Wildlands Conservancy PA

This last Sunday was #NationalHikingDay! Trails like those at our Black River Sanctuary support our region's quality of life and quality of place by creating a healthy, sustainable future. Take it from Leslie Billowitch, president of Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR) Club House, and a member of our community of support who made the newest nature preserve possible. You, too, can help us sustain Black River Sanctuary by donating TODAY at wildlandspa.org/donate

Today is #NationalHikingDay! We are enjoying talking folks on guided hikes at the all-new, now-open Black River Sanctuary! Have you visited yet? We hope it inspires you to match your passion with action. Give TODAY to make a lasting difference out here 🌎🎁 wildlandspa.org/donate Whether it’s a regular dog walking destination, an outdoor adventure for an afternoon, a volunteer day of blazing trails, or career discovery for elementary and college kids alike, places like Black River Sanctuary open a world of amazing possibilities, just by being, well, open. Come explore! (But if you ask us, every day is #NationalHikingDay 😉) Were you at our guided hikes? See if you can spot yourself in these photos! 📸: Steve Miller

What is "high-conservation value" land? Quite a convenient retreat away from the busy centers and suburbs of Allentown and Bethlehem that are... let's face it... only getting busier, Black River Sanctuary's 187 acres are just that. wildlandspa.org/donate Lush with forests, meadows, and mountain streams, high-conservation-value land like Black River Sanctuary is the counterweight we need in an ever-urbanizing region that’s losing 2,000+ acres of open space a year. Match your passion for nature with action by donating TODAY 🎁🌎 wildlandspa.org/donate

There's still time for your camera to explore Black River Sanctuary for our fall photo contest! Special considerations will be given to photos from the newest nature preserve located in 📍 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 🍂📸 Entries are due by THIS FRI., Nov. 8, by 11:59 P.M. 👀 To view rules & prices and to enter, visit the https://lnkd.in/eRKChWKP 📸: @sbmphotography

Happy November! In YOUR neck of the woods, there's a new nature preserve open for you - permanently protected because of the support of people like you! 🌎🎁 Give today wildlandspa.org/donate It’s a convenient backyard retreat, away from the busy centers and suburbs of Allentown and Bethlehem that are…let’s face it…only getting busier. Lush with forests, meadows, and mountain streams, high-conservation value land like Black River Sanctuary is the counterweight we need in an ever-urbanizing region that’s losing 2,000+ acres of open space a year. And out here, right now, we're asking you to generously consider DONATING today for open space and clean water tomorrow – and all the nature we need to feel alive. wildlandspa.org/donate 📸: Steve Miller

Nature is golden right now! By way of colorful leaves, and in the ways nature gives back every time you come explore! When we come together as a community of support, we create a vibrant spectrum of lasting connections to nature, right here at home like with our NOVEMBER PROGRAMS! ✨ 📸 Explore Black River Sanctuary through the lens of your camera for our Fall Photo Contest, open NOW through Fri., Nov. 8! 🦃 Join wildlife biologist Bob Erikson at our nature preserve in Emmaus to learn about wild turkeys! 🍂 Free, guided hikes as part of our Get Out for Wellness program See something you like? Get more info and register at www.wildlandspa.org/events

HUGE NEWS 🎉🌎 Our NEWEST nature preserve, Black River Sanctuary, is officially OPEN! Today, approximately 100 people gathered to celebrate the grand opening of this 187-acre nature preserve located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley near Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There are approximately 3 miles of trails out here for you to explore as well as endless possibilities for viewing wildlife, ooo-ing and aww-ing at fall foliage, and getting connected to nature. Starting now, we invite you to explore Black River Sanctuary! Read more at https://lnkd.in/ewfYMfzC And, sign up for our email newsletter for upcoming get-outdoors adventures!

The Mëkëke trail at our newest nature preserve is derived from the Lenni Lenape's language for the nature in our beautiful region. Mëkëke is Lenape for a meadow, a verb meaning the land has a clearing without trees. (Source:talk-lenape.org) In our case, the meadow supports wildlife habitat with native wildflowers and grasses. We acknowledge that the honorable Lenni Lenape inhabited the land our nature preserves are presently on. They stewarded it with indigenous knowledge, traveled along the springs of South Mountain, and were out here in the Lehigh Valley 10,000+ years before colonialism. Stay tuned for more information on our newest nature preserve! Opening later this month.

Shoutout to some of our most tree-mendous Wildlands friends... our volunteers! Last Friday, Oct. 4, about 40 volunteers joined us to plant 325 native trees along Saucon Creek thanks to @CityofBethlehem. These are part of a larger project totaling 1,025 trees planted in the last year, all to help: 🌊 Improve water quality ⛈ Increase storm/flood resiliency 🐟🦆 Provide wildlife habitat These groups donated their time & talent: Martin Guitar, CHEP, Just Born, Inc., The Lehigh River Fish and Game Protective Association, Guardian Insurance, Wildlands Conservancy's Stream Team, and other members of the public. THANK YOU, volunteers!

So, what goes into opening a nature preserve? 🌎 We told you last week about how we make trails, which is one of the first steps, but there's more: 💚 A community of support! In order for nature preserves, local parks, and trails to significantly contribute to our quality of life, we look to our giving community to keep conservation alive -- today, tomorrow, and always. THANK YOU! 💚 All of our staff have a hand in the process. Our Conservation team works on acquisition, maps, trails, and accessibility. The Development team creates brochures, websites, and giving opportunities to maintain our preserves. And, our Education team connects people to nature by guiding the experience. 💚 Our volunteers help us build and maintain our trails- like the Promise Trail, a nod to @wearepnlv's volunteer corps' time and talent that they generously shared with us at our newest nature preserve (Stay tuned for great news later this month!) Next time you get out here with us, keep in mind that connections to nature are a product of our shared passion! 🌳⛰ 📸: Rachel Butler at our 📍 South Mountain Preserve in Emmaus, Pennsylvania