Photo by Layla Denissen

About Us

MCWA depends on volunteers to achieve its mission, from a core group of 50 to hundreds that come out for clean-ups and restoration projects.

Founded in 1970, MCWA is one of the oldest watershed associations in Pennsylvania. A key figure in its founding was the late Gertrude “Gertie” Fox, a passionate advocate for the creek and its preservation. The Gertrude Fox Conservation Area, along her beloved Monocacy Creek near Routes 22 and 512, was created in her honor by Northampton County in 1987.

Today, MCWA continues her legacy of conservation and protection of the creek and its watershed.

Activities and Projects

MCWA works with the City of Bethlehem, Northampton County Parks and Recreation, Northampton County Conservation District, Wildlands Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited, among others, including local colleges and universities, to monitor and restore important areas in the watershed.

  • Gertrude Fox Conservation Area

    At Gertrude Fox Conservation Area, located near the intersection of Routes 22 and 512, MCWA works with Northampton County Parks on trail development and provides streamside plantings and maintenance.

  • Monocacy Meadow Park

    At Monocacy Meadow Park, a favorite of trout fishermen along Rte. 191, MCWA works closely with Northampton County Parks on streamside plantings and maintenance.

  • Bath Borough

    At Bath Borough Paw Park on Chestnut Street, MCWA works with the Bath Republican Club and Bath Borough to organized tree plantings and meadow restoration adjacent to the creek.

  • Archibald Johnston Conservation Area

    A 48-acre natural resource conservation area located within Dutch Springs Natural Heritage Area & Monocacy Creek Greenway, MCWA partners with Northampton County and Wildlands Conservancy on streambank restoration and plantings.

  • Monocacy Park

    At Monocacy Park, home to historic Illick’s Mill in Bethlehem, MCWA works closely with the City of Bethlehem, restoring the streambank with native plantings, caring for the gardens around the Mill, and coordinating creek clean-ups.

  • Monocacy Way Trail

    Along Monocacy Way Trail, which runs along the creek from Monocacy Park to downtown Bethlehem, MCWA plants trees, installs live stakes, and organizes invasive plant removal projects in coordination with the City of Bethlehem and Wildlands Conservancy.

Restoration, Community Engagement & Education in 2025

  • Created three creek clean-up events

  • Conducted multiple invasive removal and planting events at Illick’s Mill, Monocacy Way Trail, Gertrude Fox Conservation Area, and Archibald Johnston Conservation Area

  • Presented a workshop on grants available for Lawn Conversion Projects through the Northampton County Conservation District

  • Joined a state-wide road salt initiative, taking water samples from eight sites and submitting them for analysis

  • Organized creek restoration demos for Moravian University and Liberty High School students

  • Tabled at various events: Lehigh University, Sierra Club, and Aardvark Sports Shop

  • Participated in Northampton County Conservation District’s Envirothon and Hydromania events

  • Spoke out against warehouse development in Hanover Township

Board of Directors

  • Michael Harrington

    PRESIDENT

  • Lynne Nemeth

    VICE PRESIDENT

  • Jack Novick

    TREASURER

  • Jane Cook

    SECRETARY

  • Erik Broesicke

  • Will Carpenter

  • Layla Denissen

  • Frank Hesch III

  • Jose de Jesus

  • Rick Morrissey

  • Janice Schmidt

  • Drew Swantak

  • Paige Strasko

    EX OFFICIO

MCWA Board member, Jose de Jesus, speaks with Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership on the importance of preserving the Monocacy Creek. A native of Bethlehem, de Jesus has fished the Monocacy since childhood. He is an avid angler and conservationist and has long worked with MCWA and the Monocacy Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited to restore and protect the creek and its wild trout population from threats like stormwater runoff and stream bank erosion.

Our Partners

MCWA is grateful to the following businesses and organizations for joining us in our mission to protect and restore the Monocacy Creek and its watershed. These businesses and organizations provide volunteers, in-kind support, and actively work on restoration projects in the watershed.

Aardvark Sports Shop

Bath Environmental Advisory Committee

Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Committee

Bethlehem Morning Star Rotary

City of Bethlehem

Guardian Insurance

Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites

Kind Earth Growers

Lehigh Valley Greenways

Monocacy Chapter Trout Unlimited

Monocacy Farm Project

Northampton County Conservation District

Northampton County Parks and Recreation

Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards

Synchronicity Recovery Foundation

The Running Kind

Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley

Wildlands Conservancy