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Lacawac Receives $300,000 in Grants to Support its New Environmental Education Center and Programs

12/2/2019

The Watres Environmental Education Center at Lacawac Sanctuary will undergo rehabilitation and upgrades thanks to state grants awarded by DCNR, Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20th, and Rep. Mike Peifer, R-139th, announced.

Lacawac Sanctuary received $198,400 will be used for renovations and upgrades at the Watres Environmental Education Center. Restroom and garage renovations; construction of a classroom; installation of a solar panel system and utilities; ADA access, landscaping, and other related site improvements will be completed with the funds.

Lacawac Sanctuary President Craig Lukatch said the organization “is extremely honored to have received a DCNR C2P2 grant to support the addition and renovation of our new environmental education center. This funding will help us educate more students by providing them classroom space to explore nature and STEM (science technology engineering math) education opportunities. The new center will be the heart of environmental education for both students and the public at Lacawac.”

Both Baker and Peifer lauded the funding and the benefits to community members and visitors.
“As our municipal parks expand and add recreational activities, they become even more popular with residents. They are safe and relaxing centers for people young and old,” Baker said. “We are becoming more aware of their environmental significance, in terms of green space provided and the capacity for helping absorb storm water. The communities receiving state funding deserve credit for good planning and generating local support.”

Peifer noted that “these grants give our townships the opportunity to enhance our community’s recreational opportunities as well as provide an area for residents and tourists to engage in educational activities.”

Recently Lacawac also received a grant from the William E. Chatlos Foundation who made a contribution in the amount of $118,525 to be used for programming and the renovations and construction of the environmental education center. This partnership will have Lacawac make its dreams of building a new environmental education center come to fruition.

Fall Newsletter 2019 Now Available

10/14/2019

In Our Fall 2019 Edition:

-Chestnut Tree Restoration Project
-Harmful Algae Blooms: A Primer
-Watershed Educators Institute

Read the Fall Newsletter HERE!

Scartelli Olszewski to be Title Sponsor of 6th Annual ‘Lake to Lake’ 8K Trail Run and Walk

9/30/2019

LAKE ARIEL AND SCRANTON, Pa. (October 2019) – Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa. personal injury law firm Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. will be a title race sponsor for Lacawac Sanctuary’s 6th Annual Lake to Lake 8K Trail Run, Woods Walk and Dog Wag to be held on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Sanctuary.

The race course will lead participants over the trails of Lacawac Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, Pa., offering views of 400 acres of rich biodiversity and natural resources.

Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr., a shareholder and managing partner with Scartelli Olszewski and the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Lacawac Sanctuary, noted that “protecting the environment is important to Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are happy to support such a worthy cause in order to help preserve and educate the public about one of the region’s natural landmarks.”

“The Lake to Lake event is a great way to get out and enjoy the beauty of Lacawac and nature while supporting the work that takes place at Lacawac’s environmental education facility,” said Craig Lukatch, President of Lacawac Sanctuary.

Race registration is $30 for the 8K and $20 for the woods dog walk after October 4th.

Cash awards will be given in the Trail Run for Overall male and female and medals for top three finishers in age groups. The race results will be overseen by The Scranton Running Company using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip timing.

To register, visit www.lacawac.org/lake-to-lake-8k-trail-run.html or https://runsignup.com/lacawac
For more information about sponsorships and athlete and participant packets or to volunteer, contact Lacawac at 570-689-9494 or email craig.lukatch@lacawac.org.

Lacawac Sanctuary is a nonprofit association founded in 1966 for the purpose of protecting a gift of the original Connell Park lands by Arthur and Isabel Watres and facilitating environmental education and scientific research. Located on Lake Wallenpaupack, the Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation plays an important role in the preservation of Lake Lacawac which is one of the southernmost glacial lakes in the hemisphere and has been preserved in pristine condition free from development and encroachment.

Lacawac Sanctuary has hosted many events to bring environmental awareness such as an annual ecology conference, various K-12 education programs and workshops, seminars and fundraisers. Lacawac Sanctuary is an ecological field research station and public environmental education facility.

PHOTO: L to R- Melissa A. Scartelli, Esq, Scartelli Olszewski President and Founder with Sophia; Craig Lukatch, President of Lacawac Sanctuary; and Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr., shareholder and managing partner with Scartelli Olszewski with Miranda.

About Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.: Founded in 2001, Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. handles personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of auto and truck accident victims, malpractice victims and other injured individuals and their families, as well as criminal defense. Practice areas include medical malpractice, automobile accidents, tractor trailer accidents, auto defects, criminal defense, defective drugs and medical devices, insurance bad faith, liquor liability, nursing home negligence, premises liability, and product liability. Scartelli Olszewski is small enough to care, yet large enough to win for their clients in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., region.

Save the Date: 6th Annual Lake to Lake 8K Trail Run, Woods Walk and Dog Wag

8/20/2019

Lacawac recently announced the 6th annual Lake to Lake 8K Trail Run, Woods Walk and Dog Wag. The event will take place on Sunday October 20th beginning at 9:30 am. Sponsorships are available for businesses who would like to support a good cause and a great yearly event. Event registrations will be available soon. For more information on the Run/Walk visit https://www.lacawac.org/lake-to-lake-8k-trail-run.html.

Tickets On Sale For Uncorked: A Northern Poconos Wine and Spirits Festival

7/2/2019

Lake Ariel, PA (July 2019) – Get ready for the BEST wine and spirits festival in the Northern Poconos: Uncorked, featuring hand selected wines and spirits from across region and the finest local establishments in the area. Enjoy live entertainment and food available for purchase from Hop Barons. Uncorked: A Northern Poconos Wine and Spirit Festival is a great way to enjoy the summer season! Proceeds benefit The Cooperage Project and Lacawac Sanctuary. This collaborative event will allow you to support two great community nonprofits while highlighting regional wine and spirit producers. This is a 21 and over event.

Uncorked: A Northern Poconos Wine and Spirits Festival will take place Sunday July 21st from 3 to 6 pm at the Cooperage Project in Honesdale. Tickets are available for $25 per taster or $10 for a nontaster.

Participating Wineries and Distilleries include: Antler Ridge Winery, Wood Winery, Deep Roots Hard Cider, Lucchi Family Wine Cellars, Space Time Mead & Cider Works, Lang Beverage Company, Mountain Lake Winery, Marilake Winery and Restaurant, Capra Collina Winery and Talerico's Tropical Winery LLC.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.lacawac.org/uncorked-wine-festival.html.

Lacawac Announces Honorees for 4th Annual Farm to Plate Dinner

5/22/2019

LAKE ARIEL (May 2019) – On August 10th Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center will celebrate its 4th annual Farm to Plate fundraising gala at the Historic Watres Lodge at Lacawac. This year's event is presented by Rustic Charm Vintage Rental Company. Each year Lacawac chooses to honor community members and those that have helped shaped Lacawac’s future. This year Lacawac’s dinner committee and Board of Trustees have chosen to honor the following: Lifetime Achievement Award in Research – The Academy of Natural Sciences; Lifetime Achievement Award in Education – Wayne Bank; Lifetime Achievement Award in Preservation – Attorney John F. Spall and The Arthur Watres Community Service Award to the Wayne Economic Development Corporation (WECCO).

The Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural science institution in the Americas. It was founded in 1812 by many of the leading naturalists of the young American republic with an expressed mission of "the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences." Throughout its existence the Academy has sponsored expeditions, conducted original environmental and systematics research, and amassed remarkable collections containing more than 18 million specimens, an extensive library and archive, and arguably the finest rare natural history book collection in the world. The Academy’s academic enterprise was strengthened considerably in 2011 when it merged with nearby Drexel University — a leading private non-profit research institution that focusses on innovation and entrepreneurship and provides a unique cooperative education program for its students. Two centuries after the Academy’s founding it remains one of the most important natural science institutions in the world.

Wayne Bank
Founded in 1871, Wayne Bank will celebrate 148 years of community banking in 2019. The Bank has 26 Community Offices serving Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania, along with Delaware and Sullivan Counties in New York State.

Employing more than 200 local people, Wayne Bank offers a full line of products and services to meet the financial needs of consumers and businesses. The Bank is also committed to providing the most advanced, secure, and user friendly bank technology, along with a knowledgeable staff and innovative tools to demonstrate how easy and accessible it is to use. This offers customers the convenience of banking from anywhere, combined with the comfort of personalized service from their local bank.

