PA Wilds Cooperative Members, Partners gather for Fall 2026 Member Meeting in Kane

September 24, 2026

 

PA Wilds Cooperative members and network partners were invited to the PA Wilds Media Lab in uptown Kane on Tuesday, September 22, for the second of two Membership Meetings held in 2026.

Typically held twice a year, with a meeting in the spring on the eastern side of the Pennsylvania Wilds and the fall meeting held on the western side of the region, the first meeting of 2026 was held April 22 in Lock Haven.

“The Pennsylvania Wilds region is massive and rural – larger than the state of Massachusetts, and we try to hold at least one meeting on each side of the region each year to provide a space for networking, learning and collaboration,” explained LaKeshia Knarr, Director of Community Programs and Marketing at PA Wilds Center, the nonprofit organization that manages the WCO. 

During the program at the PA Wilds Media Lab, PA Wilds Center staff introduced themselves and provided a brief overview of the Pennsylvania Wilds effort and the PA Wilds Cooperative membership program, as well as a report out on recent activities and upcoming plans. 

Knarr led the presentation, welcoming members to the Media Lab, which offers space for members to hold meetings and events, as well as a product photography room and a room equipped with audio-visual tools. Knarr also spoke about how the network is part of a larger entrepreneurial ecosystem being built and managed by the nonprofit PA Wilds Center to help local businesses and communities leverage the regional brand and tremendous amount of public lands to grow and thrive. The ecosystem is intended to help create jobs and diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment and improve quality of life for the region’s residents.

A majority of the presentation followed the one provided in the spring, with a few new updates based on what has transpired since April.

Knarr shared the PA Wilds Center’s updated mission statement: PA Wilds Center connects people to nature, businesses to opportunities, and communities to resources, creating rooted local wealth in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Other updates provided during the meeting include:

• Membership Metrics – The team shared some highlights and statistics about specific programs within the PA Wilds Center from 2025 and year to date, including 44 new WCO members in 2025 (applications unavailable for part of the year), and 93 new members YTD in 2026. The WCO included a total of 710 members by December 31, 2025, and a total 795 members as of September 18, 2026. The presentation also shared key stats from the 2025 PA Wilds Cooperative Survey, which was conducted between January and March 2026 to pull aggregate data about how members fared in 2025.

 

• Refreshed Network Logo – The “Wilds Cooperative of PA” is now being called the “PA Wilds Cooperative” to better incorporate our place and to reflect the way that membership oftentimes already refers to the network. The Center will still be using “WCO” for short. The refreshed logo uses the same colorful palette from the previous logo, while also pulling in the keystone elk from the iconic trademark. The logo leverages the new OT Wilds font, created by WCO member Kelsey Kleiner of OneTen The Studio, who was present at the spring 2026 membership meeting, as part of the PA Wilds Collaborative Series.

 

• Governance Plan Update – Last fall, PA Wilds Center staff shared the completed Governance Plan study, conducted by Alchemy Accompanied in 2025, and plans to secure funding for implementation of the plan. The plan recommends a multi-tiered governance structure, with county captains, sector captains, and county ambassadors. These would be elected positions and would include a stipend. The initial goal was to hold elections in summer 2026, but the timeline will be pushed back until funding is secured.

 

• 2026 Strategic Planning – PA Wilds Center recently completed two plans for core programs, including  a Regional Marketing Plan, conducted by Bull Moose Marketing, and a Franchise & Licensing Plan, completed by Caviar Creative Co. These two plans will inform and help set the stage for the next decade of marketing collaborations with the region’s destination marketing organizations, as well as licensing partnerships, prospective PA Wilds Conservation Shop expansions, and merchandising display units for partners.

 

• 2026 PA Wilds Resource Guide – The 2026 PA Wilds Resource Guide lists various loans, grants, tax credits, and other resources to support small businesses and nonprofits in the region. It was completed and released in a new format, thanks to the support of PA Wilds Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Marc Wilken. The new format, in a spreadsheet, provides more interactivity through filtering based on a number of factors. Wilken also produced a guide and video detailing how to use the Resource Guide.

 

• 2026 PA Wilds Buyer’s Guide – The 2026 PA Wilds Buyer’s Guide – which lists Professional Juried Artisans, as well as Retailers and PA Wilds logo licensees, who participate in the PA Wilds Cooperative – was also recently released. The free tool is designed to help connect retailers and makers to create new business opportunities and support the sourcing of PA Wilds made and branded products.

 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines – The PA Wilds Cooperative Membership Guidelines have been updated to reflect guidance on use of artificial intelligence (AI) by WCO members, including restrictions on artwork made using artificial intelligence (AI) software. The guidelines make a distinction between original works crafted using AI and marketing tools, with the policy designed to protect original works, artisan products and services, and authenticity. Makers whose work utilizes appropriated images were already ineligible for membership, and the guidelines now include AI as part of the description for appropriate images, because AI scrapes original works to create end results. The guidelines distinguish between use of AI for original artwork and marketing, however. PA Wilds Center cannot restrict members from using AI for marketing purposes; however, the Center will not share AI images on its platforms moving forward. The changes to the Membership Guidelines can be found in the Ineligible Businesses and Jury Review sections, and there is a new page in the guidelines offering more guidance and resources.

After the presentation, members and guests had a chance to ask questions, share ideas and network with each other and program managers one-on-one.

“These events provide meaningful opportunities to have real-life conversations, away from computer screens,” said Knarr. “Our whole team enjoys the chance to get to know members better so we can meet their needs and help them navigate our programs and available resources.”

Membership Meetings will continue to move around the region in an effort to make them more accessible to members who may not be able to travel long distances in the middle of the week to attend.

For more information about the PA Wilds Cooperative, visit members.pawildscenter.org/businesses. Find the full directory at members.pawildscenter.org.