Nestled within the Kittatinny Ridge alongside the Lehigh River, Lehigh Gap Nature Center (LGNC) is the first and only environmental education center in the U.S. created from a federal Superfund pollution cleanup site. When LGNC was established in 2002, much of the mountainside in our surrounding area was barren and lifeless, scarred by decades of industrial pollution. LGNC’s efforts to revegetate several hundred acres of this former ‘moonscape’ have not only successfully revitalized the mountain – they have also established a community resource that is now enjoyed by thousands of visitors per year. Today, the restored site is home to a 756-acre wildlife refuge featuring hundreds of native species, 13 miles of trails, and endless opportunities for learning, ecological research, and outdoor recreation.
our mission
The mission of Lehigh Gap Nature Center is to improve the quality of life of present and future generations by protecting the wildlife and enhancing the habitats of our Refuge, the neighboring Kittatinny Ridge, and the Lehigh River Watershed through conservation, education, research, and outdoor recreation.
Our Vision
We envision a future in which communities and individuals achieve, sustain, and support healthy and connected ecosystems at Lehigh Gap, on the Kittatinny Ridge, and throughout the Lehigh River Watershed. This vision remains one of hope: we inspire action by restoring ecological function and beauty where it has been damaged and protecting those places that remain healthy. We envision a growing inclusive community of residents who are deeply connected to nature and support conservation in succeeding generations.
Inclusion statement
We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are critical to sustaining the conservation movement. We recognize that, in order to be equitable and sustainable, conservation must represent all people – especially those who, due to deeply rooted systemic barriers, have been excluded from the conservation conversation and disproportionately subjected to environmental injustice. We therefore commit to fostering inclusion by listening to the needs of our constituents to best understand community priorities, diversifying conservation leadership, and connecting people of all backgrounds with nature and the outdoors to broaden support for conservation.
Native land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge with humility and respect that Lehigh Gap Nature Center is situated in Lenapehoking — the traditional homeland of the Lenape People. For thousands of years prior to European contact, the Lenape People and their ancestors hunted, gathered, farmed, and travelled on the area of the Kittatinny that today encompasses the Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge. The Lenape People remain the ongoing keepers of their ancestral lands.
Join us as we improve our corner of the Earth
We believe that protecting the ecological integrity of the Lehigh Gap Wildlife Refuge, the Kittatinny Ridge, and the Lehigh River Watershed is important not only to supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, and ecosystem services, but also to maintaining quality of life for people within and beyond our region.
learn more about our strategic priorities
LGNC Strategic Framework 2022-26