Plants in the Eastern Pennsylvania forests are often limited by light availability. Gaps in the canopy (formed through tree fall or logging) allow for the growth of young trees and a wide variety of herbaceous species. This area of forest was logged to create canopy gaps and planted with several native tree species. The fencing protects the young trees from deer. Over time, this area will transform from an open canopy young forest to a mature forest in a process called secondary succession.

Young Trees

Our mission is to preserve the natural beauty of Lake Lacawac, its watershed and surrounding lands, to conduct long-term research on natural systems as part of a global effort to understand and protect the Earth’s biodiversity, and to increase appreciation of this effort through innovative, field-based educational programs for students, teachers, and the community. Nestled on five hundred fifty acres near the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack in the Northern Poconos in Pennsylvania, Lacawac Sanctuary is a mix between an environmental education center, nature center, and biological field station.
To fulfill our mission of Research, Education and Preservation, Lacawac offers environmental education and public programs to the community, educating environmental stewards by communicating the core values of environmental responsibility, citizenship, inclusiveness, and the pursuit of knowledge. 