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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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Land Protected in Mercer County Adds to SGL #294! |
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Outdoor lovers can enjoy more hiking, birding, wildlife watching and hunting on additional public land in Mercer County, thanks to the Conservancy’s recent purchase of 203 acres in Coolspring Township. After acquisition, we conveyed the property to the Pennsylvania Game Commission as a new addition to State Game Lands #294.
Native plants and animals will benefit from the permanent protection of this property, which includes the Otter Creek Swamp, a complex of swamps and marshes through which the Otter Creek flows to Neshannock Creek.
Several vulnerable and threatened species, and species of special concern, inhabit the area. The property also now provides a much-needed connection to a smaller parcel of the game land, offering important contiguous protected habitat for birds and other wildlife. Now under the PGC’s ownership and management, the property is open to the public for low-impact recreational activities and is a popular destination for duck hunting and fishing for many Mercer County residents.
See a map of PA State Game Lands #294 here. |
 Our work benefits public lands |
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Delight in a Summertime Tour at Fallingwater |
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Summer is the perfect time to visit Fallingwater! Choose from a variety of interior tours. Engage with our educators as they interpret Fallingwater and share how the Kaufmann family lived, provide insights into Wright’s design and offer historical context and perspective. Or take a Guided Grounds Walking Tour, which provides interpretation of the Bear Run landscape that inspired Fallingwater’s design. If you have a tour ticket, stop by the Speyer Gallery in the Visitor Center to view “The Kaufmann Films: A Legacy in Motion,” an exhibition featuring the Kaufmanns’ home movies. |
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Planters, Baskets Brighten City Streets and Bridges |
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Headed to downtown Pittsburgh for Picklesburgh, a play, a Pirates game or any other summertime event? Look up, look down, look for our flowers all around, brightening the city’s streets and bridges!
Since 2005, the Laurel Foundation has funded 400 hanging baskets annually, and since 2008 Colcom Foundation has funded 500 planters annually. And give us a wave when you spot our brightly wrapped Ford F150 Lightning electric trucks, purchased last year with a grant from Green Mountain Energy! |
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Register for July 17 Massasauga Webinar |
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Since 2000, WPC has been a leading partner in the study and conservation of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus), which is critically imperiled endangered in Pennsylvania and federally threatened.
Join us for a free webinar on July 17 at noon, “Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake: 25 Years of Conservation in PA.” Learn about the threats the snake faces, our conservation efforts in partnership with state and federal agencies and landowners, and how you can help protect this important species! |
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Learn How Species Can Indicate Water Quality, More |
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The presence of certain animals or insects on a stream, including hellbenders and mayflies, can indicate good water quality. Our watershed scientists study freshwater systems from small streams to entire regions. WPC’s botanists with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program use the Floristic Quality Assessment Index to assess quality across ecosystems. Native plants are given a value from 1-10 for their fidelity to high-quality habitats and tolerance to disturbance. For example, in wetlands, a low FQI score can indicate poor water quality. |
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Improve a Community Veggie Garden |
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Does your Allegheny County organization grow vegetables in a community garden? Does your garden need tools, seeds, mulch, fencing or other improvements, or technical assistance?
Apply to the Community Garden Sustainability Fund, a project of WPC and Grow Pittsburgh!
Apply through August 1 or let someone else know about this opportunity that supports local gardens and increases food security! |
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Volunteer at Fallingwater or on Our Preserves |
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If you are passionate about Fallingwater, consider volunteering! Do you love caring for nature? Are you a history buff and love talking with people of diverse backgrounds? Or perhaps you savor the high-paced excitement of retail or restaurant spaces? No matter your skill or interest, Fallingwater has a volunteer opportunity for you.
WPC’s land stewardship team also welcomes volunteers! You have five more opportunities this year to help build trails and keep our preserves clean and safe for everyone to enjoy nature. |
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Congratulations BHE GT&S Watershed Mini-grant Awardees |
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In April, 14 local environmental organizations across eight counties received WPC’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE GT&S) Watershed Mini-grants, totaling $29,650! They will use the grants for important efforts such as water quality monitoring, watershed restoration and organizational promotion and outreach. Now in its 20th year, the program has awarded a total of $566,609 to 143 organizations since 2005. Stay tuned to apply for 2026 grants this fall! Read about the history of the grants, the support of BHE GT&S and this year’s recipients. |
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Download Summer Images |
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Pollinating insects find nectar and habitat in perennial beds that we’re installing in 30 of our 130 community gardens across the region. The beds feature a variety of flowers including black eyed Susan, bee balm and milkweed, pictured here at our Columbus Avenue and Fulton Street garden in Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Not only do the beds provide color and year-round interest, but they support pollinators such as this Monarch butterfly, provide seeds and shelter for birds and small wildlife, and help with stormwater management by absorbing excess rainwater. |
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Shop Fallingwater's Summer Sale – Online Only |
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Save 15% on select items during Fallingwater's summer sale, now through July 31. Start saving today! |
| Save online during July! |
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PROTECT WILD PLACES AND GREEN SPACES |
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NATURE NEAR YOU NEEDS YOU! |
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