A Call to Preserve the Wild Heart of Lehigh Valley

Our family’s 20 acres of land in Allen Township, Northampton, Pennsylvania are more than just farm fields, wild woods, and rolling hills — they are alive. They are home. They are a refuge for countless species of birds, mammals, plants, and pollinators… who now depend on us.

In recent years, we have watched with heavy hearts as the hill adjacent to us was razed for development. Trees that had stood for generations were cut down. Entire farm fields were bulldozed. Roads were paved where meadows once bloomed. Heavy machinery shook the ground day after day. Blasting tore through rock for drainage systems. It was not just land that was disturbed — the whole delicately balanced ecosystem was shaken, uprooted, and displaced.

And yet, in the wake of this destruction, something hopeful emerged. The displaced wildlife began to seek shelter with us, joining the longtime wild residents already dwelling here. What has taken shape on our land is nothing less than a living refuge — a veritable symphony of birds and insects, a rich tapestry of colors and delights woven across the fields, woods, and stream. 

Between our longtime wild friends here and our refugee additions, we now host the following on our land: families of Great Horned Owls and Screech Owls calling through the night; Red-Tailed Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks gliding in the daylight skies; with the occasional eagle — both Bald and Golden — perched high in the trees on rare occasion. Great Blue Herons stalk the edges of our stream in solemn grace. Cardinals flash red, blue jays shout from the branches, and pileated woodpeckers drum through the forest. Tiny songbirds stitch music into the air: chickadees, wrens, finches, goldfinches, and even red-winged blackbirds among the brush and reeds.

Even now, in early autumn, a great flock of over 60 robins follows the mower, feasting on grubs for days in the fresh-cut grass. I regularly see four beautiful female turkeys silently tiptoeing through the yard, slipping from one patch of woods to another until they disappear again into the thick underbrush. Herds of whitetail deer wander through the yard. Rabbits dart through hedgerows, chipmunks come out of hiding for a moment and then vanish again under a bramble, while squirrels collect black walnuts diligently in preparation for winter. Groundhogs lumber quietly near the stream. Insects hum through the meadows, pollinators flourish in the wildflowers, and once — to our astonishment — a bear cub appeared along the woodland trail, reminding us that even here, the deep wilderness is not so far away.

This is not coincidence. This is the natural world seeking sanctuary where it can still survive. Our land & organic permaculture homestead is a living mosaic of old farmland, thick forest, and grassy rolling hills, dotted with trees and wild scrubby patches of native flora. It is anchored by a small wetland stream with a riparian buffer of native growth — a humble farm runoff that seems to be spring-fed from a couple of natural springs along the way. Brimming with wild native plants, permaculture herb & flower beds, and busily-buzzing insects, it has become an unintended refuge. Additionally, we are blessed with neighbors who have already joined together in the past to create a no-hunting zone, ensuring that wildlife feels safe to thrive.

But our land alone is not enough. The Lehigh Valley is at a tipping point. Just this year, we learned from Northampton Area School District that 2,000 more homes are planned in the coming years, with construction already underway. A fifth elementary school is even being planned to accommodate the influx of families. Development in itself is not the enemy — families need homes. But when growth comes at the expense of every last wild acre, when farmland vanishes and green corridors disappear, when construction leaves no buffer zones, no wild areas, no preserved land — then the balance tips too far.

We believe there is another way. We believe Allen Township, Northampton, and the entire Lehigh Valley can and must adopt sustainable development practices. We must conserve remaining farmland. We must create ample parks, preserve wild buffer zones between developments, and safeguard wetlands, woodlands, and streams before they are gone. We must act now — not later.

Our dream — and our commitment — is to continue to preserve this Sanctum we already have been blessed and entrusted with and, someday, we hope to turn our 20 acres LEGALLY into a Conservancy. A permanent, private Nature Refuge for owls, hawks, eagles, deer, bear, songbirds, native plants, and pollinators — an entire ecosystem dependent upon this land and future generations to come, for safe nesting and breeding grounds, naturally-occurring sustenance, and a Forever Sanctuary. So may it Be.

We invite others in Allen Township, Northampton, and the entire Lehigh Valley to join us in doing the same.

Together, as neighbors and community members, we can ensure that our children and future generations will not only have ample schools and cozy homes, but also true wild places woven into the landscape — where they can still hear owls talking to each other at dusk, a woodpecker hammering in the trees, and a redwing blackbird swaying on a branch while pouring its heart out in ethereal song.

Nature and Farmland Preservation Now.

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