6th Annual Migration Fest at Lehigh Gap Nature Center
6th Annual Migration Fest at Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Slatington, PA
A family-friendly celebration of the natural and cultural heritage of the Kittatinny Ridge at the Lehigh Gap at Lehigh Gap Nature Center (8844 Paint Mill Rd., Slatington, PA 18080)
FREE
We invite you to celebrate the ecology and culture of the Lehigh Gap and Kittatinny Ridge, and to experience the autumn bird and butterfly migration at Migration Fest, a FREE festival that will feature nature programs, local history displays, music, food, and crafts. The festival will take place at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, a 750-acre wildlife refuge and environmental education center nestled within a quaint divide in the Kittatinny Ridge carved by the Lehigh River.
Activities include: Local artisans selling and demonstrating their crafts Crafts for children Live music Local food vendors Field trip to the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch to observe migrating birds along the Kittatinny Ridge Live reptile/amphibian, macroinvertebrate, raptor, and monarch butterfly programs at the Osprey House, the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s headquarters Guided nature walks and programs on the Le
high Gap Wildlife Refuge Partner organizations providing information on the natural and cultural heritage of the Lehigh Gap and Kittatinny Ridge
Background:
Stretching more than 200 miles across southeastern Pennsylvania, the Kittatinny Ridge (known locally as the Blue Mountain) is a natural and cultural landmark. A green corridor comprising vast expanses of uninterrupted habitat for native wildlife, the Ridge also guides thousands of migrating hawks, eagles, falcons, and other birds to and from their wintering grounds each autumn and spring. In the midst of their remarkable southward journeys, such birds (as well as migratory monarch butterflies) are annually counted by Lehigh Gap Nature Center interns and volunteers at the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch. Beyond its ecological value, the Kittatinny has provided food, shelter, and natural resources for human populations in the vicinity of the Lehigh Gap for over 10,000 years. The Lehigh Gap Nature Center itself features many historical remnants from the area’s Lenape Indians, as well as from the colonial and industrial periods. Since 2001, Migration Fest has paid homage to the rich natural and cultural history of the Lehigh Gap and Kittatinny Ridge, with a particular emphasis on avian migration.
