Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy supports Pittsburgh's "green" transformation through gardens, community greening, and land and water conservation

Overview
First-time visitors to Pittsburgh are almost always struck by the city's beauty. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), a nonprofit, member-supported organization, is responsible for the flowers and community gardens that grace the city and its diverse neighborhoods - and for decades, WPC has played an important role in Pittsburgh's "green" transformation.

Founded in 1932, the Conservancy serves as Pittsburgh's "go-to" organization for community greening. In fact, WPC helped to beautify the grounds outside the Pittsburgh Convention Center prior to the G20 Summit by planting trees, shrubs and flowers with funding from the Colcom Foundation. WPC's greening work extends far beyond this project, however. Downtown Pittsburgh benefits every year from bursts of color and greenery provided by WPC's large planters and hanging baskets. WPC also plants 140 community gardens throughout the city and region. A new initiative will bring green spaces for outdoor play and learning to all Pittsburgh Public Schools, and WPC will plant 20,000 trees as a partner in TreeVitalize.

Community greening is just one facet of WPC's work. The Conservancy preserves Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork that symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. WPC also conserves land and water on a massive scale, having protected nearly 225,000 acres in the region - including lands that became beloved state parks such as Ohiopyle and Moraine.

Carried out with the support of 10,000 members and 8,300 volunteers, WPC's work reflects and magnifies Pittsburghers' civic pride and commitment to environmental stewardship.