Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Description
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is a nonprofit conservation organization protecting natural land and water in western Pennsylvania.
It was founded in 1932 during the Great Depression, formed to fight unemployment while saving the region’s natural resources. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh and runs several regional offices across the state. The Conservancy has helped create state parks and owns and manages nature preserves offering public hiking trails.
Its work covers land conservation, watershed and stream restoration, and biodiversity science through the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, a partnership with state agencies that tracks threatened and endangered species. It also runs community greening programs, planting and maintaining gardens, street trees and school grounds across many counties, with the help of volunteers. It offers landowners options such as conservation easements and buyer programs to protect private land.
The Conservancy also cares for Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house entrusted to it in 1963, which it preserves and opens to visitors on guided tours. It is a member-based organization that relies on member and volunteer support, and it offers internships and careers for people who want to work in conservation.
Latest news
WPC and Partners to Improve Fish Habitat on South Branch French Creek in Erie County
Restoration work to occur September 14 to 30, weather permitting UNION CITY, PA – September 15, 2026 – Fish such as rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth bass and more in South Branch French Creek will have improved habitat, thanks to a current project of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in...
15 Sep 2026
WPC Conservation Easement Protects More Farmland and Forestland in Westmoreland County
Ligonier Township, Pa. – July 28, 2026 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy today announced the purchase of a conservation easement to permanently protect a 35-acre property in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County. The property contains a mix of farmland and mature forestland, including...
28 Jul 2026
Moths Matter! Five Fun Ways to Learn About Moths
July 2026 – Moths matter! These nocturnal pollinators provide a primary food source for wildlife, and are indicators of environmental health. In Pennsylvania, scientists have documented nearly 2,500 species of moths, and counting! Want to learn more about moths? Check out these five tips from...
20 Jul 2026
600 Acres of Forests at Bear Run Nature Reserve Now Part of the Old-Growth Forest Network
Mill Run, PA – July 17, 2026 – Approximately 600 acres of forest at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s 5,162-acre Bear Run Nature Reserve in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, were inducted into the national Old-Growth Forest Network on July 8, 2026. Old-Growth Forest Network Mid-Atlantic...
17 Jul 2026
WPC and Partners to Improve Fish Habitat on Callen Run in Jefferson County
Restoration work to occur in late July through early August 2026, weather permitting HEATH TOWNSHIP, PA – July 15, 2026 – Fish such as native brook trout, smallmouth bass and more in Callen Run will have improved habitat, thanks to a dam removal project scheduled to be implemented in late July...
16 Jul 2026
Pittsburgh, Pa. – June 26, 2026 – The board and staff of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy share with sadness the passing of longtime Conservancy Board Member Daniel S. Nydick, who passed away on June 9, 2026. Dan became a member of the Conservancy in 1985, and joined the Conservancy’s board...
26 Jun 2026
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