Environment & Science

Nine projects across Pennsylvania are included in the round of funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The projects focus on research, marketing, apprenticeships and sustainability for mushrooms, apples, potatoes and other crops.

Less than a month after a strong, bad smell permeated through the city and surrounding areas for several days, prompting a state Department of Environmental Protection investigation, the odor has returned.

Lehigh Valley Breathes is behind schedule from the course established in August 2023. Here's what officials have learned so far — and how they plan to proceed.

The Lehigh Valley has been reshaped by a massive wave of development, both in industrial and residential, that has swept over the region the last three decades. While the development boom may be slowing, the impacts to the region’s economy and the environment are clear. (First of 5 parts)

The planets Jupiter and Mars will share a small patch of the eastern sky with the crescent moon, and the star Aldebaran on August 27. Here's how to see it.

A renewable natural gas plant adjacent to the Bethlehem Landfill opened on Tuesday morning.

The free exhibit, “America’s Beautiful,” at Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. It includes 50 watercolor paintings of Smokey Bear.

More than eight months after announcing a $600 million price tag over the next decade to upgrade aging water and wastewater treatment infrastructure, the Lehigh County Authority is reaching out to major industrial users.

A full moon is on display the evening of Monday, August 19. The full moon of each month has one or more traditional names, and the August full moon is known as ‘the Sturgeon Moon.’

Wednesday marked the end of the first round of a three-year initiative called TOWERS, or Tackling Obstacles for Women’s Engagement and Retention in STEM, at Cedar Crest. Through the program, incoming freshmen are paired with mentors to complete science projects, gaining confidence and community along the way.

Relief from the brutal heat and humidity has been pushed to later in the week, forecasters say. Wednesday's temperatures will climb into the 90s with heat indexes inching past 100 degrees.

A Red Cross volunteer from the greater Lehigh Valley just got back from assisting displaced people in Hawaii following devastating wildfires there. Her job was to try and reconnect families.

Olivia Teel became the city’s forester in June. A native of the Lehigh Valley, who also studied environmental science at a local university, Teel’s devotion to the environment extends past working hours.

The Lehigh Valley's public pools will all be closed come Labor Day, rounding out a rather unusual August. But with blazing temperatures coming up at the beginning of September, it's vital to keep an eye out for heat exhaustion.

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

During National Preparedness Month, those with the American Red Cross are helping people stay ready for anything. They say they are responding to twice as many disasters than they were 10 years ago.

WLVR's Ryan Gaylor talks with reporters Molly Bilinski and Olivia Marble.

Sunny days and warm temperatures are ahead in the Lehigh Valley forecast. Outdoor plans for the Labor Day weekend should go off without a hitch.

While three out of four Lehigh Valley residents are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned with loss of open space, about a third expressed concerns about the quality of air and drinking water in the region. Read the latest in our "Life in the Lehigh Valley" series.

The panel approved the motion 3-2, rezoning 275.7 acres of farmland near Bethlehem Landfill from Rural Agricultural to Light Industrial. While some residents are outraged, officials say tax rates will stay low.

The program empowers high schoolers to be local leaders when it comes to caring for the environment.

Allentown and nearby areas had some showers and potential morning thunderstorms. The day will gradually clear to about 81 degrees with changing winds. The coming days bring stable, cooler weather for the Labor Day weekend.