As a community bank, Wayne Bank is an integral part of both the local community and economy. Each year, the Bank contributes to hundreds of organizations throughout Pennsylvania and New York and Bank employees are passionate about helping their communities through event participation and service to local charities. By supporting residents, businesses, schools, and charitable organizations, Wayne Bank is dedicated to reinvesting in the community and encouraging economic growth.

John F. Spall Esq.
Attorney John F. Spall is a graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School, class of 1964; The University of Scranton, class of 1968; and Villanova University School of Law, class of 1971.

Attorney Spall is the firm’s senior partner and is an experienced real estate attorney with more than 45 years of experience. He has served as the Pike Wayne Board of Realtors legal counsel since 1974. He also has served Wayne County, as a 1st Assistant District Attorney and County Solicitor.

Attorney Spall is a member of the Wayne and Pike County Bar Associations, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is admitted to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

He is current President of the Wallenpaupack School District, he is also a Director and Secretary of the Dime Bank. He is a current trustee to the Lacawac Sanctuary. He was a past Chairman of the Board of the Pike Wayne Board of the American Red Cross and a past director of the Greentown Historical Society. He was a past solicitor for the Wayne County Housing Authority and Redevelopment Authority. He was also a Director for the Hawley Bank, and a director and regional chairman of First Eastern Bank and has served numerous other community organizations.

Wayne Economic Development Corporation
Wayne Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) incorporated nearly 65 years ago as a private, non-profit organization dedicated to creating jobs and improving the prosperity of the citizens of Wayne County. We are advancing our communities by integrating the County’s unique natural landscape and quality of life with forward-thinking technology, infrastructure and business support. Initiatives include The Stourbridge Project, a new technology/media business incubator with free coworking space (named the 2018 Project of the Year by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association). Also, expanded broadband, a first-class business park, model workforce delivery system, agricultural planning, local financing and resource development. In 2018, WEDCO brought nearly $1.8 million in grant funds to Wayne County for development and planning projects.

WEDCO is a Certified Provider for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. We are a 501(c)6 non-profit corporation comprised of businesses in partnership with state, county, and municipal government that realizes a bright economic future depends on investing and planning today.

For more information on Lacawac’s 4th Annual Farm to Plate Dinner including sponsorship opportunities and tickets, visit lacawac.org/farm-to-plate or contact Craig Lukatch, President at 570-689-9494, craig.lukatch@lacawac.org.

Lacawac Welcomes New Environmental Educator

4/3/2019

Lacawac welcomes Devan George to its team as the newest environmental educator!

Devan joins the team after graduating from University of Delaware with a M.S. in Entomology. She grew up in Honesdale, PA, attending Honesdale High School and frequenting programs at Lacawac Sanctuary. While getting her B.S. in Environmental Conservation and Sustainability from the University of New Hampshire, she spent time volunteering at Lacawac. Prior to beginning work at Lacawac, Devan has worked for the United States Department of Agriculture, Dow AgroScience, Cornell University, and Camp Wiyaka, as their nature director. Environmental education is a lifelong passion, she always made time for sharing what she was working on and the things that she learned with the communities she lived in. She is so excited to begin the summer and work with all of you at Lacawac! (Pictured here holding a flat rock scorpion, Hadogenes troglodytes, and a whip scorpion, Phyrnus spp., on her shoulder)

HNB Donates to Lacawac's Education Programs

3/27/2019

The Honesdale National Bank donated $1,500.00 to Lacawac Sanctuary to support the nature preserve, environmental education center, and biological field station through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. This donation will help provide free or reduced-cost programs in-the-classroom or at Lacawac’s Field Station. Lacawac’s educational outreach programs serve K-12 students throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. The donation directly goes to support hands-on science and environmental experiences for children in over 30 school districts in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties.

Founded in 1836, The Honesdale National Bank (HNB) stands as one of the area’s strongest, independent financial institutions serving Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier counties of New York. HNB offers full-service community banking through our eleven offices in Wayne, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike and Susquehanna counties.

HNB has earned the distinction as a leading community bank by offering customers security, experience and unparalleled service. A reflection on our banking tradition, in 2018, HNB was named one of the “100 Highest Performing Community Banks with assets of $500M to $1B in the 21st Century” by Alex Sheshunoff and The Partnership for Banking Excellence.

