Having trails to hike and bike, streams to fish, woods to explore, lands to hunt, and a river to paddle right here in the Lehigh Valley is something to celebrate.

So, we're doing just that!

More info & let us know you're coming!

A Win for Conservation- Drake's Creek!

Wildlands Conservancy is excited to announce the permanent protection of 633 high-conservation value acres located in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County.

These forests:

• Support clean water through wetland protection
• Include 1.25 miles of Drake's Creek, an important tributary to the Lehigh River
• Expand vernal pool protection (which means saving homes for a variety of species- amphibians and invertebrates)
• Protect Important Bird Area

The property was immediately transferred from Wildlands to the Pennsylvania Game Commission State Game Lands 141 to expand locally accessible public lands and host a wide array of recreation opportunities that can be enjoyed in perpetuity by outdoor enthusiasts.

Make a lasting difference by donating today!

Promise Corps is building the Promise Trail at our 14th and newest nature preserve, Black River Sanctuary, which is underway to be accessible to the community soon (Thanks in part to Promise Neighborhoods!). It is located just a 10-minute drive from their main office on West Union Street in Allentown, and on its 187 acres is a view of the city's skyline and beyond.

Volunteers with Promise Corps, an AmeriCorps-style program of Promise Neighborhoods, also assist with trail maintenance, clearing for trails, and invasive control at our other nature preserves as well as prescribed burns at Thomas Darling.

Program Director Neil Singh says the Promise Corps Environmental Youth Task Force, "gets to see the effects of stewardship and realize the incredible efforts it takes to steward the land with environmental issues and invasive species. They get a view of what's at stake with conservation efforts and a sense of agency to protect it."

The program benefits marginalized groups to whom nature may seem inaccessible and turns nature into a familiar third space. It is equal parts workforce development, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

The environmental improvement aspect (like public green spaces and trash removal) increases civic pride and a sense of community.

Neil and the Promise Corps crew regularly enjoy the fruits of their labor (including spicebush and wineberries), returning to proudly walk the trails they helped build!

In celebration of PA Trails Month, we're catching up with one of our very own trailblazers, Mike. Have you ever been on a trail and thought, "How did this even get here?" Mike, our preserve manager, maps out where the trails should go keeping a few things in mind. The first and foremost is slope. He has a goldilocks rule of slope, which is:

The slope of the trail has to be just right. If it's too flat, the trail will have puddles.

If it's too steep, the trail will erode.

Secondly, Mike looks at the preserve's natural features. Are there high-conservation value areas with rare or threatened ecology to avoid? Are there interest points that the trails can take people to like showpieces?

Third, Mike needs to know the length. How many miles should the trail be? Then, he maps out a few options making sure to utilize any existing trails/roads.

What better way to find the best option than to give the trails a test run (or test walk, rather)! Mike tries out the routes he created, making minor adjustments to redirect as he goes along. Then, the trails are ready for construction!

A new trail section is underway at our Brenner-Penfield Macungie Mountain Preserve! It will add 0.3 miles to the existing 0.2-mile Spicebush Trail, finalizing a half-mile loop.

Rated easy, the new section will gently wind through Macungie Mountain's scenic areas. Trail-goers encounter forests rich with native plants like spicebush thickets and tall tulip poplars, while passing boulders along the way.

Fall Photo Contest

Our nature preserves are picturesque, especially in autumn!

We encourage you to get outdoors and take some fall photography.



Open to photographers of all experience levels on Sun., Oct. 1.

Enter by Thu., Nov. 30 for your chance to win!

View contest rules, prizes, and how to enter!