Lehigh Gap Nature Center

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Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Promoting conservation through environmental education, ecological research, and outdoor recreation Conservation, Education, and Research
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05/30/2026

Recently sighted at Lehigh Gap Nature Center: Spotted Sandpiper! That‘s right, not all sandpipers hang out on ocean beaches. THIS species prefers to nest by a lake, river, or stream.

Cool fact: some females take more than one mate (sometimes as many as four!) She arrives first on the breeding grounds, grabs a territory, chooses her partner(s), and lays the eggs; he (and he and he) incubates the eggs and cares for the young!

📸: Rhododendrites (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

05/28/2026

Young explorers of all ages are invited to discover the cool critters of LGNC this summer during our Junior Explorer Nature Walk! This family-friendly nature walk will begin at LGNC’s Osprey House and insect nets will be provided. Register now at this link, spots are limited! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/junior-explorer-nature-walk-june--10

05/27/2026

Yes, that’s a yucca — a plant you probably know as a desert dweller — growing happily along the LNE Trail up above the Lehigh River. No, it doesn’t mean climate warming trends are getting extreme!

Yucca filamentosa, AKA Adam’s Needle, likes humid Pennsylvania summers and cold winters just fine. Botanists aren’t 100% sure of its original home range in North America, but some suspect Native Americans moved it around. After all, it’s a useful plant when you’ve living off the land; the roots release a soapy compound, useful for cleaning up, and the leaves yield fibers that can be twisted into rope. Check on it in a week or so to see the flower stalk in full bloom!

📸: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

05/26/2026

Get outdoors with us! 🚴Register now for one of our upcoming June events 😎 Bike on the D&L trail, raft down the Lehigh River, learn about pollinators in our native Sensory Garden, and much more! Spots are limited, click the link to check out our Calendar of Events: https://lgnc.org/events/list/

05/23/2026

There’s so much to see at the Gap! Beyond the birds and the wildflowers, spare a glance for the rocks next time you visit. Sandstone from the Shawangunk Formation is exposed along the D&L and LNE trails, and in places you can see evidence of how this ancient sedimentary rock was laid down more than 400 million years ago, as fast-flowing rivers left ripples in quartz-rich sand.

📸: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

05/21/2026

Mark your calendars for Pollinator Day on Saturday, June 20th from 10am-3pm! This year's theme is all about butterflies 🦋 Don't miss out on our Native Plant Sale, guided walks, displays, local artists, activities for all ages, and the Buns on the Go food truck. This family-friendly event is FREE to attend and no RSVP is required.

Schedule of Events:
10:00 a.m. — Pollinator Walk. Discover the many pollinators that live in LGNC’s habitat gardens, kids and adults are encouraged to attend. Insect nets will be provided.
11:00 a.m. — Presentation from Folk's Butterfly Farm
1:00 p.m. — Native Plant Walk. Learn about the 200+ species of native plants in LGNC’s Sensory Garden.
2:00 p.m. — Pollinator Walk. Discover the many pollinators that live in LGNC’s habitat gardens, kids and adults are encouraged to attend. Insect nets will be provided.

All day activities will include facepainting, butterfly photo station, create pollinator-inspired art with the Nurture Nature Center, games, and family friendly activities!

Native Plant Sale — Select from a large variety of native plants at LGNC’s popular summer plant sale! All proceeds from the plant sale will support LGNC’s native landscaping programs.

Art Exhibition — Calling all artists! Submit your artwork now for the Pollinator Day 2026 art exhibition! Artwork must highlight butterflies in celebration of this month's theme. Spread the word and click the link for more details and to submit your work: https://forms.gle/4qXo4cQ945U61K8x6 🦋 Submissions close on June 12th.

05/20/2026

Keep your eyes peeled for micro-fauna . . . like these pea-sized woodland snails, which were having a munch in our Pollinator Garden the other day. (If you know the species, let us know in comments; Pennsylvania is home to more than 100 species of land snails and land-dwelling slugs!)

Think of land snails as “calcium concentrators." They take up calcium as they rasp away at leaves, decaying wood, shed antlers, carcasses, algae and lichens, calcium-rich rock, and even animal s**t (what a menu!). Then they stash that essential mineral in their shells. Eventually, many snails end up eaten . . . by a whole forest’s worth of wildlife including songbirds like jays, crows, and thrushes, grouse and turkey, raccoons, mice and squirrels, not to mention salamanders and turtles. Species that lay shelled eggs seem to benefit from the calcium boost!

📸: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

05/16/2026

Our “green roof“ is in the pink! The beautiful moss phlox blooming now on the shed roof in our Pollinator Garden shows how you can use beneficial native plants, rather than boring old shingles, to cover your roof.

A carpet of plants is great insulation and reduces stormwater runoff (protecting your basement!)…all while helping native pollinators in early spring. Moss phlox (Phlox subulata) (the “creeping” phlox with the needle-like leaves) is ideal for green roofs. It does a great job holding soil in place, and it grows in dense mats, leaving no room for weeds. Come by the garden and check it out!

📸: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

05/15/2026

Calling All Artists! 🎨📸 Submit your artwork now for the Pollinator Day 2026 art exhibition! Artwork must highlight butterflies in celebration of this month's theme! Spread the word and click the link for more details and to submit your work: https://forms.gle/nu87DBLznB7UmkfN8 🦋 Submissions close on June 12th.

05/13/2026

Here’s what’s blooming at the Gap: Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), putting on a lacy white show along the D&L trail this week.

Did you know we have two (count ’em) TWO species of elderberry here in PA? Most folks know Black Elderberry — yup, the one with the black berries, which make delicious cordial or jam. Red Elderberry blooms earlier than Black, and it has cone-shaped white flowerheads (Black has flat ones).

The red berries, which will form in June or July, are not so delicious to us humans (and they contain chemicals that will totally mess with your digestive tract). But wild animals find them delicious and nutritious — everyone from thrushes, catbirds, and Cedar Waxwings to chipmunks, raccoons, and even black bears!

📸: Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Address

8844 Paint Mill Road
Slatington, PA
18080

Telephone

+16107608889

Website

http://www.lgnc.org/

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