As a leading community bank, HNB is focused on reinvesting back into the communities in which they live, work, play and serve. Through their focus on growing opportunities for residents, local businesses and community organizations our corporate social responsibility efforts are rooted in activities that enable our local area to continue to grow thrive.

Lacawac Sanctuary is a nonprofit association founded in 1966 for the purpose of protecting a gift of the original Connell Park lands by Arthur and Isabel Watres and facilitating environmental education and research. Located on Lake Wallenpaupack, the Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation plays an important role in the preservation of Lake Lacawac which is one of the southernmost glacial lakes in the hemisphere and has been preserved in pristine condition free from development and encroachment. For more information visit www.lacawac.org.

Photo: Craig Lukatch, President Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center; Charles Curtin, Vice President and Trust Officer.

Scartelli Olszewski Renews Support of Lacawac Sanctuary

3/27/2019

Scranton, Pa (March, 2019) – Wilkes-Barre and Scranton personal injury law firm Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., announces its continued support of local nonprofit organization Lacawac Sanctuary and Biological Field Station. The attorneys at Scartelli Olszewski are proud to be donors of such an impactful agency working fiercely for the good of the environment. Lacawac is an organization which promotes environmental preservation, education, and research. Learn more about the invaluable work being done by Lacawac by visiting www.Lacawac.org.

About Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.: Founded in 2001, Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. handles personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of medical malpractice victims as well as all personal injury matters. Scartelli Olszewski, with clients in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa region, lives by its slogan: “Small enough to care, large enough to win.” To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.scartelli.com.

NBT Bank Donates to Lacawac Sanctuary

3/27/2019

Lake Ariel, PA (March 2019) –NBT Bank donated $5,000.00 to Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. Lacawac Sanctuary is a non-profit research and education center providing the community with a host of quality environmental, historical, and cultural programs. This donation will assist with academic enrichment programs such as Conservation Leadership Academy, PiER Mentoring Program for Girls in STEM; and Day Camps, K-12 Field Experiences and Youth Environmental Sciences Afterschool Outreach.

Craig Lukatch, Lacawac Sanctuary’s president stated, “We are grateful to NBT Bank for their financial assistance. Our programs help children in our community so the local funds support our local residents. Lacawac’s goal is to educate people of all ages about northeast Pennsylvania’s unique and diverse habitats and natural resources keeping true to our mission of education, research and preservation,”

Jamie Reeger, Lacawac’s Environmental Education Manager noted that “Our hands-on academic enrichment programs directly complement what students are learning in school, and address the Pennsylvania State Education Standards for Science and Technology and Environment and Ecology.”

Mary Ellen Bentler, NBT Bank Vice President and Retail Market Manager Northeast PA Market stated that “NBT Bank values the work that is accomplished at Lacawac Sanctuary and supports its work through donations such as the one made through the Pennsylvania EITC program.”

Businesses can make a charitable donation to approved organizations based on the amount of state taxes they owe. In return, the businesses receive a 75 percent tax credit (up to $400,000) when they file their state taxes. A two-year commitment at the same funding level earns a business a 90 percent tax credit.

Lacawac Sanctuary is a nonprofit association founded in 1966 for the purpose of protecting a gift of the original Connell Park lands by Arthur and Isabel Watres and facilitating environmental education and research. Located on Lake Wallenpaupack, the Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation plays an important role in the preservation of Lake Lacawac which is one of the southernmost glacial lakes in the hemisphere and has been preserved in pristine condition free from development and encroachment. For more information visit www.lacawac.org.

Photo: Laura Rowe, NBT Bank, Hamlin Branch Manager; Craig Lukatch, President Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center; Mary Ellen Bentler, NBT Bank Vice President and Retail Market Manager Northeast PA Market.

Lacawac Hours: Open to the public sunrise to sunset

LACAWAC SANCTUARY
94 Sanctuary Road
Lake Ariel, PA 18436
570.689.9494
info@lacawac.org

Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center is an independent, non-profit, environmental education organization located on the shore of Lake Wallenpaupack in the Northern Poconos. We operate solely on program fees, memberships, sponsorships, grants and private donations from people like you.

Major Business Sponsors 2019