Migration Fest to be held at Lehigh Gap Nature Center

On Saturday, Lehigh Gap Nature Center will host its 18th annual Migration Fest, an autumn celebration of Appalachian Mountain ecology along the Kittatinny Ridge.

This year’s festival will highlight the spectacle of bird and butterfly migration, as well as the natural and cultural history of the Lehigh Gap region. All activities will take place or begin at LGNC’s Osprey House visitor and education center.

Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with a bird walk for beginners and families. Binoculars and field guides will be available for visitors to borrow.

Then, immediately following the bird walk, LGNC will lead a field trip to Bake Oven Knob at 10 a.m. to observe the world-famous migration of birds of prey that follows the Kittatinny Ridge each autumn.

At 11 a.m., a butterfly walk around the grounds at the Osprey House and along the D&L Trail will take place. Nets will be available, and all ages are welcome.

A second butterfly walk will begin at 2 p.m. During both walks, we will be tagging monarch butterflies as part of an international effort to study monarch migration patterns.

At 1 p.m., Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will be hosting a live animal presentation in the pavilion. Visitors will learn about the fascinating creatures that live in the local watershed.

Between 3 and 4 p.m., LGNC staff will be to available to lead a tour of the Osprey House and to answer questions about LGNC.

From 4 to 5 p.m., Fred Stine of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network will be presenting the keynote talk — “The Many Values of a Healthy River.”

Spanning 300 miles, the Delaware River Basin provides drinking water for 15 million people — about 5 percent of the nation’s population. Serving as Citizen Action Coordinator for the Delaware Riverkeeper for 24 years, Fred will discuss his organization’s work protecting the river and the many values a healthy river provides, including the benefits of riparian buffers, importance of protecting habitat to maintain biodiversity, and the economic and recreational value the Delaware River provides for the four states that make up its watershed.

Exhibits and display tables at the Osprey House will open to the public at 10 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. This year’s family-fun stations will include interactive migration and watershed displays, as well as nature-themed crafts for kids.

All Migration Fest activities are free to the public.

Children and adults are welcome. The Osprey House is located at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center off Paint Mill Road in Washington Township, Lehigh County, north of Slatington.

For directions to the Osprey House, visit http://lgnc.org/how-to-get-here or call LGNC at 610-760-8889.

LGNC is a nonprofit, member supported, environmental education and wildlife conservation organization with its office at Lehigh Gap between Slatington and Palmerton.