Friends of Kings Gap

The Friends of Kings Gap recently received a $6,400 grant for the Woodland Vernal Pools Project at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. The foundation that provided the grant wishes to remain anonymous.

The purpose of the Woodland Vernal Pools Project is to increase access to, and public education opportunities within, an under-used wetland area at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, with the wider goal of accomplishing the PA Bureau of State Parks' educational mission and the goals of the South Mountain Conservation Landscape Initiative partnership.

The elements covered by the grant request would include: stabilizing current parking areas to prevent damage by increased use during wet seasons; constructing a small information kiosk with interpretive signage that could be changed as needed; and building a sectional deck that would extend into the shallow end of the largest of three woodland vernal pools to provide easy access during periods of high water.

Rudimentary trails that circuit three wetland pools would also be cleared and blazed, using minimal impact techniques with in-kind volunteer labor. Interpretive displays would be created by park staff as in-kind contributions. 

Easier access would permit more public educational programs focusing on significant seasonal changes in these sensitive areas, including amphibian breeding activity; sampling surveys of reptiles, amphibian and macro invertebrate populations; bird habitats; water quality and geology research. In addition, funds are needed to pay environmental staff to develop, revise and present new and existing programs for community and school groups.