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 2,600 acres on 35 farms in 18 counties across the commonwealth were preserved. Here are the Lehigh Valley farms now safe from development. -
The yet-to-be-named calf was born Aug. 4 and is the tenth oryx calf born at the zoo since 2014.
-
As of Aug. 22, more than 300 raptors were counted during the Berks County sanctuary's annual autumn count. The count runs through Dec. 15.
-
The Martin OM Biosphere guitar, which costs $2,299, received the Preferred by Nature Sustainability Framework certification, officials said Thursday. The Nazareth guitar maker is the first company to achieve the certification in the U.S., and only the second worldwide.
-
Hoping or wishing that an item is recyclable, without actually confirming it, can do more harm than good, and it’s an increasing issue for Lehigh Valley haulers, as well as the recovery facilities where those items are sorted.
-
Thousands of raptors — from vultures, eagles and kites to hawks, kestrels and falcons — are expected to make their annual trek through the region over the next three months, and researchers at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center are in need of volunteers.
-
Musikfest attracts tens of thousands of people to the city each day during its 10-day run. Officials said they’re continuously working to lessen the event’s impact on the environment.
-
From lack of parking and gridlock traffic to the increased prices for headliner tickets, as well as upticks in costs for food and beverages, there are plenty of reasons why some of the Lehigh Valley’s residents don’t like — with a contingent even going so far as to actively avoid — Musikfest.
-
Starting at 9 a.m., officials from Princeton Hydro, a New Jersey-based engineering consultant, will treat the lake’s shoreline via airboat to tamp down invasive Phragmites, a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses.
-
Called “Lehigh Valley Breathes,” the more than $100,000 project includes installing 40 PurpleAir monitors throughout the region. Officials plan to collect data for a year.
-
Like the rest of the country, Pennsylvania has a litter problem. While state and local officials work to mitigate the issue, residents are rolling up their sleeves and doing the work themselves.
-
Titan, a 12-year-old raccoon, was euthanized at the Lehigh Valley Zoo several months after he was diagnosed with a bladder tumor. A favorite to patrons, he will be sorely missed, officials said.
-
The swarms are common around bodies of water, making Bethlehem neighborhoods near the Lehigh River more susceptible. While a nuisance, they pose no threat to residents.
-
State transportation officials on Wednesday held an online public forum to answer questions from residents about their 12-Year Program, a planning and funding tool for state-owned road and bridge projects.
-
Excessive road salting during the winter months can negatively impact the environment and local infrastructure. A nonprofit is working to collect salinity data from waterways.
-
PennEnvironment launched an interactive map of efficient and renewable energy projects across the state. Here are the Lehigh Valley projects included.
-
Almost 100 volunteers on Saturday picked up litter at Monocacy Creek. Organizers said there was "lots of camaraderie” and enthusiasm.
-
Ruth Santiago, an attorney and environmental activist in Puerto Rico, is returning to the Lehigh Valley this month to speak to students and residents about alternative electrical systems and environmental equity amid climate change.
-
The commonwealth is getting $265.9 million in federal funding to upgrade its aging water infrastructure. The state has the fourth most lead pipes in the nation, according to a recent EPA survey.
-
The spring migration count at Hawk Mountain has begun. So far this season, 137 birds of prey have been recorded.
-
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released the results of the agency's "7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment." Pennsylvania ranked only behind Florida, Illinois and Ohio for the most lead service lines.
-
The Monocacy Creek Watershed Association and Bethlehem's Environmental Advisory Council are hosting a spring clean-up April 8 at Monocacy Creek. Last year, volunteers collected more than 2,000 lbs. of garbage.
