September 24, 2017
This past September, the Wildlands Conservancy held its second annual Wine and Dine: A Farm to Table Experience, at the Rodale Organic Farm in Emmaus. The fundraising event brought together a crowd of 110 people for a meal prepared and executed by Divine Dining, a local catering business with a keen eye toward food that is fresh, local and sustainable, run by chefs Kevin Spiegler and Roberto Lopez.
The Wildlands Conservancy is headquartered in Emmaus at the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the nine total preserves that the conservancy owns and manages. Leonard Parker Pool, the founder of Air Products, bequeathed his 72-acre wildlife sanctuary to the Conservancy in 1975. It’s a beautiful respite to visit, with approachable hiking trails and an organization that engages the community through educational outreach programs, summer camps for school-aged children, biking and boating adventures and much more.
The fundraising dinner, which netted nearly $11,000, helps protect the natural places and spaces that make the Lehigh Valley special. Dinner took place set on 40 acres of the original J.I. Rodale homestead, with organic farm and arboretum, among raised flower beds, a hen house, a “U-pick” garden and a vegetable garden, on a hot September afternoon. Infused waters, local beer including a seasonal Chai Saison from Funk Brewing Company, wine from Setter Ridge Vineyards and beautiful naturalistic arrangements from Parkland Nurseries were featured. The major sponsor was PPL, with underwriting support from Ashley Russo and Norman’s Bus Service.
A generous antipasto spread greeted guests, along with chunks of herbed focaccia. Late summer offers a bounty for chefs, and that was evident in the passed hors d’oeuvres. Meadow View Farms’ tomato soup shooters tasted like sweet liquid summer, paired with sharp cheddar grilled cheeses. Crab cake sliders on brioche with roasted garlic aioli and grilled skirt steak skewers with a soy ginger emulsion rounded out the options for meat eaters. The menu included an organic greens salad with a honey Dijon vinaigrette, along with a few entrée choices: Lancaster County Chicken, with a wildflower honey stout glaze; Braised Beef Short Ribs with a red wine demi-glace, roasted fingerling potatoes and a mac and cheese with cavatappi pasta. Dining took place at tables set up in the open-air, skeletal structure of the old greenhouse, whose glass had long been removed.
Get Involved!
If you love nature where you live, chances are Wildlands Conservancy has something to do with it! Thanks to a generous giving community, Wildlands has been protecting the natural character of the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh River watershed since 1973.
Their lasting impact—right here at home—includes: preserving more than 54,000 acres of forests, mountains and wetlands, improving water quality along hundreds of stream miles and meaningfully educating a tomorrow for local conservation to the tune of 18,000 school-age children annually.
- Visit one (or all) of the Wildlands’ nature preserves totaling 2,600 acres. And explore more when you download their all-new mobile preserve app!
- Discover the fascinating nature and history of our Lehigh River with a Bike & Boat Adventure, or join the Wildlands for one, two or all three days of its annual Lehigh River Sojourn (June 23–25).
- •Send a kid to summer camp! Help the Conservancy celebrate 40 years of nature-inspired learning and fun—12 weeks of offerings, two convenient locations—and 10 percent off before May 1!
- Volunteer with the Wildlands—help streamside, trailside or inside or support special events.
Learn more at wildlandspa.org and follow along on social media @ wildlandspa.
