
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.
-
St. Luke's University Health Network on Friday launched an email helpline for residents with questions about avian flu. No human cases have so far been recorded in Pennsylvania.
-
The Valley’s two major health networks are preparing for an increase in bird flu in people. Cases have been generally mild, with none reported so far in Pennsylvania.
-
Just shy of 90 awardees from 45 counties were selected for the commonwealth’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Find out what got funded in the Lehigh Valley.
-
Applications are open for the 2025 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. Grants are earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
-
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission officials last month held the first regional climate planning workshop of the year, WorkshopLV: Environment.
-
Residents can comment on a draft of the 2025-2029 Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP, through March 3. There's a public input form, as well as scheduled webinars.
-
A contentious land-use battle is underway, and it's headed to the Pennsylvania's Environmental Hearing Board. Both sides are confident they'll win.
-
The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.
-
Food & Water Watch on Tuesday held a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s city office in defense of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. A Republican congressman earlier this month introduced a joint resolution to repeal it.
-
Applications are open for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Funding supports projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats.
-
More than two dozen state legislators, including one from the Lehigh Valley, have co-sponsored HB2238, which would eliminate the use of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in household products.
-
Allentown Environmental Advisory Council members on Monday night voted unanimously to submit comments to city officials on a proposed overhaul of zoning regulations, including eight recommendations.
-
State officials are holding a virtual town hall meeting Wednesday for residents to share their feedback on the Bureau of Forestry’s newest strategic plan. Here's how to participate.
-
Officials gathered at the Lehigh Valley Zoo Thursday evening for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Rothrock Red Panda Peak. It's the first time the zoo has had red pandas in residence.
-
Environmental and county officials this week began dismantling a dam over Bushkill Creek in an effort to restore the creek. The removal will improve water quality, stormwater function and connectivity for fish and other organisms.
-
While monitoring continues, Lehigh Valley Breathes officials used the most recent project update to explain results from the research this spring at Lehigh University.
-
During this year’s spring migration count, which runs from April 1 through mid-May, Hawk Mountain volunteers and staff tallied 1,001 birds of prey.
-
Three Lehigh Valley researchers are arguing bird-strike fatalities are much higher than we might think. They recently published a peer-reviewed study showing bird deaths from window strikes are nearly double previous estimates, and likely higher.
-
The colleges have formed a partnership to build and bring online a solar facility in western Kentucky. When completed, the facility will offset electricity usage at the institutions, effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation to zero.
-
Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the annual Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities to engage students in the environment. The state competition was held Wednesday at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg.
-
As residents and tourists explore the region’s many parks, bike trails and scenic overlooks — May is recognized as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month — health and environmental officials are cautioning visitors to check for ticks after their outdoor adventures.
-
The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $980,000 in grants to promote environmental education and stewardship across the state. Two Lehigh Valley programs received pieces of funding.