Environment & Science

As residents and tourists explore the region’s many parks, bike trails and scenic overlooks — May is recognized as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month — health and environmental officials are cautioning visitors to check for ticks after their outdoor adventures.

A first-quarter log documents over 160 complaints from addresses in Lower Saucon, Hellertown, Freemansburg, Bethlehem Township and the outskirts of Easton. Landfill operators say they're responding.

A turbulent morning of storms brought significant damage to parts of the Lehigh Valley on Thursday, with estimated wind speeds of 60 to 70 mph, meteorologists confirmed.

The thunderstorm Thursday morning packed heavy wind gusts, rain and hail in some spots. It ended almost as suddenly as it began. PPL reported 22,000 without power in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Easton City Council approved a pair of resolutions which will allow them to apply for $15 million in federal grants, which they hope to use to improve the wastewater plant and sewage lines in the city.

The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $980,000 in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Two Lehigh Valley programs received pieces of funding.

Optimism reigns that much of Memorial Day weekend will be a lot more pleasant than forecasters first suspected. Here's what the Lehigh Valley can expect.

The Allentown Parknership made its debut Wednesday at Arts Park. The new nonprofit was funded by a $500,000 gift from the Harry C. Trexler Trust.

A buildup of summerlike heat could set the stage for stormy weather in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas over the next few days, forecasters warn.

Officials at Waste Management’s Grand Central Landfill Education Center on Monday held an education celebration. Visitors got to see eight of the center's hives and taste-test honey.

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.