
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.
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The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, in partnership with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, is holding its 10th annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids on Saturday, Jan. 11.
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Administered by Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, with funding from the DCNR, officials said the effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.
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The longest running raptor migration count in the world wrapped up for the 2024 season. Staff and volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours recording species as part of Hawk Mountain's conservation efforts.
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The project, beginning today, includes rebuilding the stream bank. Officials said increased public interest and use, climate change and more frequent high-water events have significantly eroded it.
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State environmental officials awarded $2.55 million in grants as part of a statewide effort to improve air quality in communities through cleaner fuel transportation infrastructure.
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Three farms in Lehigh County were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.
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During the 2023-24 hunting seasons, a record-breaking 261,672 pounds of venison from 6,905 deer and six elk statewide was donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. Find out how much was donated in the Lehigh Valley.
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Part of the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, the grants support projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats. A dozen Lehigh Valley projects were funded.
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The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, on Nov. 2 erupted in Lehigh Township. The fire, which grew from 150 acres to almost 600, took seven days of fighting before it was marked 100% contained.
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Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch ended late last month, with 9,373 migrating raptors recorded. While the overall count is lower than last year, many species exceeded 2023 totals.
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Officials from Lehigh and Northampton counties are slated to gather at 11 a.m. Aug. 2 at 100 W. Lehigh St. in Bethlehem for a news conference focused on the new project, “Lehigh Valley Breathes.”
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Easton's conservation manager on Wednesday evening held a basic tree care and proper pruning course at Easton’s microforest. Here's what he taught.
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The Lehigh Valley's first Disability Pride Lehigh Valley festival was held Saturday at the Penn State — Lehigh Valley campus. The free, all-ages event was a celebration of the region’s disability community through art, music and community resources.
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PPL on Tuesday afternoon hosted a webinar on its Deep Energy Retrofit Pilot program. Here's what Lehigh Valley homeowners need to know.
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Five teams of volunteers competed Saturday to pick up the most garbage and litter from city streets. Here's who won.
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The “Take Action” campaign is designed to highlight connections for trail users through education and providing resources to boost engagement and opportunities to get involved and support the trail.
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The heavy rains wreaked havoc on the region, already saturated by a round of storms last weekend. And more rain is expected this week.
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With the strong possibility of more smoke this summer, the Valley's residents and event organizers are looking to the region’s leaders for guidance — but there’s no continuity or clear thresholds being imposed.
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The disease, a relatively new and deadly threat to the American beech, has few treatment options and no known cure.
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The Community and The Arts Clean Up aims to combine community service and engagement through a tournament-style competition – with prizes for the team that fills the most trash bags – followed by a gathering with live music and food.
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Lafayette College in late May submitted a replanting plan to the city after officials threatened to stop work when 46 trees were cleared from the slope without approval. It's unclear whether the plans have been approved.
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While the Lehigh Valley is no stranger to the effects of climate change, the new record is a startling reminder about how how global warming has local impacts.