water, land, life
WPC's Monthly eNewsletter

Give to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on #GivingTuesday, Dec. 3, and your donation will go twice as far, thanks to $7,000 in matching funds from some generous donors! 

655 Acres Conserved in Centre and Erie Counties 

WPC conserved three properties totaling 655 acres last month, expanding recreational opportunities and protecting wildlife habitat. In Centre County, 265 forested acres containing steep mountain ridgelines were added to Bald Eagle State Forest. The land also includes a mile of Penns Creek, a popular cold-water limestone wild trout stream. In Erie County, our West Branch French Creek Conservation Area is now nearly 1,000 acres thanks to two additions totaling 390 acres. The natural area now protects six miles of forested land along the West Branch French Creek

Enjoy Winter Outdoor Adventures

 
Fun awaits those who love outdoor adventures when the air is brisk and the sun is lower in the sky! With 29 miles of trails, Bear Run Nature Reserve is an excellent place to hike, snowshoe or cross country ski. Check out our website to explore WPC properties or this article in our winter 2018 issue of Conserve that features state parks in the Laurel Highlands offering winter activities such as hiking, snowmobiling, tobogganing, skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. Let’s get outdoors this winter!

Donation Protects 309 Acres in Venango County

 
More forestland along the Allegheny River in Venango County is permanently protected, thanks to a donation of a conservation easement on more than 300 acres. The private property has fields and is mostly forested with a mix of white pine, black cherry and red maple, and is bordered to the south by the river. Learn more about this generous easement donation.
Ways to Support WPC This Giving Season

Whether you’re an advocate for planting trees and gardens in cities and towns, or conserving forests, streams, rivers and wildlife, your donation protects Western Pennsylvania’s exceptional places. You help make this region better. Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation, or renew your membership to receive benefits like access to Fallingwater and special events. A gift membership is a great gift for a loved one who appreciates nature. Make your gift before Dec. 31 … you have the power to protect our places!
Application Deadline Approaching for Mini Grant Program
 
Conservation and watershed groups can still apply for Dominion Energy Watershed Mini Grants. Through our partnership with the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, this grant program provides funding for local water quality monitoring, watershed restoration and outreach projects including education programs for youth and the community at large. Applications are available online and must be postmarked by Dec. 20.
December Tour Days at Falllingwater
 
If you’re planning to visit Fallingwater this month, we want to remind you that it is open for guided house tours during weekends only in Dec. and daily from Dec. 26-31. The house is closed in Jan. and Feb. for maintenance and preservation work. Book your December tour today! Grounds passes are also available, weather permitting. Please call Visitor Services at 724-329-8501 to check the availability of grounds passes on the day of your visit. 
Give the Gift of Fallingwater This Season
 
Looking for a meaningful holiday gift? Is someone on your list an architecture enthusiast? Give a Friends of Fallingwater gift membership, beginning at $125. Your loved one will receive eight half-price visits to Fallingwater, reciprocal visit privileges at many other Frank Lloyd Wright sites around the country and the members-only Friends of Fallingwater newsletter. Give the gift of Fallingwater today.
Landowners in Trout Run Area, Please Take Our Survey
 
Trout Run, a wild trout stream in Erie County, is being impacted by excess nutrients, fertilizers and sediment from eroding streambanks. If you’re a landowner or community member in the Trout Run Watershed, please consider completing this brief survey to help us gauge community interest in improving local streams.
Dear Members, Thank You for Your Patience
 
The Conservancy has converted to new database software to improve our donor service capabilities. We’re working to make this transition as seamless as possible, but if your name, address or any other information is incorrect at any time, please let us know by sending an email to development@paconserve.org or calling 1-866-564-6972.
Get the Fallingwater Booklet
Newly revised, the Fallingwater Booklet contains beautiful photography and descriptive text detailing the main house and guest house and highlighting the Kaufmanns’ unique art collection. Printed in the USA, it paints an exquisite overview of Fallingwater, which is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a best seller in our Fallingwater Museum Store, so don’t wait — purchase today! 

Please note: For items to arrive in time for Christmas, 
orders from the Fallingwater Museum Store must be placed no later than Dec. 20.

December Desktop Background

French Creek, which originates in Chautauqua County, N.Y. and ends at its confluence with the Allegheny River in Franklin, Pa., is actually a small river at 117 miles, flowing south through Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties. It’s the most biologically diverse river of its size in the Northeastern United States. French Creek and its tributaries provide habitat for five species of federally endangered and threatened freshwater mussels and other mussel species, as well as numerous fish species of greatest conservation need in Pennsylvania. The Conservancy has protected more than 5,500 acres within the French Creek watershed, starting with the Wattsburg Fen Natural Area in 1969. Download this calendar featuring a stunning photo of snowy trees and banks along French Creek.

 
Supporting the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is easy when you do your holiday shopping on Amazon Smile. You’ll have the same Amazon shopping experience and prices, but when you register to shop through Amazon Smile and make the Conservancy your charity of choice, Amazon donates .5% of the price of your eligible purchases to WPC!
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Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Phone: 412-288-2777, Email: info@paconserve.org