Environment & Science

There’s one major question as we approach the summer solstice in the Lehigh Valley – where’s the warmth?

Local experts say the Lehigh Valley is well prepared to knock down wildfires, but state data show those blazes are becoming much more common across Pennsylvania.

‘Tis the season for fresh fruits and veggies. This time of year farm stands pop up across the Lehigh Valley, but is there nutritional value to eating locally-grown produce? People from around the area weighed in about the benefits.

The beloved Rose Garden sits at 8th Avenue and West Union Boulevard, sporting hundreds of roses and complementing plants. It has received new life in the last few years.

The projects focus on advancing land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation, community revitalization through green infrastructure and environmental education.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in April voted to remove the mail-in application process for antlerless licenses, as well as move up the sale to the fourth Monday in June.

Spraying began 9 a.m. at Washington Crossing State Park. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.

The Lehigh Valley is likely to see something Monday it hasn’t witnessed in well over a month: substantial rain.

After the driest May on record, the Lehigh Valley is still dealing with bone dry conditions, exacerbating allergies and creating optimum conditions for brush fires.

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.

A system arriving Sunday night could bring a period of snow and ice to the area before a changeover to rain but “there remains considerable uncertainty with the details.”

During the 2023-24 hunting seasons, a record-breaking 261,672 pounds of venison from 6,905 deer and six elk statewide was donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. Find out how much was donated in the Lehigh Valley.

Part of the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, the grants support projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats. A dozen Lehigh Valley projects were funded.

The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, on Nov. 2 erupted in Lehigh Township. The fire, which grew from 150 acres to almost 600, took seven days of fighting before it was marked 100% contained.

The rainfall is expected to be heaviest Wednesday afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches, with forecasters not ruling out some rumbles of thunder possible in the Lehigh Valley.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch ended late last month, with 9,373 migrating raptors recorded. While the overall count is lower than last year, many species exceeded 2023 totals.

Planet Venus is acting as the brightest star, visible in the West after sunset. Grab your binoculars, because there's a second planet at play with lots to show.

Wilson Area School District is set to host their second Wilson Family Computer Science Night, showcasing fun and hands-on innovative tech for students up to grade eight.

Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who lives in the Lehigh Valley and conducted the first private spacewalk, was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to lead NASA.

The Unidos Foundation was one of 12 community organizations across Pennsylvania to receive the grant. Money is earmarked to ensure that historically marginalized and underserved communities have access to information and resources about environmental protection.

More than a year after the federal government held its first hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, two more were held within a week in November.

The Lehigh Valley is expected to see snow showers this week. Starting Tuesday evening, snow showers will move through the area, with more impactful showers Wednesday night through Thursday, including high winds.