Upcoming events at LGNC:
Beginner Watercolor Workshop with Kay Stauffer
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Beginner Watercolor Workshop with instructor Kay Stauffer! This 6-week course is an introduction to watercolor painting for adults. Learn basic techniques of paint application, how to handle materials, and how to incorporate principles of design, color and composition.
Please note, you will need to purchase materials for this class. After registering, you will receive a materials list for supplies from the instructor, and you will need to bring those supplies to the first class.
This registration is for a 6-week course. Participants are required to attend all 6 classes.
Dates: Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00pm
January 7
January 14
January 21
January 28
February 4
February 11
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: $75 | Non-members: $100
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Intermediate Watercolor Workshop with Kay Stauffer
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for an Intermediate Watercolor Workshop with instructor Kay Stauffer! This 6-week course is a review of watercolor painting for adults; previous experience with watercolor painting is required. The first few weeks will include demonstration and exercises to further your watercolor ability, such as shading, wet on wet, dry brush, glazing, and negative painting. We will then work with design, composition and color theories, for your own individual painting ideas.
Please note, you will need to purchase materials for this class. After registering, you will receive a materials list for supplies from the instructor, and you will need to bring those supplies to the first class.
This registration is for a 6-week course. Participants are required to attend all 6 classes.
Dates: Tuesdays from 12:30-2:30pm
January 7
January 14
January 21
January 28
February 4
February 11
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: $75 | Non-members: $100
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
LGNC’s Ecology Club is open to children ages 9 and older. Join us throughout the year for fun, hands-on nature adventures at the Osprey House and the Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge.
Participation is FREE to all LGNC members and their families! Not a member? Click here to find out how to join today!
Email riley.davenport@lgnc.org if you are interested in attending and have any questions!
2024-2025 Dates:
September 4
October 2
(November Ecology Club cancelled – attending conference)
December 4
January 8
February 5
March 5
April 2
May 7
June 4
“Bear Behavior: Understanding our Wildlife Neighbors” — Trevor Faust, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Description: Join us in person at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Speaker Series presentation from State Game Warden Trevor Faust from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. In this month’s program “Bear Behavior: Understanding our Wildlife Neighbors” Trevor will be discussing bear behavior and the Dos and Don’ts of bear encounters. He will also cover how bear populations are managed in Pennsylvania, including tranquilizing and relocating them to ensure safety and conservation.
Registration: Please register through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: FREE | Non-members: Suggested donation of $5 per person
To become a member, please visit our Square store at this link!
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Learn more about Trevor:
Trevor is a State Game Warden for the PA Game Commission. He grew up in Bethlehem, PA and after serving in the Marine Corps for 4 years, he joined the Pennsylvania Game Commission in March of 2023.
Beginner Watercolor Workshop with Kay Stauffer
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Beginner Watercolor Workshop with instructor Kay Stauffer! This 6-week course is an introduction to watercolor painting for adults. Learn basic techniques of paint application, how to handle materials, and how to incorporate principles of design, color and composition.
Please note, you will need to purchase materials for this class. After registering, you will receive a materials list for supplies from the instructor, and you will need to bring those supplies to the first class.
This registration is for a 6-week course. Participants are required to attend all 6 classes.
Dates: Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00pm
January 7
January 14
January 21
January 28
February 4
February 11
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: $75 | Non-members: $100
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Intermediate Watercolor Workshop with Kay Stauffer
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for an Intermediate Watercolor Workshop with instructor Kay Stauffer! This 6-week course is a review of watercolor painting for adults; previous experience with watercolor painting is required. The first few weeks will include demonstration and exercises to further your watercolor ability, such as shading, wet on wet, dry brush, glazing, and negative painting. We will then work with design, composition and color theories, for your own individual painting ideas.
Please note, you will need to purchase materials for this class. After registering, you will receive a materials list for supplies from the instructor, and you will need to bring those supplies to the first class.
This registration is for a 6-week course. Participants are required to attend all 6 classes.
Dates: Tuesdays from 12:30-2:30pm
January 7
January 14
January 21
January 28
February 4
February 11
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: $75 | Non-members: $100
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Join us for a discussion of Melissa L. Savigny’s “Brave the Wild River”!
About the Cabin Fever Book Club:
The Cabin Fever Book Club meets once a month during the fall and winter months to discuss fascinating books on such topics as ecology, environmental history, and environmentalism. The 2024-25 Cabin Fever Book Club meetings will take place from 10:00 a.m. to noon on the dates listed below! Books will be available at the Palmerton and Slatington libraries, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, and on Amazon.com (at a cost). Please contact us at mail@lgnc.org if you have any questions, or if you would like to lead a discussion!
2024-2025 Cabin Fever Book Club Reading List:
Coffee Painting Workshop
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Coffee Painting Workshop with instructor Dave Hughes, owner of Deer Trail Studio, In this workshop, participants will learn how to create your very own work of art with coffee as your medium. During the class, you will also learn about how your coffee consumer choices impact conservation and wildlife worldwide. All materials will be provided.
Fee: LGNC members: $25 | Non-members: $30
Date: January 16, 2025 @ 11:00am
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Work in teams to count birds in a rectangular area around Bake Oven Knob! Please contact chad.schwartz@lgnc.org for more information or to sign up.
Beginner Watercolor Workshop with Kay Stauffer
Description: Join us at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Beginner Watercolor Workshop with instructor Kay Stauffer! This 6-week course is an introduction to watercolor painting for adults. Learn basic techniques of paint application, how to handle materials, and how to incorporate principles of design, color and composition.
