2026 Members’ Day and Annual Meeting
The Barn at Fallingwater
Bear Run Nature Reserve
Saturday, May 2, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We’re so grateful to our members for supporting our work throughout the year. You help WPC plant trees, gardens and other green spaces that beautify and improve our communities. You help protect our landscapes, waterways, and plants and wildlife, and preserve and share the iconic beauty of Fallingwater.
Join us for Members’ Day! Bring your friends and family for a day of fun at Bear Run, celebrating you and all that you do for our region.
It’s a day to get inspired and enjoy the beauty of Bear Run and Fallingwater.
Schedule your Fallingwater house tour in advance.
Call Visitor Services at 724-329-8501.
Activity Schedule
Morning Hikes and Activities
8:30 a.m.
Registration Opens
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
8:45 to 10:30 a.m.
Birding Hike
Bring your binoculars and tread softly on this 1.5-mile birdwatching hike along Tissue Lane and the Peninsula Trail in Bear Run Nature Reserve. (Easy – Moderate)
9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
OR
9:20 to 10:50 a.m.
Fallingwater Landscape Hike (2 hikes in the morning and 2 in the afternoon)
Explore the beautiful landscape that inspired the Kaufmann family and Frank Lloyd Wright. This 1.6-mile looping hike departs from in front of the Barn and traverses along a wooded path to Fallingwater. You have the option to take a shuttle back to the Barn from the Visitor Center, or hike back with your guides. (Moderate)
9:15 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
Morning at Bear Run
Observe the forest with a WPC naturalist and learn about the ecology of Bear Run. This hike is an easy 0.8-mile loop along the White Trail that is great for families with young children and older adults.
Information Sessions
(Fireplace Room, lower level of the Barn)
9:15 to 9:35 a.m.
(See companion hike at 1:30 p.m.)
Old-Growth Forest on WPC Preserves: A Closer Look at Bear Run, Wolf Creek Narrows and Tryon-Weber Woods
This year, WPC plans to add two more of its preserves to the Old-Growth Forest Network. Learn about these preserves, what defines “old-growth,” and how it affects our management.
9:45 to 10:05 a.m.
Planting Trees to Protect the Chesapeake Bay
WPC is partnering with Blair County communities to plant 300 trees along streets and in parks this year. This project is part of a larger effort to reduce sediment and nutrients from entering the Chesapeake Bay watershed, one of the many benefits trees provide. Learn how community stakeholders, residents and other partners are making a difference one tree at a time.
10:15 to 10:35 a.m.
Taking Community Science to the Next Level
Anyone interested in nature can help advance scientific research! WPC invertebrate zoologist Pete Woods will present how WPC uses data from iNaturalist, a free app that uses photos to ID species, and will share tips about how to take advantage of its full functionality to make your observations beneficial to researchers (Also a great session for teens with smart phones).
Fledging Activities – Nature-based fun for budding naturalists
10:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Nature Prints
Turn leaves, flowers, and all kinds of outdoor treasures into art! We’ll press, stamp, and maybe get a little messy while creating one-of-a-kind nature prints.
11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
Celebrate Fallingwater’s 90th Anniversary!
Fallingwater is turning 90—let’s throw it an art party! Kids will create, build, and splash into creativity inspired by the most famous house over a waterfall. Expect fun projects, bright colors, and lots of imagination!
Especially for Teens
11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
*New* Pennsylvania Young Birder’s Hike (12 to 18 year-olds)
Come touch grass (literally) and meet the local birds—tiny, loud, dramatic, and living their best lives. We’ll walk, watch, listen and probably give at least one bird a nickname.
Members’ Meeting
(Fireplace Room, lower level of the Barn)
11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
Members’ Meeting
- Annual Budget Report and Election of Board of Directors
- Overview of Recent Conservancy projects by President and CEO Tom Saunders
- Land Protection on Chestnut Ridge
- Black Gold & Green – Downtown Pittsburgh Greening Initiatives
- Fallingwater’s 90th
- Pa. Freshwater Mussel Conservation Plan
12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Lunch Buffet
Enjoy grilled chicken and pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, all-beef hot dogs, veggie burgers, homemade potato chips, a full salad bar, kale quinoa salad and more. Cookies and brownies for dessert. $24 for adults, free for children 10 and younger.
Please make lunch reservations by Friday, April 24.
Afternoon Hikes and Activities
1:15 to 3:00 p.m.
Backpack Electrofishing in Bear Run
Bear Run is a Class A exceptional native Brook trout fishery, the highest rating classified by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) for the significant number of native trout that a stream can have.
Join watershed scientists on a hike to a section of Bear Run for an electrofishing demonstration. Help net native fish, including the Eastern Brook trout. Learn about native species, the importance of water quality, and climate change implications of aquatic organism passage projects. (Moderate – Rugged)
1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
Botany Stroll
This slower paced walk in the woods will explore the many types of trees, rich spring wildflowers, and common mosses of the area. (Easy to moderate)
1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Celebrating the Bear Run Forest
(Companion hike to the 9:15 a.m. information session.)
Learn about the Conservancy’s interest in designating portions of Bear Run as part of the Old-Growth Forest Network. Look for signs that the forest is old and getting older. (Moderate)
1:30 to 3:00 p.m. OR
2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Fallingwater Landscape Hike
(2 hike times)
Explore the beautiful landscape that inspired the Kaufmann family and Frank Lloyd Wright. This 1.6-mile looping hike departs from in front of the Barn and traverses along a wooded path to Fallingwater. You have the option to take a shuttle back from the Visitor Center to the Barn, or hike back with your guides. (Moderate)
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Hickman Chapel Open House – Self-Guided Tour
Visit the historical chapel on Route 381/National Scenic Byway that the Conservancy has restored. Volunteers will be available to share the history and answer questions.
Hickman Chapel is approximately one mile south of the entrance to Fallingwater along Route 381.
Please note:
- Remember 20/20: If you have scheduled a Fallingwater house tour, please arrive at the Visitor Center 20 minutes before your tour time, and allow 20 minutes to travel by shuttle from the Barn.
- Outdoor activities are subject to change based on weather and trail conditions.
- Hike groups are limited to 20 people or less for safety and to better allow communication with guides.
- Hike return times in the afternoon may vary depending on the pace of your group.
- Please wear appropriate footwear, and be prepared for uneven terrain and the possibility of encountering loose rocks, roots, branches, and muddy sections. A walking stick or trekking pole may come in handy. To minimize adverse impacts to the landscape, hikers should stay on the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have additional questions, please contact Kathy Patrignani, Development Operations Administrator, at kpatrignani@paconserve.org or 412-586-2340.