Three years into the Great Depression on February 16, 1932, 10 citizens came together to start a nonprofit conservation organization to alleviate widespread unemployment through public works programs. They also wanted these programs to create a positive impact on the regions natural resources. Their actions founded the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, known then under its former name as the Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association.

Today, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is still going strong and has protected more than 255,000 acres of natural lands in Pennsylvania, helped to establish 10 state parks, and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. In 1963, Edgar Kaufmann jr. entrusted the Conservancy with Fallingwater, his familys weekend home, and Frank Lloyd Wrights masterwork in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. We also enrich our regions cities and towns through 132 community gardens and green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 10,300 members and nearly 12,000 volunteers. We invite you to explore the challenges and successes that comprise our history of caring for water, land, and wildlife in Western Pennsylvania.