A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...
And it takes thousands of volunteers to create our picturesque gardens
They come by the thousands, about 5,000 to be exact, from all walks of life and ethic backgrounds. They range in age from 8 to 80 years old. And during the month of May, rain or shine — even during pounding rainstorms — somewhere in western Pennsylvania a group of dedicated Western Pennsylvania Conservancy volunteers is planting a community garden. More...
In this issue...Planting the Seeds of a Conservation Ethic
by WPC Executive Vice President Cynthia Carrow
“...Through sanitary and remedial action in the houses that we have; and then the building of more, strongly, beautifully, and in groups of limited extent, kept in proportion to their streams and walled round, so that there may be no festering and wretched suburb anywhere, but clean and busy streets within and the open country without, with a belt of beautiful garden and orchard round the walls, so that from any part of the city perfectly fresh air and grass and sight of far horizon might be reachable in a few minutes walk.” More...
From eagles to insects, Erie Bluffs State Park
Harbors Natural Treasures in a Special Place
By Ben Moyer
The muddy field looked like a scene from M*A*S*H. Clusters of tents surrounded a sprawling compound where aids scurried with charts and vials. But the busy base camp was no film set or field hospital; it was the nerve center for “Bioblitz,” a two-day gathering of more than 140 scientists, naturalists, and volunteers. Their mission on July 17-18 was to comb the forests, streams and beaches of Erie Bluffs State Park for every species of wild bird, mammal, fish, reptile, insect and plant they could find. More...
Outreach from Alt: Deer and Deer Management
Dr. Gary Alt, supervisor of the Game Commission’s Deer Management Section, will bring his outreach message to this year’s Wild in The Woods event, Sept. 11, at the Bear Run Barn in Fayette County. As he has done in hundreds of personal appearances around the state, Alt will tell Wild in The Woods’ guests about deer and deer management, one of Pennsylvania’s most pressing conservation issues. More...
Knotweed No Match for Youthful Commitment
By Tami Campbell
Stewardship Coordinator
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy teamed up with some young conservationists this summer to battle invasive plants, mark trails and further protect WPC lands. Three teams of young people affiliated with Americorps lived and worked at Bear Run Nature Reserve, Fayette County, and at the WPC Northwest Field Station at Lake Pleasant in Erie County. More...
Watershed Assistance Center Reaches Out at Crooked Creek
By Carla Ruddock
Watershed Planning Coordinator
In 2002, the Crooked Creek Watershed Association received a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to complete a Rivers Conservation Plan for the Lower Crooked Creek watershed. Seeking help to prepare the plan, the association contacted Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Watershed Assistance Center, which had aided other local groups in forging Rivers Conservation Plans for the Youghiogheny River and other streams in the region. More...
Give a Green Thumbs Up to Protect Land and Water!
By Katherine Smitherman
Director of Public Policy
Thank you to the volunteer advocates who supported the Quality of Life - Growing Greener II proposal by contacting your legislators and/or attending rallies to promote the protection and restoration of water, land and communities! The abundance of visits, letters, phone calls and emails to your legislators and executive branch officials were invaluable in making headway with Growing Greener II. More...
Pennsylvania Foundations’ Report
Cites State’s Runaway Land-Use Policies;
Fractured Government as Hindering Growth
Land-use patterns associated with Pennsylvania’s splintered government have helped make the state “the worst sprawling large metropolitan area in the country.” This trend threatens not only the region’s beauty, but also the financial health of its older communities, including suburbs that were long thought immune to the hollowing-out effects of sprawl. More...
Volunteer Calls Fallingwater Constantly Changing
Ask Windy Kovach why she travels twice monthly through three counties from Mars, Pa., to volunteer as an Ask Me Guide and she’ll tell you it’s because she loves it. More...
Family’s Treasured Homestead Conserved For All To Enjoy
By Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis
Director of Land Protection
On June 30, 2004, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy purchased and protected 14.14 acres that harbor a slice of local history, wooded hillsides and critically important open space. Formerly known as Malli’s Grove, the property in South Park Township will be conveyed to Allegheny County as an expansion of South Park.
The Malli family used the land as their residence from approximately 1920 to 2002. More...
Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations
The best way for you to assure the preservation of western Pennsylvania’s rich natural and cultural heritage is through thoughtful gift planning. More...
Dear Dr. Conservation
We recently moved to Western Pennsylvania and with our kids away at school, I’ve been considering getting involved with a group that’s conservation oriented. I’ve worked with trash clean-up and recycling efforts where I used to live, so I have some experience with environmental issues. But my question is where would my time be most effectively used given all the issues that face our environment? More...
Go to the cover story... 