Please note, you will need to purchase materials for this class. After registering, you will receive a materials list for supplies from the instructor, and you will need to bring those supplies to the first class.
This registration is for a 6-week course. Participants are required to attend all 6 classes.
Dates: Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00pm
January 7
January 14
January 21
January 28
February 4
February 11
Register: Please register online through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: $75 | Non-members: $100
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Donate or Join Today!
Sign up for our email list!
Landscaping for Communities & Wildlife
Click here to visit the Lehigh Valley Native Plant Directory and see our downloadable conservation landscaping resources below!
News and Current Events:
Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch
The 64th Autumn Hawk Count at Bake Oven Knob is off to a flying start! Join as at the hawk watch daily through the last Friday in November! Interested in volunteering? Email us at mail@lgnc.org to learn more!
We send a huge thanks to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for sponsoring this year’s count.
The Neffs National Bank EITC
We are extremely grateful for a generous $20,000 donation from The Neffs National Bank in support of LGNC’s educational outreach to area schools! Donations such as these, made through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, allow LGNC to make nature and science accessible to students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit from environmental education. Thank you!
Remembering Elissa Garofalo
At LGNC, we mourn the passing of one of our most important, long-time partners, Elissa Garofalo. When we began planning the Lehigh Gap Restoration Project in 2002, Elissa directed the Carbon County office of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and became an early supporter, advisor, and friend. It was Elissa who nominated LGNC and the D&L Corridor for the Community Conservation Partnership Award from the U.S. Department of Interior, which we received in 2006. She also led the Lehigh Valley Greenways partnership in its early years, and we served on its steering committee. Later, she became Executive Director at the D&L Corridor when Allen Sachse retired. She always remained an important partner, a great colleague, and a friend. Perhaps Peter Kern said it best:
“Elissa was a unique Carbon County asset and a presence that will be missed. I can’t say enough about her contributions. She was pragmatic and firm in her convictions. I know I am not alone in recognizing her importance. May she rest in peace knowing that she made a difference.”
LGNC Receives Solar Award!
Lehigh Valley organizations receive Lodestar Award for solar energy leadership
On October 27, 2022, the Pennsylvania Solar Center presented regional companies and organizations with the prestigious Lodestar Award, a distinction given to Pennsylvania entities who are leading the way investing in clean and renewable solar energy. Awardees were proud to accept the award at a virtual awards ceremony, and they included:
- Lehigh Gap Nature Center
- Bethlehem Area School District
- Black River Farms
- Crayola
- Evoke Solar
- Gas & Air Systems
- TIW Technology Inc.
LGNC is honored to receive the Lodestar Award recognizing our organization’s green building, the Osprey House. Since it was installed in 2018, LGNC’s 65-panel solar system has not only reduced our carbon footprint, but it has also showcased the benefits of solar energy to thousands of students and others who have visited our wildlife refuge. We are grateful for the Pennsylvania Solar Center’s support and for its commitment to a sustainable energy future in Pennsylvania.
Call for Volunteers
Lehigh Gap Nature Center is looking for volunteers to help with our information desk, our education programming, and the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Count!
• Are you interested in meeting new people and helping visitors who are looking to make the most out of their visit to LGNC? Our Information Specialist volunteers play an important role in keeping our building open daily year-round!
Commitment: 3 to 3.5-hour shifts available year round during business hours
Responsibilities: Staffing the Osprey House front desk; greeting and helping visitors; selling merchandise
• Would you love to teach and engage young people in environmental science? Our Education Team volunteers assist the staff during field trips when nearby schools visit the Nature Center in the fall and spring. Their help allows us to continue inspiring students with our story and connecting them to the outdoors.
Commitment: 2-4 hours per field trip September-November and March-June
Responsibilities: Leading field trip stations for students in grades pre-k through high school
• Have you ever wanted to count migrating birds of prey while enjoying beautiful views? For over 60 years, our Hawk Count volunteers have counted migrating birds that fly past Bake Oven Knob in the late summer and fall. The data collected during these counts are entered into an international research database.
Commitment: 4 to 8-hour shifts available Fridays and Saturdays August-November
Responsibilities: Counting migrating birds and recording data
For all volunteer positions, LGNC will provide training, supplies, and a great experience! There is no obligation to volunteer on a regular basis. Only help out if it fits your schedule.
Our volunteers play a vital role in helping LGNC fulfill its mission. We are so grateful for their dedication, and we would love to welcome more volunteers into our organization!
Please email us at volunteering@lgnc.org or call us at 610-760-8889 if you are interested in learning more.
Exploring the Gap in Virtual Reality
Lehigh University, in partnership with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, is pleased to announce the launch of The Lehigh Gap Story.
Click Here to launch the virtual tour!
Take a virtual hike with avatar bird Brownie to learn about the environmental changes that occurred in the Lehigh River Watershed in Pennsylvania during the past two centuries as a result of the zinc smelting plant operation at the Lehigh Gap.
The Story Mode takes about 15 minutes to complete. We would be grateful if you complete the Story Mode and in the last photosphere, click on the green arrow to take our brief survey to help us learn about your experience.
View the New Lehigh Valley Native Plant Directory
LGNC Online Learning Series
Here is the link to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/LGNC_YouTube
Be sure to like our videos and subscribe to our channel!!!
LGNC Restoration Mini Documentary
Michal Kubik Memorial Education Fund
