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Message from the President

The French Creek watershed and the Lake Erie shoreline in Northwestern Pennsylvania have been longstanding areas of focus for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

French Creek is one the most ecologically significant waterways in the mid-Atlantic region. It starts in Chautauqua County, New York and flows 117 miles through Northwestern Pennsylvania into the Allegheny River. This important creek is home to rare and endangered mussels, plants and fish. The Lake Erie shoreline’s unique ecological system provides an important habitat for birds and many rare plant species.

This issue of Conserve highlights the different ways the Conservancy is engaged in these areas, ranging from helping to create flower gardens in cities and towns to protecting the floodplains and wetlands in the French Creek watershed and the Lake Erie shoreline.

Since the 1960s, WPC has conserved more than 3,840 acres of lands now protected permanently from development in the French Creek watershed and 3,800 acres along four miles of coastline along Lake Erie. Most recently, the Conservancy expanded the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve, and protected a key forested property along French Creek to help its owners continue sustainable forestry practices.

This issue will also highlight how the Conservancy’s Natural Heritage staff is working with others to help restore the natural habitat of Erie Bluffs State Park, and how dedicated stewards keep the community gardens in Erie and Meadville vibrant.

Thanks to Conservancy members, volunteers and community partners in Northwestern Pennsylvania, we are privileged to be a part of the efforts to ensure that the French Creek watershed and Lake Erie shoreline continue to thrive as ecological and recreational treasures.

Cover photo features Cherry Blossoms and was taken by Greg Funka.

In This Issue:

• Message from the President

  • The French Creek watershed and the Lake Erie shoreline in Northwestern Pennsylvania have been longstanding areas of focus for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy... Click here to read more

• WPC Participates in Major Great Lakes Mussel Study
  • Native species of freshwater mussels that were common throughout the coastal waters of the Great Lakes suffered dramatic declines in the 1990s following the introduction of the zebra mussel. However, initial findings from a comprehensive study of current mussel populations there are encouraging...Click here to read more
• Two Key Properties Added to Roderick Wildlife Reserve
  • The Conservancy has protected two key properties near Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie coastline to add 195 acres to the David M. Roderick Wildlife Reserve since December 2010. The 3,409-acre Erie County reserve, which WPC helped to establish in 1991, provides opportunities for hunting, bird-watching, cross-country skiing, hiking and other recreational activities... Click here to read more
• Rare Habitat on Lake Erie Shoreline Restored
  • The Conservancy is working with partners to restore a remnant patch of black oak savanna habitat along undeveloped stretches of Lake Erie shoreline including Erie Bluffs State Park...Click here to read more
• Community Gardens Brighten Erie and Meadville Neighborhoods
  • Community flower gardens in the French Creek watershed and around the City of Erie have enhanced local communities for over a decade, as volunteers help to plant and tend more than 3,000 flowers annually. Two gardens in this region evoke community enthusiasm and support with the help of local businesses, community partnerships and committed stewards...Click here to read more
• Working Forest in French Creek Protected
  • When Troy Firth and his wife Lynn purchased 400 acres of pristine woodlands in French Creek Township, they envisioned a working forest managed to the highest ecological standards that also supported the local economy...Click here to read more
• French Creek Family Retreat Protected in Perpetuity
  • When George Kuebel Jr. passed away, his son Roger wanted to ensure that the family property on French Creek was put into the hands of conservation-minded owners...Click here to read more
• Diversity Helps Community Gardens Thrive
  • The soil, flowers and mulch that abound at the Conservancy’s nearly 140 community gardens provide the backdrop for approximately 12,000 volunteers with diverse backgrounds...Click here to read more
• Fallingwater 75^th Anniversary Events and Activities
  • 2011 was an exciting year for Fallingwater, as a variety of events and activities marked the 75^th anniversary of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house...Click here to read more
• Field Notes
  • I looked at the boulder in front of me and I was feeling thrill like a child. I am a naturalist and I often find pleasure in some of the simplest facets of nature. “Well, you’re not from around these parts, are you?” I said to myself as I leaned over to feel the boulder’s smooth surface...Click here to read more
• Consider WPC for Year-End Charitable Giving
  • For nearly 80 years, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has ensured that nature, in all of its magnificence, is readily accessible for hiking, fishing, canoeing, hunting — or just appreciating — across Western Pennsylvania. WPC brings nature to cities and towns through community gardens and greenspaces and presents Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterwork of organic architecture to more than 160,000 visitors each year. None of this would be possible without the generous support of our members and donors...Click here to read more