Lehigh Gap Nature Center is forming a new club of nature explorers. The club is free and open to all elementary-aged students currently in grades two through six.

Club members will explore the habitats of the nature center and beyond and will learn about birds, butterflies, bees, native plants and other creatures. They will also explore forests, grasslands, ponds, the Lehigh River, and the habitat gardens at LGNC's visitor and education center, the Osprey House.There will also be occasional field trips to other natural areas.The organizational meeting of the LGNC Junior Naturalists Club will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 19. Come prepared to go for a short nature walk outside that morning.The schedule of club meetings will be determined by the participants.In addition to LGNC staff serving as the club leaders, the members of LGNC's Naturalist Club for middle- and high-school students will serve as mentors for the Young Naturalists.Parents will also be asked to participate from time to time, especially for field trips that require car pools.LGNC asks parents to contact the nature center to register their children in the club so it can prepare for the first meeting.Register by contacting the center at

lgnc@ptd.net or 610-760-8889 and provide the name of the child/children who will participate. Unregistered children will be welcome as well, but organizers hope to have a good idea of how many participants to expect.The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is a member-supported, wildlife conservation and environmental education organization with its office located at the Osprey House, Paint Mill Road in Lehigh Gap.For more information about the Center and its programs, contact them or check the website at

http://lgnc.org.