Upcoming events at LGNC:
Description: Experience the marvel of autumn bird migration at the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch! Over the past 64 years, LGNC and its founding members have counted over 800,000 migrating birds of prey at Bake Oven Knob, a rocky outcropping atop the Kittatinny Ridge. From the Bake Oven Knob parking lot, we will hike a short but rocky section of the Appalachian Trail to a lookout where we’ll observe the migration.
Location: Please note that this program will meet at the Bake Oven Knob parking lot. For directions, see this link.
Registration: Please register online at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: FREE | Non-members: FREE
To become a member, please visit our Square store at this link!
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Pack up your paints and spend a day plein air painting at Lehigh Gap Nature Center! Join us on October 30th from 10:00am – 1:00pm for this open-format program where each participant is invited to bring their own supplies (all mediums are welcome!) and create artwork outside inspired by the Lehigh Gap Refuge!
Compact travel easels are available to borrow, but you are welcome to bring your own set up. Each person must bring their own art supplies. We have water containers for paint and limited brushes available to borrow. The plein air session will take place outside, please dress for the weather and wear shoes fit for walking outside.
Fee: FREE!
Registration: Click here to RSVP now!
To become a member, please visit our Square store at this link!
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Description: You are invited to explore the trails at Lehigh Gap Nature Center on a guided hike! Join LGNC Caretaker Greg for a difficult level guided hike on LGNC trails. This month, we will be hiking the “Ridge Top Hike” to the towers on top of the refuge, which is about 7 miles long and travels through the Appalachian Trail/Bypass Trail, Charcoal Trail, Prairie Grass Trail, and LNE Trail. Learn more about these trails at this link: Trail Map and Guides | Lehigh Gap Nature Center (lgnc.org)
PLEASE NOTE: This difficult hike is suitable for experienced hikers. We will meet at LGNC’s Osprey House at 8:00am. Please wear closed-toe hiking boots and dress for the weather. Participants are encouraged to pack water and snacks, and wear orange because a portion of the trail goes through State Game Lands.
Registration: Please register through Zeffy at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: FREE | Non-members: $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.
Description: Experience the marvel of autumn bird migration at the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch! Over the past 64 years, LGNC and its founding members have counted over 800,000 migrating birds of prey at Bake Oven Knob, a rocky outcropping atop the Kittatinny Ridge. From the Bake Oven Knob parking lot, we will hike a short but rocky section of the Appalachian Trail to a lookout where we’ll observe the migration.
Location: Please note that this program will meet at the Bake Oven Knob parking lot. For directions, see this link.
Registration: Please register online at this link!
Fee: LGNC members: FREE | Non-members: FREE
To become a member, please visit our Square store at this link!
Questions? Contact us at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.
Join us for a discussion of Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Ministry for the Future”!
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:
“Discovering Our Garden Pollinators” — Karen Campbell
Description: Join us in person at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Speaker Series presentation from certified pollinator steward and macro photographer Karen Campbell. Join us for an exciting photographic journey to discover the pollinators inhabiting your yard, gardens and wild places! We’ll discover what pollination is from the flowering plants’ perspective, who their pollinators are, and why insects service our plants. With her stunning macro photographs, we’ll be able to see these pollinators in action. Karen will inspire you to take a closer look at your flowers to “discover” their pollinators, that are more than just bees!
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 Karen:
Karen Campbell is a naturalist and award-winning macro photographer whose subjects are native plants and wildlife interactions in our yards and local natural spaces. Her goal is to bring awareness of our amazing nature to encourage people to preserve and restore our natural habitats. Most of Karen’s images are taken on her property in Lehigh County, PA, where she and her husband Gary, a horticulturist specializing in natural landscape design, have transformed an old corn field to a native plant preserve. Karen is a virtual photography instructor through the MN Arboretum, a Certified Pollinator Steward through Pollinator Partnerships, and is currently working on completion of the PA Master Naturalist program. You can see her work on FocusOnNatives.com where she writes photo blogs, or follow her posts on Instagram @KarenInNature.
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
Join us for LGNC’s annual holiday tradition!
DIY Wreath and Swag Making — Make your own holiday wreath or swag! Fresh greens and wire will be provided. Bring your own wreath ring if you have one. A limited supply of metal wreath rings will be available for a $5.00 donation.
Live Music
Optics Sales — Purchase a holiday gift for the naturalist in your family!
Holiday Treat Potluck — Bring some holiday cookies or other goodies to share!
Quilt Raffle — Enter for a chance to win a beautiful handmade quilt!
“Cool Stuff I Have Learned About Birds” — Susan Gallagher, Carbon County Environmental Education Center
Description: Join us in person at Lehigh Gap Nature Center for a Speaker Series presentation from Susan Gallagher from the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. In this month’s program “Cool Stuff I Have Learned about Birds” Susan will be discussing her experiences as a wildlife rehabilitator. Susan Gallagher once shared a hotel room with a red-tailed hawk, and was surprised to find the bird talking in its sleep. The experience inspired the program “Cool Things I’ve Learned About Birds”, which chronicles the rehabilitator’s nearly 40 years of hands-on work with raptors and other wildlife.
PLEASE NOTE: This month’s speaker series is 6:00pm-7:00pm.
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.
Join us for a discussion of William Sargeant’s “Crab Wars”!
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:
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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
