The Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington will soon end a trail-side exhibit near the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor trail.

The exhibit, hosted by the Naturalists Club in conjunction with the William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia, has been teaching trail users about the importance of water quality.The club has been educating trail usersabout the watershed.About 3 million people drink water from the Delaware River, which the Lehigh River flows into."Some people are aware, some aren't, and they want to know because they use the resources," says Dan Kunkle of the nature center.The exhibit is a pilot project to engage the trail land river users. It has just ended its third week.The club experimented with several different locations."People walking on the trail don't stop, so we put it where bathrooms and water fountains are," Kunkle said."We tell people about the Lehigh River watershed and the effects of using pesticides due to runoff," said Kenny Moyer, who just joined the Naturalists Club.Club members Moyer, Kelci Knirnschild, Hunter Hanzarik and Wyatt Trantham work at the exhibit.The Naturalist Club also does butterfly walks and a summer ecology camp. The five-day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. camp is for kids going to sixth, seventh and eighth grade."I love engaging kids. They want to learn and always walk away happy," Knirnschild said.The club has also done bird surveys and went to Middle Creek Wildlife Management area.At the exhibit at the LGNC, the club has live specimen from the river and trail including grasshoppers, butterflies and a snake named Maize."People love the snake and taking pictures of it," Moyer said."Maize helps people get over their fear of snakes," Trantham said. "One time a lady came and put Maize around her neck and walked away not afraid."Overall, the exhibit offers a "serious message," Kunkle said.The exhibit has information about the watershed, creatures that inhabit the area and more. There is also free water for trail users.The program will continue into the first week of August.Visit

http://lgnc.org for more information.