Environment & Science

A NASA robotic mission that is exploring the inner reaches of our solar system will literally ‘touch the Sun’ on Christmas Eve.

The Lehigh Valley is in a 9-inch rain shortfall. The prolonged dry spell has raised concerns about the longevity of fresh-cut Christmas trees this year. And, it's thinning out the trees planted this year to grow for future holiday seasons.

The township's Shade Tree Commission was awarded 15 trees from a statewide nonprofit dedicated to improving the tree canopy in urban areas.

Listings will include risks for flood, wildfire, wind, heat and air quality, as well as interactive maps and insurance requirements.

With no quick cure for the fast-moving, but slow-to-kill disease, experts said American beech trees could be functionally extinct throughout the state within 10 to 15 years.

Said Edward Boscola, Bethlehem water and sewer resources director: “It’s important for everybody to know that the lead levels in the city’s drinking water system are very low."

May, an immature female broad-winged hawk, migrated through Hurricane Milton in Florida last month. The hurricane made landfall Oct. 9 near Siesta Key, Fla., as a devastating Category 3 storm.

Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. At about 5:35 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, grab your binoculars and watch it disappear.

The drought is far from over, but enough precipitation has fallen to boost the confidence of state officials when it comes to outdoor fires.

The precautionary measure across Pennsylvania comes at no cost to farmers. While the virus hasn't been reported in commonwealth cattle, other states have seen a marked uptick in cases.

WLVR's Brad Klein and Marty McGuire, known as Bethlehem's 'Backyard Astronomy Guy' spoke over the phone about the April 8 total solar eclipse. The path of totality veered toward the Northeast, where McGuire saw it from New York.

A severe weather threat is on tap for Sunday, forecasters warn, with a tornado threat for central Pennsylvania and damaging winds possible in the Lehigh Valley.

From April 20 through April 28, residents are invited to join or host a cleanup along a section of the D&L Trail as part of a trash collection competition. Winners will be announced May 3.

More than 2,000 acres on 28 farms in 15 counties across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development.

More than six months after its launch, 33 air quality monitors have been installed throughout the Lehigh Valley as part of Lehigh Valley Breathes, a regionwide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing.

Arcadia Development Corporation plans to tear down the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western at 300 Gateway Drive off Route 512, replacing it with a warehouse. The permit hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 29 at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem.

A one-day symposium at Lehigh gathered decision-makers from Pennsylvania's big-name universities, talking strategy for recruiting students cross-border and overseas, and touting economic and cultural benefits.

The city is working to establish an application process for microgrants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, according to Allentown’s new sustainability coordinator.

The Lehigh Valley is under a slight risk of excessive rainfall, with the Weather Prediction Center warning of localized and isolated areas of flash flooding Thursday into Friday.

Hosted by the Northampton County Conservation District, the Envirothon is scheduled for April 18 at Louise W. Moore County Park. Teams will be tested in a handful of different topics, including wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.

The Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission will recognize the Allentown State Hospital — which was demolished at the end of 2020 — as a significant part of the Commonwealth’s history by awarding it an Official State Historical Marker.