Environment & Science

Of the thousands of stories covered and told in 2025, our staff picked some of their favorites. They included a bald eagle looking for love in the Hellertown area and an $11 million "sky dome" planned for Easton.

In 2025, LehighValleyNews.com readers gravitated toward stories that reflected mounting economic pressure, public safety concerns, environmental uncertainty and moments of sharp civic tension.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, the office will transition away from the traditional, chronological structure of the area forecast discussion.

This week, a suggestion for how to enjoy the view from the International Space Station, without the expense and arduous training needed to become an astronaut.

For the first time, all three of the Lehigh Valley’s cities have a sustainability manager or coordinator, a role dedicated to sustainability initiatives and fighting the worsening impacts of climate change.

Keith Lampman-Perlman, who often goes by “KLP,” recently was appointed as the 176-year-old cemetery’s new executive director, a role focused on community engagement, preservation and fundraising.

A new app developed by Moravian Academy students aimed at detecting and warning developers about waste runoff has secured over $10,000 in funding from successful pitch presentations.

This week marks the start of astronomical winter which began with the December solstice, Sunday morning just after 10 a.m. EST.

While the penguins were taken off exhibit, barnyard birds and waterfowl at Lehigh Valley Zoo were shuffled to different enclosures so visitors could still view them.

Wind Gap will get a $130,000 state grant to help fund a new, larger pavilion at the borough's municipal park, officials announced Thursday.

The speaker series, which runs on select Thursdays through March, focuses on engaging residents about the local environment, as well as conservation efforts.

Craig Pfeiffer, Bethlehem's assistant director of planning and zoning, gave a presentation Thursday on the city's new subdivision and land development ordinance, more commonly known as a SALDO.

The baby alpaca was born Oct. 23. The zoo is taking suggestions for a name.

A Wednesday night storm brought damaging winds to the area, with gusts reaching up to 47 mph. The National Weather Service warned of damage to trees and utilities, and a wildlife center in Berks County suffered just that: A tree fell on an enclosure housing three African servals that have since escaped.

Current conditions, along with the continued drying of fine fuels, "could support the rapid spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control," the National Weather Service said.

Mackenzie, along with officials from Wildlands Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, on Wednesday morning hiked a portion of the property, lauding the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund that helped preserve it.

Easton's Environmental Advisory Council is continuing to work on an ordinance aimed at decreasing light pollution throughout the city.

Following a wind advisory Wednesday night, forecasters say the Lehigh Valley will see a fairly active pattern continuing through the weekend and into early next week as temperatures tumble.

For this year’s event, set for Sunday, officials are cutting out single-use water bottles and trading plastic medal packaging for paper, among other sustainability initiatives.

More than three dozen law enforcement professionals from the Lehigh Valley and beyond took part in the first training at the newly opened Joni Berner Esq ‘75-Expert Witness Training Center & Crime Scene Laboratory.

This month is a peak time to view comets in the nighttime sky. "Watching the Skies" host Brad Klein and Bethlehem's "Backyard Astronomy Guy" Marty McGuire review what astrological visitors to keep an eye out for as they pass through Earth's backyard.

A group of demonstrators called on Congress Friday to permanently protect the Arctic from drilling, as well as drum up support from Lehigh Valley residents.