Greenway Native Meadow

In 2011, the first segment of the Bethlehem Greenway was completed.  The linear park, built upon a former railbed, runs through the South Side of Bethlehem and connects the dense urban core to the parks and open space of Saucon Valley.  After the Greenway’s initial construction, a group of faculty, students, and staff from Lehigh University approached the City of Bethlehem to inquire about adopting a block of the park near campus to expand the network of community gardens SSI had been developing across South Bethlehem.  The Taylor/Webster block was an obvious choice given its proximity to campus, the Litzenberger House, and Holy Infancy school.  The Litzenberger House is an affordable apartment building for seniors run by the Bethlehem Housing Authority and Holy Infancy is an elementary school located just west of the Taylor/Webster block.  These two community anchors offered a special opportunity for intergenerational learning about the growing of food and urban ecosystems.  Today, the mature meadow of native plants is dotted with community artwork, educational signs, fruit trees, raised beds, and a Chinese Harmony Pavilion.  The result is a peaceful place for people to play, relax, and learn about the many growing things flourishing on the block. 

A Place for Recreation, Relaxation, and Education: Why This Matters

The primary goal of the native meadow project was to create a relaxing place for community members to enjoy.  Before the installation of the Greenway, open space was limited in South Bethlehem to small neighborhood parks and abandoned lots.  The city of Bethlehem had taken a crucial step toward creating lush open space that could enhance the feeling of the South Side.  But after creating the initial infrastructure, the city had limited resources to develop the park’s potential.  The native meadow project team chose plants carefully for this portion of the Greenway, selecting species for their aesthetic and environmental properties, as well as their ability to thrive at the specific location.  These plants attract a wide array of local birds, butterflies, and insects, which  promote the social and ecological health of this urban environment.  The meadow also includes bi-lingual educational signs that describe the many native plants and their significance.  This opens the space up for environmental education and research.  Since the meadow was installed, a number of courses at Lehigh University have used the space as an experiential learning laboratory.  These courses have focused on local and global food systems, food justice and economics, environmental sustainability, and Global Citizenship capstone projects.

Above all, the native meadow, along with the collaborative projects that have grown alongside it, creates a space that promotes serenity and peace in a chaotic urban environment.  It is a gift to sit calmly in the midst of a bustling city and enjoy fauna and flora that have not been seen in decades or centuries.   

Creating Community

Since the native meadow’s dedication in 2012, the space has grown to include fruit trees, raised beds for growing organic vegetables, and berry bushes. Community members are welcome to plant and pick anything in the raised beds.  Once the fruit trees begin to produce, anyone may stop along the trail and pick an apple, peach, or pear.    

It is an eclectic site that gets more charming each year because community members take ownership of the space and dedicate themselves to working with the City of Bethlehem and Lehigh University to ensure its continued growth.  Everything fits and reflects the diversity of the South Side.    

The SSI project team welcomes inquiries from anyone in the community who wants to use or develop the native meadow.

Partner Organizations

  • ArtsQuest
  • Holy Infancy School
  • Litzenberger House
  • South Side Initiative

Project Team

  • Jason Slipp, Project Manager, Lehigh University Staff/Graduate Student
  • Ilse Stoll, Community Member.
  • Mark Iampietro, Bethlehem Housing Authority
  • Ralph Carp, Parks Department at the City of Bethlehem
  • Darlene Heller, City of Bethlehem
  • Virginia Abbott, Artist, Heron Sculpture

Publicity and Press Coverage