Environment & Science

With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning next week, Allentown is offering free pool admission. Find out other ways to beat the heat.

The Delaware River was chosen as the commonwealth’s River of the Year. It was celebrated Wednesday with a festival.

Easton late last month became the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to seek certification through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.

Tick season is in full swing in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to blacklegged ticks, those most often associated with Lyme disease, the invasive Asian longhorned tick also calls the Valley home.

Spraying began 8 a.m. Tuesday. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.

The center’s Board of Trustees said it will form a search committee this summer to begin the process of selecting Erickson’s successor, with the goal to announce a new CEO by spring 2026.

Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center has a new fawn hotline, where a fawn specialist will help callers quickly determine if a newly found fawn needs help, or needs to be left alone.

Night at the Drive-In: On Tuesday, June 17, Shankweiler's will host Brad Klein and Marty McGuire for Watching the Skies' first live event. And they will screen (also for the first time) a presentation by Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomer" about his favorite planet, Mars.

Activists gathered outside Nature Nurture Center in Easton on Wednesday to support a ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin.

The survey aims to capture opinions from local restaurants and eateries about single-use plastics.

Keystone Cement Co.'s hazardous waste permit has been renewed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Part of the company's plan is to change how it transports waste, from trucks to rail.

Bethlehem and Allentown have achieved gold status through Bird Town Pennsylvania. The program aims to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, as well as other wildlife and residents.

A large cicada emergence is underway across the eastern United States. Find out where they're expected in the commonwealth.

This week on Watching the Skies, WLVR's Brad Klein and Bethlehem's Backyard Astronomy Guy, Marty McGuire talk about the planet Venus and its role as the "morning star."

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $1 million in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Four Lehigh Valley programs received funding.

The LVPC on Thursday hosted a workshop, “Planning + Pizza: Deploying Electric Vehicle Infrastructure,” aiming to collect feedback about where best to deploy EV infrastructure throughout the region.

South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners may approve placing a referendum on the November ballot regarding funding to preserve open space.

Overall, 31 of the region’s 35 major climate sites were wetter than normal, with 22 of them experiencing one of their 20 wettest May 1-15 periods. Allentown took the top spot, experiencing its wettest May 1-15 ever.

It's been almost a year since Bethlehem Landfill started operating its treatment plant targeting PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." It's the first of its kind in the United States.

This week on Watching the Skies, Brad Klein and Bethlehem's Backyard Astronomy Guy Marty McGuire talk about the NASA insignia.

Lehigh County Authority officials in mid-April sent the Kline’s Island Sewer System, or KISS, regional wastewater plan for municipal review. It's the next step in a years-long process to make much-needed upgrades to wastewater infrastructure.

Twelve billboards have been posted in and around the city, several at high-traffic areas like Route 22, Interstate 78 and the turnpike. They’re part of a campaign from More Perfect Union.