Pool Wildlife Sanctuary-Emmaus (Wildlands Conservancy)
| Lehigh |
| DESCRIPTION: This refuge has over 77 acres of old farmland, second growth woodland, and meadows along the Little Lehigh Creek. The property includes an old farmhouse and barn used as offices and storage with newer buildings housing education centers with meeting rooms. The newest building has a living, green roof. An outdoor composting toilet facility is near the old education building by the parking lot and a Port-a-John is near the pavillion. The grounds also feature a pavilion, a bird blind, an arboretum, ponds, nature trails, a collection of native Pennsylvania trees, deep woods, and wildflower meadow. Open year-round to the public, seven days per week from dawn to dusk. The trails include: the Boardwalk trail along the Little Lehigh Creek, Pheasant Run trail through wooded area past man-made ponds, Woodland trail through upland woods, Meadow trail through meadowland, Arboretum trail through arboretum of Pennsylvania Trees. The sanctuary has Canada Geese, Mallards, Wild Turkeys, a variety of woodpeckers, and the usual suburban woodland/field birds. Sightings have included Belted Kingfisher, American Woodcock, Wood Duck, Common Merganser, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and various warblers in migration. Wood Thrush and Ovenbird have bred here. Flycatchers include Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Eastern Phoebe (breeding). Hawks sighted include Red-tailed and Cooper's, both of which breed here. Owls have also been seen. Great Blue Herons roost in the Sanctuary in the winter. A small herd of White-tailed Deer reside on the property and Red Fox have been sighted. At dusk one can see feeding bats over the creek and meadows. Description adapted from Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinty, available at http://www.lehigh.edu/~bcm0/lvas/BOLV.htm. |
DIRECTIONS: From 1-78: Take the Cedar Crest Boulevard/PA 29 Exit (Exit 55) and go south (toward Emmaus) on Cedar Crest Boulevard for 1.3 miles and turn left on Riverbend Road. Go 0.8 mile and turn right on Orchid Place. Go 0.33 mile and turn right (at the bridge on right) and cross the bridge into the Sanctuary. |
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| Posted: 2010-02-12 00:00:00 Updated: |
