Environment & Science

SpaceX’s capsule Polaris Dawn splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in the predawn darkness early Sunday. Returning to Earth were two SpaceX engineers, a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman of the Lehigh Valley. Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk.

A Lehigh University graduate last year recorded a new species of mushroom at Wildlands Conservancy's South Mountain Preserve.

Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.

Testimony that will help a Northampton County judge decide if a lawsuit against the Bethlehem Landfill and Lower Saucon Twp. can move forward continued Friday, and will stretch into a third day.

Called the Recovery in Nature initiative, two state departments have joined forces to create regional-specific partnerships to bolster substance use recovery efforts while strengthening all residents’ connection to nature.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report of the most challenging places to live with asthma. The release coincides with peak asthma season in September.

Early Tuesday, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has a home in the Lehigh Valley, launched into space for a second time as part of a mission dubbed Polaris Dawn. The launch was visible in the area.

Awardees of the state Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program were announced Monday. It focuses on eliminating lead, mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards from school buildings.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week should be a good one for viewing the planet Saturn.

Easton's Nurture Nature Center has been recommended for conditional approval for its proposed planetarium, or "immersive dome," intended to expand programming capabilities.

Marley Wait, of Macungie, is a cadet at United States Military Academy West Point. She was named one of the 40 students to win a prestigious Marshall Scholarship to support her studies when she graduates this spring.

Forecasters say where the storm tracks is going to be key to what we get in the Lehigh Valley, as well as the transfer of energy from the primary storm system to a secondary system. That will produce a coastal storm that will likely impact the area Thursday into Friday as it tracks north along the coast.

The real specimens that will be on display at Da Vinci Science Center are designed to compare and contrast healthy bodies and organs with those that are diseased, with an emphasis on common ailments along with cardiovascular issues and dementia.

A regulatory agency responsible for the water supply of more than 13 million people in four Northeastern states says it is banning gas drillers from dumping fracking wastewater in its watershed.

PennDOT will spend millions of dollars to start construction on major transportation projects including bridges, traffic circles, milling, paving and patching roadways and updating interchanges.

Is there rain and wind, or something more interesting in store for the Lehigh Valley in the coming days?That’s what readers are wondering as a parade of storms begins to roll through the region.

While Monday will bring mostly sunny skies and dry weather to the region, meteorologists are tracking a series of storms that will make for a mostly soggy week in the Lehigh Valley — with a question of wintry weather by week's end.

Pa.'s Department of Environmental Protection gave the company 14 days to come up with a plan of action.

A pattern change known as the "Greenland Block" could introduce cold air — and perhaps wintry weather — into the region by mid-December, meteorologists say. But what is the pattern and why could it bring snow?

Two seafood monitoring groups downgraded Maine lobster's sustainability ratings, prompting Whole Foods to pause purchases. Here's how environmental groups and state leaders are reacting.

Shopping not your thing? #OptOutside and join the movement started by specialty outdoor retailer REI in 2015 as a way to encourage people to reconnect with nature. We've got a list of places to check out across the Lehigh Valley.

Local officials warn residents never to pour fats, oils and grease (FOG), into the sink because it can harden and cause blockages in pipes.