A portion of the D&L Trail in Lehighton is set to be enhanced through a Native Plant and Garden Project.

Several groups met Wednesday afternoon with Stacy Nash, a landscape architect from Parkland nurseries, for an overview at the eventual site of the project along Lehigh Drive.

The group met at the Lehighton Outdoor Center and took a short walk to the location of the garden, which will be located along Lehigh Drive about a half-mile south of the center along the west bank of the Lehigh River.

It will include native plant species and a scenic overlook of the Lehigh River, according to Kathy Henderson, director of the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation.

“It will educate people on native plants and the importance of that type of wildlife for our habitat,” Henderson said.

Henderson added that it will give people a chance to park on that side of the trail, as there will be boulders separating Lehigh Drive from the garden area, along with a split rail fence behind the garden keeping people away from the river.

“We don’t want people accessing the river there,” she said. “It’s just too dangerous.”

Henderson said a picnic table and trees that are there will remain, while plantings will be added to enhance the area.

“Any beautification of the area, any support to our natural pollinators to help them survive is a plus,” she said. “It’s (going to be) a really nice addition to our overall downtown.”

Henderson said it will welcome the many people who pass through the D&L Trail.

“It just enhances the overall view of our town, and that we actually care and that we are taking care of it,” she said. “We’re just excited to be a part of it, and can’t wait to see the progress.”

Henderson said the actual planting and creation of the pollinator garden will begin in May, with completion scheduled for the fall.

“Most of the hardscaping will be done in May,” she said. “The architect and her company will be back in the fall to plant the perennials that need to be planted.”

The project is being funded utilizing a grant through the Audubon Mid-Atlantic and provided by the William Penn Foundation Funding for the Delaware River Watershed Initiative and the Pennsylvania DCNR.

Organizations that have made the project possible include Audubon Mid-Atlantic, Natural Lands, The Wildlands Conservancy, Department of Community and Natural Resources, Lehighton Shade Tree Commission, Lehighton Downtown Partnership, the Borough of Lehighton and the CCEDC.