Issue 3Spring 2019A newsletter highlighting experiences of our members, partners and volunteers.Deborah FreedPam Geary Clarion County hosts dense, quiet forests such as the ones found in Cook Forest State Park, and sparkling rivers and creeks, including the Clarion River, which has rebounded from decades of industrial pollution. With all of its biodiversity, tranquility and vital recreational amenities, the county is a very special place for Deborah Freed. Deb and her husband Ben have been members of the Conservancy since 1993. Deb is a devoted birder and 44-year resident of Clarion, Pa., with her husband Ben. The couple moved to Clarion in 1975 when Ben became a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Clarion University. She credits her move to Clarion with sparking her fondness for birding and the outdoors. And she hasn’t turned back since then.At the time, Deb was not a birder. Visits to regional attractions like Fallingwater and Ohiopyle State Park, and canoeing trips on the Allegheny and Clarion rivers continued to familiarize Deb and Ben with the Conservancy’s work. “We went canoeing on French Creek near Utica and, low and behold, the river access was a piece of property that the Conservancy had purchased for river access!” said Deb. Giving back has always been close to Deb’s heart. A dedicated and longtime volunteer with the Girl Scouts and other organizations, Deb and Ben also work as conservation volunteers through Seneca Rocks Audubon. They assist land managers on a state game land in their region known as Piney Tract. “We work to maintain the grasslands, which were previously strip mines, on this land for bird habitat,” explained Deb. “Henslow’s sparrow, which is threatened by habitat loss, is one bird known to nest in the area.”Each year, Deb and Ben join the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, helping to contribute to the region’s bird census. Most years at dusk, the short-eared owls are spotted and added to the count. “They fly like a butterfly with their long wings so gently flapping in the air,” recalls Deb. “They really are beautiful.” “Exploring birding has helped me get to know and love the region,” she added.As Deb and Ben continue to settle into retirement, they keep a keen eye on their local bird populations and land conservation projects in Clarion County and other parts of the region. “I feel like we can make more impact locally than if we were to get involved with national or international conservation,” she added. “Giving back is important. Clarion County and Western Pennsylvania have given a lot to us. We hope to keep it a good place for the future." Thank you for all you do to care for Western Pennsylvania’s exceptional land, water and wildlife through your Western Pennsylvania Conservancy membership. Our remarkable members are the true heroes of our 87-year history, not only providing essential financial resources, but also signifying the importance of conservation to legislators and other decision-makers.You and I know this is truly special and breathtakingly beautiful region. We value the trust that you, as a member, place in us to carry on the work of protecting it for all our children and grandchildren. You’re part of a community of thousands who share the same commitment and passion for making our region a better place to live by protecting and conserving our most extraordinary assets, including Fallingwater and the surrounding landscape. In this issue of Perspectives, you’ll read why conservation and preservation matter to a few of your fellow WPC members, and how their support, time and care are making tangible differences. I want to hear your story, too. Call or email me to share why supporting the Conservancy and Fallingwater matters to you. On behalf of the staff and board, we’re deeply grateful for your generosity to make the world a better place for those who come after you. I look forward to seeing and personally thanking you on May 4 at Members’ Day! Pam GearyDirector, Annual Fund & Membershippgeary@paconserve.org412-288-2777Clarion Resident Enjoys Nature Through BirdingThank You from All of Us! Deborah photographed a blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitaries) while nature-watching at WPC’s Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area in Butler County.PerspectivesPerspectives 1WaterLandLife.org50 Years of Fallingwater Inspiration Motivates Member to Give BackToms Run Nature Reserve Keeps Retired Member Inspired, Active and Invested Troy CookAlthough retired, Troy Cook’s schedule is full. “I’m not one to sit around the house watching television. I’ve always had a desire to get outdoors and stay involved in my local community,” Troy shared with a smile as he took a break from volunteering as a land protection clerk at the Conservancy’s Pittsburgh office on a recent January