At the end of April, Wildlands Conservancy acquired an additional 35-acre parcel of land in Tobyhanna Township that has expanded the organization’s Thomas Darling Pocono Preserve to over 1,400 acres. The recent acquisition adjoins the 72-acre property Wildlands protected in 2017, which tied together neighboring existing natural areas and helped advance planned public access to the preserve along Route 940.
The landscape includes woodlands and wetlands that provide critical habitat for animals and are prime for hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing.
“The unique and precious landscape at Thomas Darling should be shared, and this latest acquisition continues to bolster Wildlands efforts to connect people with nature by expanding public access,” says Christopher Kocher, president of Wildlands. “These additional acres protect the precious forests and glacial wetlands that support critical habitat and clean, healthy water throughout our Lehigh River watershed for drinking, fishing, boating, swimming and more.”
Wildlands acknowledges the support of its giving community, especially the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and private donations through Pocono Lake Preserve for providing funding for the purchase of these 35 acres.
