Dan Kunkle said when a group of friends got together and began looking for a location for an environmental education center they visited a farmhouse on the south end of Lehigh Gap. They made a cold call to the owner.

As they were knocking on the door, they saw an osprey diving into the Lehigh River."We'll have to call this place the Osprey House if we get it," Kunkle said.When the owner was asked if it could be for sale, the group was told it was advertised for sale.They bought the property and the $900,000 cost was paid off in two years. Another $1.2 million went into an addition, sewage treatment and roads, all with no debt.Kunkle, executive director of the center, received the Friend of the Lehigh Award recently from the Lehigh River Sojourners who were traveling on the river.The sojourn, in its 21st year, is Wildlands Conservancy's 32.6-mile guided paddling trip on the Lehigh River. The event begins in the Pocono Mountains and ends in Easton.Kunkle welcomed the water travelers to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and said it was a one-of-a-kind Superfund site that became an environmental education center. In 1983 it was named to the list of Superfund toxic waste sites. It was air pollution - sulfur and smoke - from the New Jersey Zinc Company that killed the vegetation and left 3,000 acres of land that looked like the moon.With the mountain left bare, heavy metals fell on the land. Kunkle said that before the vegetation was restored there would have been no sojourn. Now, he says proudly, "We have turned it into an Environmental Education Center, the only Superfund site where that has occurred."Chris Kocher, president of the Wildlands Conservancy, said its organization protects soil and water. It has nine nature preserves. Among its Conservancy partners are LaFarge, St. Luke's and board of directors of Wildlands. It has helped with the sojourn for 21 years."We recognize individuals that help the river with the Friend of the River award. So far, 100 people and organizations have received the award," Kocher said."Dan Kunkle has been a leader in environmental education. He shows a passion for the work," Kocher said.The center received donations from members, businesses and organizations, grants from organizations and occasionally the government. There is no ongoing government help.A native plant garden is described as "our jungle," but it is home for many insects that feed birds. He said 96 percent of all birds eat insects. One bird can be fed 1,000 caterpillars growing to adulthood. The plentiful, invasive butterfly bush can provide nectar, but no North American butterfly can lay eggs on the bushes.Prairie grasses that can grow in terrible conditions were used for revegetation. On the lower level, a spreader was used, and on top of the mountain seed was spread with crop dusters. Eventually 3,000 acres were planted, not all of which was nature center land, but the method was copied.CBS, the television company, is the responsible party for the costs of revegetating the land though they never polluted a thing. When they bought the zinc company they were aware of the possibility, and Kunkle said they have been an excellent partner.A recent book says that half the world should be for nature and half for people, Kunkle said."We take care of a little corner and the conservancy takes care of a larger one. Those partnerships are why it is important that we continue to work together. The friendships we form are more important than awards we might get."He said the Lehigh Gap Nature Center was recognized as a Friend of the River several years ago.