afternoon. “I’m at a time in my life when I can afford to give back,” he added. “But, honestly I’m busier now than when I worked a full-time job!”Becoming a WPC member and volunteer in 2016 was a natural fit for Troy, as day hikes, birding, wildlife observation and gardening top the list of outdoor hobbies for this former planning and management executive. Growing up on a farm in Northeast Ohio is where his affinity for and appreciation of land and nature flourished. “There is something special about growing food, working with the soil, harvesting grains and vegetables, and raising animals,” he explained. “That work is how I learned to appreciate the land and the fact that it needs regular care.” So, when he and his wife moved to a retirement community in Ohio Township in 2015, Troy was eager to spend time in and learn more about the woods adjacent to his new home. He was pleased to learn the adjacent forest was the Conservancy’s 369-acre Toms Run Nature Reserve. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, the reserve is one of only a few remaining large undeveloped forested areas in Allegheny County. Troy was already familiar with WPC from a 2003 visit to Fallingwater, but after realizing the woods he adored were protected but needed ongoing care and maintenance, he renewed his membership and become a land stewardship volunteer in 2016. “I often enjoy the peaceful quiet of this forest and I’ve been fortunate enough to see turkey, coyote and fox during my walks through these beautiful woods,” he said of how special Toms Run is to him. “I knew I had to do more than just enjoy this local reserve, I wanted to improve it for others to enjoy, too.”The past few years of volunteering at the reserve have been busy, but rewarding for Troy and a dozen of other dedicated WPC volunteers. Neither rain nor snow hindered their efforts of pulling invasive plants, removing abandoned structures and clearing pathways that will eventually become designated trails later this fall. Troy is gratified knowing his support matters to the people and wildlife that call Allegheny County home. It was a muddy, chilly spring morning in 1968 when Dan Bonga first saw Fallingwater. “Seeing the house was awe-inspiring. I was truly mesmerized and fascinated, and at that moment I knew art and design were my life’s calling,” Dan recalled of that first visit as an interior design student with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. “Personally experiencing Fallingwater changed my life.” During the years after that poignant visit, Dan graduated college, married his best friend, began teaching art in the McKeesport Area School District and started a family. Life’s events and time never diminished Fallingwater’s significance for the Duquesne, Pa. native, who would take family and friends to Mill Run, Pa., to tour the house whenever his schedule allowed. He also organized several field trips to Fallingwater for hundreds of his fifth-grade students from the district’s Francis McClure Elementary.“For years, I kept Fallingwater close. I read books on Frank Lloyd Wright and his work, and learned more about his design philosophy,” he said. “Like so many others, I believe Fallingwater is the best example of Wright’s genius.”After 37 years of teaching and one week after retiring in 2008, Dan fulfilled a lifelong promise to himself. “I became a Fallingwater volunteer so that I could spend as much time as possible there,” he recalled. “It still is a great way to continue learning and give back to the place that gave me so much 50 years earlier.”Today, Dan volunteers more than 100 hours a year as a landscape hike leader and onsite informational guide. He leads visitors on hikes while explaining the natural features and ecology of the Bear Run Nature Reserve which surrounds Fallingwater. And if visitors need assistance or have follow-up questions after their tours, Dan also volunteers as one of the friendly onsite “Ask Me” guides. “I just absolutely love contributing to people’s enjoyment of Jim Wesolowski, Ethan Zadnik and Troy Cook are among the happy and helpful volunteers at WPC’s Toms Run Nature Reserve.“As I walk the reserve and see those large maples and oaks, and hear the babble of the running streams, I instantly know my time, care and hard work are making a real difference, one tree and stream at a time.” Learn more about Toms Run Nature Reserve or call 412-586-2358 to volunteer. Perspectives 2WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCYDan Bonga is a dedicated Fallingwater volunteer and member.experiencing Fallingwater,” he said. “I like meeting people from around the world and I’ve even witnessed people crying after their tour. I can certainly relate to that overwhelming feeling!”Not only is he a volunteer, Dan also became a Fallingwater member in 2012. “I knew I had to lead by example and help preserve Fallingwater. This is a majestic architectural gem right here in our backyards – if we don’t feel compelled to protect and preserve it, who will?” Saving and preserving Fallingwater for the next generation keeps Dan motivated. It’s his privilege to lead landscape hikes for students and adult learners participating in the Fallingwater Institute’s various residency programs. He often uses the opportunity as an outdoor classroom. “We have to share the gift of Fallingwater with others so it can be around for another 80 plus years.”