Environment & Science

Several sightings of black bears have been reported recently in residential areas of Bethlehem Township. Despite the animal not typically being aggressive toward humans, the Pennsylvania Game Commission advises not to approach or entice a black bear.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a series of in-person and virtual meetings to collect feedback on its new environmental justice policy. The next meeting is Oct. 25.

If the Lehigh Valley weather forecast feels familiar, it’s because an end-of-the-week system is once again being watched closely by meteorologists.

A biologist from the Pennsylvania Game Commission visited the location of the sighting in Lower Macungie Township and determined the animal spotted was not a mountain lion.

A rare piebald deer, which has a distinctive white coat with patchy brown spots due to a pigmentation anomaly, has been seen in the Easton Cemetery. Such deer make up about 1% of the total whitetail deer population.

Brad Klein reviews the week's astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy."

State police say someone has photos and they are investigating the sighting of a large feline — possibly a mountain lion — in a field in Lower Macungie Township on Sunday.

More than 1,336 acres across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development.

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.

Rainy weekends have put a damper on attendance at fall festivals in the Lehigh Valley.

Allentown received a $100,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to continue funding youth-led climate action projects this year.

While initial testing came back negative, a necropsy found the mature mother eagle died of bird flu. Pocono wildlife officials say it's the fourth bird that came back negative for avian flu during field testing, but was later confirmed to have the viral infection.

The LVPC Environment Committee on Tuesday approved a proposal by Lower Nazareth Township to modify its Agricultural Security Area program. The ASA program lets farmland owners enroll their properties in an ASA, which then is managed by a municipality.

There's been another attempt to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.

This week, Brad Klein and Marty McGuire take a look at the lunar phenomenon known as ‘earthshine.’

Emmaus Borough Council awarded the contracts earlier this week. The project focuses on two of the borough’s wells, including one that’s been offline since PFAS contamination was discovered.

Thousands of the Lehigh Valley's wild and domestic birds have been infected with avian flu. However, risk to songbirds remains low.

There have been dozens of claims brought against B. Braun alleging the ethylene oxide emissions from company facilities contributed to cancer cases in nearby residents and employees.

Bethlehem Twp. Commissioners voted in favor of an ordinance that would legally allow for existing structures on a 43-acre property near Green Pond Road, which houses NCC's East 40, though those properties may need special permits.

High wind warnings were converted to wind advisories for most areas early Monday, but not before thousands of utility customers across the region lost power overnight.

Applications are open for the The Good Farmer Award U.S. Officials are looking for farmers with less than 10 years of experience who exemplify sustainable farming practices while contributing to community and environmental health.

This week, a look at a NASA mission that is on the way to a moon landing, but very different from the Apollo missions a half century ago.