Projects

Moon Lake is a  former Luzerne County park that was transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to become a part of the Pinchot State Forest.  Located off PA Route 29 near the Ceasetown/ Pike's Creek Reservoir, the 942-acre Moon Lake Recreation Area is comprised of grasslands, mixed forests, and a 48-acre spring-fed lake. This variety of habitats makes the Recreation Area a great birding area for all levels of expertise at all times of the year and the various trails and roads make many areas accessible to many

In 2017, the GWVAS formed a partnership with DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry to enhance existing habitats, to create other suitable habitats for birds, and to promote the Moon Lake Recreation Area as a birding destination. Several projects have been completed, and others are planned. Among the completed projects are the installation of nest boxes for Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, and American Kestrels, and a GWVAS-created bird checklist, copies of which are available at kiosks and online at https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=1750452&DocName=Moon%20Lake%20Bird%20List%20Final.pdf.  A native plant pollinator garden and  native shrubs have been planted by GWVAS near the entrance surrounded by a wildflower meadow planted by Forestry. Birding and plant field trips as well as astronomy nights have been held. This project is ongoing. Project participants are welcome, and anyone who would like to become involved with this project may contact us.

The Audubon Trail at the Seven Tubs Nature Area

In the early 1990s, the GWVAS partnered with Luzerne County’s Tubs Advisory Council, whose members oversaw the creation of a then new Luzerne County park known as the Seven Tubs Nature Area. GWVAS members developed an approximately 1.5-mile loop trail at the Tubs. In 1992, the GWVAS was recognized for its efforts at the Seven Tubs with a “Take Pride in Pennsylvania” Award “In recognition of outstanding contributions to the stewardship of Pennsylvania’s public lands and cultural resources.”

In 2014, ownership of the Seven Tubs Nature Area was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and placed under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Now a part of the Pinchot State Forest, the Seven Tubs is managed and maintained by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry and  the “Audubon Loop” trail remains a popular hiking trail.

 Also in the early 1990s, the GWVAS began assisting with the development of a conservation easement for an eighty-acre farm in Nescopeck Township in southern Luzerne County. The easement was finalized in 2000, and for several years after the establishment of the easement, the GWVAS served as steward of the property until those duties were transferred to the easement holder, the North Branch Land Trust, in 2016. Although the farm is privately owned, it will be protected as open space in perpetuity even as the ownership changes hands.