“It’s meaningful that I can still use my teaching background in a way that inspires others after all these years, and that’s a pretty satisfying feeling.” After spending more than a decade in Champaign, Ill., Kristen Ehrenberger and Michael Hammer were eager to make new connections after moving to Pittsburgh in 2016. As the couple slowly settled into their new city, they noticed how nature and Pittsburgh’s urban landscape interacted in a unique way.“I first noticed the planters and welcome gardens throughout the city,” recalls Kristen, a Baltimore native and third-year resident in internal medicine and pediatrics at UPMC. “I remember driving on the Parkway and seeing the planters at the Squirrel Hill Tunnels and thinking we should put plants in them. And that was actually something the Conservancy was working on!”One of Kristen and Michael’s first adventures in the region was an inaugural visit to Fallingwater in 2017, where they instantly fell in love with the historic house. This is when the couple first learned the Conservancy preserved and protected Fallingwater. “We thought it would be nice to join a local organization invested in Western Pennsylvania. We were so impressed and inspired by the Conservancy’s work at Fallingwater that we joined on the spot,” said Kristen.Kristen and Michael had never contributed to a local environmental organization before, but felt there was something special to protect in Western Pennsylvania. They have since volunteered to plant trees in Pittsburgh. The couple joined dozens of other volunteers for a Pittsburgh Redbud Project tree planting. Kristen also planted trees and shrubs in the Conservancy’s newest bioswale garden in the Hill District, installed last year in partnership with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.“The best part about a volunteer tree planting is the community it creates. You join other volunteers with the goal of making Pittsburgh a more beautiful place; and it’s like instant friends,” Kristen said of their first volunteer experience with the Conservancy.“Even though we’re all strangers, suddenly, we have a common task,” Michael added, who is a classically trained musician. “We’ve been down to the waterfront a few times to visit our trees. It’s nice to see that they’re healthy and still there.” Pittsburgh Transplants Create Community at WPC Volunteer EventsWelcome to Pittsburgh, Kristen Ehrenberger and Michael Hammer!Perspectives 3WaterLandLife.org800 Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15222NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGEPAIDPITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO 2504MAY 4SATURDAY|2019I/We will attend the 2019 Members’ Day and Annual Meeting on May 4!NameAddressCity State ZipEmailPhoneAdult and Children over 10 @ $18.00 eachChildren 10 and under Free Total Number AttendingTotal Amount EnclosedI/We will bring a picnic lunch###$I/We will tour FallingwaterPlease reserve the following lunch buffet tickets:Members’ Day and Annual Meeting Sponsored by Nimick Forbesway Foundation Join us for our annual member “thank you” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at The Barn at Fallingwater on Bear Run Nature Reserve in Mill Run, Pa. Light breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. Later, enjoy your own packed picnic or purchase a buffet lunch ($18/person, free for children 10 and under).While activities are free, registration and lunch reservations are required by Thursday, April 25. Please return this form in the enclosed envelope, call 1-866-564-6972, or visit WaterLandLife.org/MembersDay2019.One of many little explorers you and your family can enjoy the following:• Meet staff and hear about recent accomplishments and work in progress at the Conservancy.• Explore nature! Choose from a variety of guided hikes, including the morning bird hike, Fallingwater landscape hikes, family nature hunt or afternoon wildflower walk.• Enhance your garden with a unique selection of plants from our native plant sale.• Enjoy a free tour of Fallingwater. Shop for books, shirts, mugs and more selections from the Fallingwater Museum Store.On Members' Day,Perspectives 4Come outside and explore nature!during a Members’ Day kids hike!REGISTERONLINEWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCYNext >