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.
-
More than 2,000 acres on 28 farms in 15 counties across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development. -
More than six months after its launch, 33 air quality monitors have been installed throughout the Lehigh Valley as part of Lehigh Valley Breathes, a regionwide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing.
-
Arcadia Development Corporation plans to tear down the SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western at 300 Gateway Drive off Route 512, replacing it with a warehouse. The permit hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 29 at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem.
-
Hosted by the Northampton County Conservation District, the Envirothon is scheduled for April 18 at Louise W. Moore County Park. Teams will be tested in a handful of different topics, including wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.
-
The results of Lehigh Gap Nature Center's 27th annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch are in. Find out what birds were spotted.
-
Aimee Kohler in 2022 launched The Running Kind, a sustainable, Valley- based business focused on zero-carbon racing events for both amateurs and professionals. The next race is set for April 7.
-
While not federally recognized, residents across the country for the last half-century have acknowledged Earth Day by demonstrating for more environmental protections, cleaning up their communities or learning more about the planet they call home through educational initiatives.
-
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its Allergy Capitals report this month. Allentown ranked in the Top 15 nationwide.
-
A section of Institute Drive will be closed through most of April to protect breeding amphibians. Experts said the road-closing conservation effort is not only important for the animals, but also for the region’s overall landscape and ecosystem.
-
A three-person crew from Joshua Tree Experts spent hours pruning the trees on Camelot for Children's campus. The work was donated through the company's #JTGivesBack initiative.
-
Applications open Monday for the 2024 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program and are accepted until 4 p.m. March 8. The grants are earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
-
A 605-pound black bear harvested in the Lehigh Valley has ranked one of the largest in the state to be bagged during its most recent season, and was the sixth-heaviest bear in Pennsylvania for 2023.
-
The team behind Lehigh University's "Community Mapping for Environmental Justice” project is creating an interactive map of litter in Bethlehem. Officials said the collaborative effort aims to improve the health and well-being of the entire community.
-
The city is one of the first in the Lehigh Valley to carve out a position for a dedicated sustainability coordinator to oversee environmental initiatives and bolster community engagement.
-
Registration is open for the Nurture Nature Center's Youth Climate Summit of the Lehigh Valley, a free event April 19 and 20. The summit aims to engage middle and high school students in climate change issues, as well as seek solutions.
-
North Whitehall Township's Klusaritz Family Farm was recognized at the Pennsylvania Farm Show as one of six farms across the state that had been in the same family for more than 100 years.
-
A Muhlenberg College professor has launched a campaign this month to inform residents about the health risks of radon, as well as improve access to testing and mitigation. The Lehigh Valley is home to the highest radon levels ever recorded in Pennsylvania.
-
Olivia Louise McMahon traveled to Dubai last month as part of Penn State University's delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Officials from around the world discussed how to limit the effects of climate change already present and prepare for further impacts.
-
The funding for four projects came from the Growing Greener and Act 167 grant programs, both through the state Department of Environmental Protection.
-
Five farms in Lehigh and Northampton counties were the latest to be included in the commonwealth’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.
-
Officials behind the longest running raptor migration count in the world have posted the results of the 2023 season. Here's how many birds of prey were spotted.
-
January is National Radon Action Month, and officials from the American Lung Association are offering a limited supply of free radon test kits for commonwealth residents, including those in the the Lehigh Valley.
