Three years into the Great Depression, ten citizens came together to found a non-profit conservation organization. The organization’s goal was to alleviate widespread unemployment through public works programs that would also create a positive impact on the region’s natural resources.

To date, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has protected more than 232,000 acres of natural lands in Pennsylvania, helped to establish ten state parks, and protected or restored more than 1,500 miles of rivers and streams. In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann jr. (sic) entrusted WPC with Fallingwater, his family’s weekend home and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. WPC also enriches our region’s cities and towns through 140 community gardens and greenspaces that are planted with the help of 13,000 volunteers.

We invite you to explore the challenges and successes that comprise our 78-year history of caring for water, land and life in Western Pennsylvania.

Timeline
Presidents