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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During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, state parks across Pennsylvania were inundated with visitors.
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State officials late last month announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.
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More than $2 million was allocated to nine organizations across Pennsylvania to fund various research efforts, all linked to the state’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry.
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Twenty-seven air quality monitors have so far been placed for Lehigh Valley Breathes, a Valley-wide, year-long effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing.
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After almost a decade with the same trash hauler, the city’s contract is expiring. Now, city trash is collected twice a week.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Penn State Extension this summer published "The Bees of Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Genera,” outlining the commonwealth’s more than 440 species of bees, organized by genus.
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For more than three decades, Hunters Sharing the Harvest has facilitated a venison donation program throughout Pennsylvania, creating a network of deer processors and hunger relief agencies. Find out how much was donated and where last season.
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The 2025 autumn migration count has begun at Hawk Mountain. It's the longest running raptor migration count in the world.
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Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley wins regional award for protecting water, natural resourcesThe Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley was one of the half-dozen winners of this year’s Environmental Partnership Awards.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Environment Committee on Tuesday discussed a plan for a septic replacement system at the warehouse, planned for 2951 Betz Court.
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West Nile virus is endemic to Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley. While human cases this year remain low, officials are still urging residents to avoid mosquito bites.
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Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch is back for another season. Officials are seeking volunteer observers and counters.
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The Allentown Environmental Advisory Council on Monday discussed but did not vote on the draft letter, addressed to members of City Council.
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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.
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Farmers markets add to the local economy, driving tourism, officials said. Supporting them is also important for farmland preservation and strengthening community, advocates say.
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“The Hidden Language of Trees: How Forests Secretly Communicate” will play at 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at The Neighborhood Center, 902 Philadelphia Road.
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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.