Northampton County Parks & Recreation

Spring is in full swing. Our May meeting had 27 attendees from 21 organizations across multiple counties! We discussed, as we do every month, approaches to preserving and improving the region’s natural resources.

Take a look at the rundown for your local organization!

APWC-Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy
Bertsch-Hokendauqua-Catasauqua Watershed Association
Bucks County Conservation District
Bushkill Stream Conservancy
Cooks Creek Watershed Association
Fry's Run Watershed Association
Little Lehigh Watershed Stewards
Martins Jacoby Watershed Association
Monocacy Creek Watershed Association
Monroe County Conservation District
Neshaminy Watershed Association
North Pocono C A R E
Northampton County Conservation District
Northampton County Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia Water Department
PSE Master Watershed Steward Program
PSU Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training
Saucon Creek Watershed Association
Tobyhanna Creek Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Association
Tohickon Watershed Association
Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!
Now Hiring
Part-time seasonal help.
Flexible Hours
Now through October.
Go here to apply—https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northamptoncounty/jobs/5278347/seasonal-parks-staff?page=4&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

Can't wait for this year's Sojourn! Sign up today :)

Results of the Envirothon are in!

Volunteers with the Bushkill Stream Conservancy, the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, and the Master Watershed Steward Program recently helped us seed and mat over 28,500-square-feet of a meadow expansion at Louise Moore Park. The original half-acre meadow was planted in 2019. The expanded meadow is now over one acre in size, adding to the benefits native wildflower meadows provide for pollinators, soil & water health & landscape aesthetics.

Volunteers first helped prepare the meadow seed mix; measure the dimensions of the expansion areas and delineate them into 12 sections with spray-paint; fill up 12 buckets with the seed mix; and then hand seed each of the 12 sections of the meadow expansion.

Then our volunteers spent hours rolling out and stapling down over 30 rolls of 8’x112’ erosion control blankets across the freshly seeded area—about 0.65-acre. These blankets help protect the seeds from wind & rain erosion & help retain moisture for long periods of time underneath the matting, so the seeds stay moist between rain events.

Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers for helping us improve that landscape at Louise Moore Park for conservation & public enjoyment!

Volunteers with Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and the Master Watershed Steward Program recently helped us install three new Purple Martin towers in the Minsi Lake Greenway—one on the East Shore at Minsi Lake and two at Totts Gap Meadows. These volunteers also helped us hang the 144 Purple Martin gourds or condos on the eight martin towers that had previously been installed on the West & East Shores at Minsi Lake. Each tower—the new ones and the old ones—support 18 condos as nesting structures for Martins. The martin condos are removed, cleaned out and stored indoors over the winter. The Minsi Lake Greenway is now home to 11 Purple Martin towers and 198 Purple Martin condos, making it the largest martin colony in the region.

Due to habitat loss & nesting competition by highly invasive and aggressive cavity nesters, like European Starlings & English House Sparrows, Purple Martins east of the Rocky Mountains are totally dependent on artificial nesting cavities for reproduction. Coupled with the fact that Martin populations have plummeted since the 1960s, they are listed by the PA Game Commission & PA Audubon Society as Bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Providing human-made nesting structures is now critical to the reproduction success of Purple Martins.

These amazing songbirds breed & nest at places like Minsi Lake here in North America & spend their winters in the Amazon Basin of South America. Our martins are just now starting to show up at the Lake & we are excited to host our feathered friends for another nesting season in the Minsi Lake Greenway!

https://norcoparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=162

📢 YOU'RE INVITED to Wildlands Conservancy's partnership event, the LEHIGH RIVER SOJOURN, in its 30th year! Paddle 🚣 & pedal 🚴 into summer with 1, 2, or ALL 3 days of family-friendly fun!

🛶 Whitewater rafting, canoeing, paddleboarding, and biking. SAVE 10% on whitewater rafting thru. Apr. 30!
🏕 Opt to camp for FREE
🥪 FREE meals included
🦉 Educational programming from local organizations, including Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, and Walnutport Canal Association!

WHEN: Friday, June 19 thru Sun., June 21
WHERE: Multiple locations along the Lehigh River
🔗 MORE INFO & REGISTER at wildlandspa.org/lehighriversojourn

See you on the river 🌊

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2026

[Northampton County, PA] – On Tuesday March 31, motorists can expect part of Institute Drive to be closed in the Totts Gap Conservation Area for the next several weeks to protect breeding amphibians. The closure will extend from Totts Gap Road west on Institute Drive for about one-half mile to allow for amphibian migrations to breeding pools without the risk of being crushed by vehicle tires.

In partnership with Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County Parks, Recreation and Conservation is taking steps to protect migrating amphibians by closing the eastern half of Institute Drive through the County’s Totts Gap Conservation Area from March 31 through May 1.

The trigger for the crossing will be a forecast calling for evening rain with mild temperatures, generally above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Since amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders) are primarily active at night, you can observe their migration from dusk until dawn as long as conditions remain favorable.

“Recommendations from the County’s Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway & Stewardship plan highlight the need for protection of critical landscapes. This temporary closure is a major step in the ongoing efforts of provide sustainable conservation practices,” said Bryan Cope, Parks, Recreation and Conservation Administrator with Northampton County.

The woodlands on either side of Institute Drive are home to the largest concentration of natural seasonal pools and associated species of amphibians anywhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Some of these species are listed as threatened and endangered by the PA Fish & Boat Commission, which oversees the Commonwealth’s fish, reptiles, and amphibians.

For more information on the natural phenomenon of springtime amphibian migrations and how motorists can help protect them in their travels, log onto https://www.shaverscreek.org/2016/04/18/amphibians-on-the-move/.
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We are excited to announce the Call for Presenters is open for the 2026 Eastern PA Greenways & Trails Summit. Proposals are due Friday, April 24.
Members of the regional trails community are invited to contribute to three days of speakers, breakout sessions and discussions on leading topics in greenways and trail development. Proposals can be submitted online at delawareandlehigh.org/2026-eastern-pennsylvania-greenways-trails-summit/

📣 Call for Presentation Proposals!
2026 Eastern PA Greenways & Trails Summit
📍 September 16–18, Bethlehem, PA

The planning committee has officially opened the Call for Presentation Proposals for this year’s Eastern PA Greenways & Trails Summit! Trail and greenway professionals, community partners, planners, and advocates are invited to share their expertise during three days of speakers, breakout sessions, and discussions centered on the future of trails in our region.

✨ Proposal Deadline: Friday, April 24, 2026

Questions? Contact: [email protected]

👉 Registration Link in the Comments