Fall |
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Did you know that shade trees in business districts can increase business by 11% and that a tree planted near a house increases property values by 9%? Discover the benefits of trees, then apply to have trees planted through TreeVitalize Pittsburgh in your Allegheny County community this fall!
Contact Brian Crooks at bcrooks@paconserve.org or 724-840-0330 through April 1 to begin the application process. Final applications for fall plantings are due June 1. |
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Take the 2026 Invasives Challenge |
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You’re walking your favorite trail and see a plant you don’t recognize. It could be an emerging invasive worth reporting! Do you want to improve your ability to identify and combat invasive species?
Take part in PA iMapInvasives’ 2026 Invasive Species Challenge! Each month, select a new invader and get to know it better.
Late February kicks off National Invasive Species Awareness Week: Visit our website to learn about our work to combat invasive species. |
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We Love Salamanders on the Move |
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Snow and ice still cover the ground, but that doesn’t stop Jefferson salamanders from moving to seasonal pools to breed. You might spot these gray or brownish amphibians crossing roads later this month.
Although they typically lay eggs from March into April, we thought this heart-shaped mass seemed Valentine-appropriate and illustrates what the eggs will look like.
When hiking on our preserves, please respect the salamanders and leave their eggs to rest in vernal pools! |
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Download Winter Images |
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Cherry Run, a tributary to Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek, flows through our Bennett Branch Forest nature preserve and is contaminated by abandoned mine drainage, or AMD.
To remediate and restore the stream, and protect aquatic wildlife, our watershed conservation team developed a passive treatment system featuring clay- and limestone-lined retention ponds. The AMD will last long beyond any of our lifetimes, so treatment needs to continue in perpetuity.
Download this and other winter images. |
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Give Someone You Love the Gift of Fallingwater |
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Do you love someone who loves Fallingwater? Consider gifting this exclusive collectible set featuring our book, “Fallingwater: Living With and In Art,” signed by editors Justin Gunther, director of Fallingwater, and Scott Perkins, senior director of preservation and collections at Fallingwater.
Accompanying the book is an 8” x 10” signed print of the book’s cover image by photographer Dave Bryce. A true keepsake for any Fallingwater enthusiast!
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| Purchase your collectible book and print today |
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PROTECT WILD PLACES AND GREEN SPACES |
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GIVE BACK TO NATURE NEAR YOU! |
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