Molly Bilinski
Environment & Science reporterI cover environment and science for LehighValleyNews.com. Originally from Schuylkill County, I got my start in journalism writing obituaries for the Reading Eagle in 2014 after graduating from Kutztown University. I’ve also reported for The Press of Atlantic City, covering municipalities, crime and courts, and The Morning Call, where I was part of the audience team. In 2022, I won first place in the diversity category of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Keystone Media Awards. Contact me at mollyb@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8225.
-
Allentown's climate action plan survey is live. When completed, the city will be the third of the Lehigh Valley’s major cities to create a climate action plan. -
It is the second time the township has been awarded trees through TreePennsylvania’s Bare Root Tree grant program. The statewide nonprofit supports urban and community forestry to increase tree coverage.
-
Almost 100 migrating birds of prey have been recorded since April 1, when this year’s count started. Officials at the sanctuary, as well as volunteers, have monitored the spring raptor migration since the 1960s.
-
Two Northampton County farms were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.
-
Crayola officials, along with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and local legislators, held an informational session Thursday on the company’s 3.53 megawatt solar farm.
-
The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor this month launched the Quest for the Golden Grabber. In its second year, it's an effort to engage community members in a friendly competition while cleaning litter from the trail.
-
There were 15 Diamond Clover awardees this year, including two from Lehigh County. The award is the highest in Pennsylvania's 4-H program.
-
The African penguin colony, off exhibit since early January because of bird flu, is back at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.
-
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection last week launched the Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction grant program. Aimed at schools and childcare facilities, the program is focused on testing for, and remediating, lead in drinking water.
-
For the sixth year, Nurture Nature Center will hold the Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley. The free event aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.
-
Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch is back for another season. Officials are seeking volunteer observers and counters.
-
The Allentown Environmental Advisory Council on Monday discussed but did not vote on the draft letter, addressed to members of City Council.
-
Threatened due to habitat loss and other factors, purple martins in the Lehigh Valley depend on man-made bird houses. For the first time, they've taken up residence at St. Luke's Arboretum in Bethlehem Township.
-
Farmers markets add to the local economy, driving tourism, officials said. Supporting them is also important for farmland preservation and strengthening community, advocates say.
-
“The Hidden Language of Trees: How Forests Secretly Communicate” will play at 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at The Neighborhood Center, 902 Philadelphia Road.
-
The tract, spread across Penn Forest and Kidder townships, includes Mud Run, a key tributary of the Lehigh River. It was purchased through a $1 million grant from the Open Space Institute.
-
There's a new addition to Musikfest this year — SoberPlatz, an alcohol-free space on the SteelStacks Campus next to Air Products Americaplatz. Organizers said it will be a space for those in recovery, as well as the sober-curious, to find community and support.
-
The Lehigh Valley has a history of flooding, and climate change could be increasing the risk. With federal funding cut or on the chopping block, officials warn the Valley could be left unprepared.
-
The unanimous vote to support the years-in-the-making plan came at the very beginning of a special meeting of the EAC dedicated to a mid-year goal review. The group also discussed progress on this year's goals.
-
After devastating flash flooding in Texas earlier this month claimed the lives of at least 135 people, scientists and experts are warning similar conditions could happen in the Lehigh Valley.
-
Sustainable Pennsylvania is a voluntary program focused on helping municipalities improve sustainability to save money, conserve resources and improve residents’ lives.
-
Part of Climate Action Campaign’s Extreme Weather Emergency Tour, the event centered on how extreme weather, exacerbated by climate change, has deadly consequences.
