Farms at the base of the Kittatinny participate in Lehigh County Open Gate Farm Tour

This past Sunday various farms in Lehigh County such as Byler's Farm in Slatington and Blue Mountain Vineyards in New Tripoli participated in the Open Gate Farm Tour sponsored by Penn State Extension. The Allentown Morning Call reports that this annual event has been conducted in Lehigh County for over 40 years and invites residents and visitors to learn more about local agriculture. To learn more about farms that participated, view the 2012 Open Gate Farm Tour brochure.

Groundbreaking on new Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center building

Artist's rendering of new facility.  Source: Allentown Morning Call.

Construction has begun on a new building to house the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, located at the base of the Kittatinny Ridge near Wind Gap, PA.  The new 9,300 facility will include a "green" roof planted with vegetation, solar panels for power, geothermal heating and cooling, on-site stormwater filtration, water-conserving plumbing, and recycled materials purchased locally according to a recent article in Allentown's Morning Call.  PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan noted that new center will be a keystone of public outreach and education efforts related to Lehigh Valley Greenways landscape conservation work.

While it will come in advance of completion of the new center, be sure to register for Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center's upcoming two-day workshop focused on The Kittatinny Ridge!  Presenters will include Little Gap Bird Observatory, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Moravian College, Wildlands Conservancy, AUdubon Pennsylvania and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  Visit the DCNR event listing for more information.

Lehigh Valley municipalities form Birdtown Coalition

Vision: Municipalities within the Lehigh Valley are places where people love to live, work, and visit because the residents and officials actively support and recognize the value of birds and nature to thTeir own quality of life and culture.

Mission: To create a sustainable driver for regional long term environmental stewardship across the Lehigh Valley by creating awareness of the linkage of birds to the natural environment. 

Audubon Bird Town works to protect birds, not only because they are beautiful and awe inspiring, but because they are the touchstone of biological health. The vast distances they travel and the diverse ecosystems on which they depend, make them unique barometers of our planets health as well as our neighborhoods and backyards. When birds are at risk, so too is the greater ecosystem, the intricate web of life, and ultimately, humans. When we help birds and their habitats we help ourselves.

Lehigh Valley Bird Town: The coalition was founded to support Allentown Bird Town, but quickly expanded in recognition that Allentown’s success would be enhanced by involvement across the Lehigh Valley. The coalition is a collaboration of independent organizations brought together through our shared mission. By working closely together, the coalition will build success by leveraging individual and joint efforts of its members while each organization retains its own separate identity. Through our activities we will achieve broad demographic, geographic and habitat coverage. All of our activities will encourage proper Birding ethics.

Coalition Membership: We encourage regional and local, private, public and government organizations that share our mission and are willing to participate by supporting Bird Town events, habitat demonstration, or funding. It is our hope that additional Audubon Bird Towns will be created within the geography of this coalition. 


For more info check out the Lehigh Valley Birdtown blog!