Join us for the second Kittatinny Science Summit on February 27

Wednesday, February 27, 2013  9:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Slatington, PA ~ RSVP

Please join us for the second Kittatinny Science and Research Summit to be held at Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, PA on February 27.

This year’s summit will focus on “Closing the Gaps.” We will learn about ongoing research and monitoring projects that are gathering information that is important to conservation of the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor. And we will have several breakout sessions to help us plan new initiatives for research and monitoring that gather critical information for conservation.  Learn more about last year's Summit.

Diane Husic of Moravian College and Lehigh Gap Nature Center will moderate the Summit. Presenters will include:

• Kim McKee, Appalachian Trail Conservancy
• Marian Orlouski, Appalachian Trail Conservancy
• Elizabeth Crisfield, Penn State University
• Terry Master, East Stroudsburg University
• Dave Mitchell, PA Game Commission

In addition, there will be several breakout sessions including:

• Planning for an all Kittatinny Ridge breeding bird survey
• Addressing threats and planning for habitat quality assessment along the ridge and corridor

These sessions will focus on concrete ways to gather information to fill in data gaps in our knowledge of the Ridge to inform our conservation work.

We will conclude with ideas for moving forward with monitoring and filling in the data gaps, plus concrete methods for addressing some of the threats, such as right-of-way management.

Lunch will be provided to summit participants. A final, detailed agenda will be sent to participants prior to the summit. Registration will be at 9:30 a.m with the Summit beginning at 9:45.

The Summit is part of the work of the Kittatinny Coalition (http://kittatinnyridge.org/) and is funded in part by PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Lehigh Valley Greenway, Conservation Landscape Initiative.

For directions to Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Osprey House, see http://lgnc.org/maps-directions.

PLEASE RSVP TO danlgnc@ptd.net BY FEBRUARY 20. THANKS.

Migration Fest coming up at Lehigh Gap Nature Center

The weekend of September 28-29th be sure to make it over to Lehigh Gap Nature Center at the base of the Kittatinny Ridge in Slatington, PA for Migration Fest 2012!   This weekend-long festival is a celebration of the autumn migration and Appalachian ecology of the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor.

Outdoor and environmental education activities for the whole family range from grassland hikes to hawk identification programs to live amphibians and reptiles on display and much more.   Events kick off on Saturday, September 29th at 9:00am.   Visit the Lehigh Gap Nature Center web site for more information or click here to download the Migration Fest Flyer.

"Atop the Kittatinny Ridge" report from the Baypoll Blog

Blogger Corey Husic is a teenage nature and birding enthusiast from eastern Pennsylvania that has more has recently become interested in insects and native plants.

Check out his recent account of field work with fellow interns at Lehigh Gap Nature Center on The Baypoll Blog.  The group took to the Kittatinny Ridge above Palmerton, PA, site of the Superfund Restoration efforts, to study burned areas along the re-vegetated grasslands and the effects of the burns on the various plant communities.

Scouting volunteers help create habitat for butterflies at Lehigh Gap

Scouting volunteers from Bangor and Breiningsville recently assisted with a planting event on the Kittatinny Ridge in early May, helping to restore habitat for regal fritillaries at Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, PA.

Read more in Greater Hazleton's Standard Speaker's coverage of the event: Scouting volunteers attempt to create habitat for rare butterfly 

Lehigh Gap Nature Center staff and Audubon PA reps were on hand to assist and educate the scouts as they planted, seven species of flowers useful to many other species of butterflies and other insects, not just the regal fritillary. Slideshow below!