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.
-
With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning next week, Allentown is offering free pool admission. Find out other ways to beat the heat. -
The Delaware River was chosen as the commonwealth’s River of the Year. It was celebrated Wednesday with a festival.
-
Easton late last month became the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to seek certification through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.
-
Tick season is in full swing in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to blacklegged ticks, those most often associated with Lyme disease, the invasive Asian longhorned tick also calls the Valley home.
-
Spraying began 8 a.m. Tuesday. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.
-
The survey aims to capture opinions from local restaurants and eateries about single-use plastics.
-
The grant, part of a $650,000 round of funding, came from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, a State College-based nonprofit.
-
Township officials held their first public meeting on the Bushkill Creek Greenway Master Plan. It's a comprehensive, community-driven effort aimed at mitigating flooding, updating facilities and increasing accessibility.
-
The $13 million contract was with the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. A pandemic-era program, commonwealth farmers were paid to supply local food banks with fresh produce.
-
CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced the scores Thursday. It’s the highest grade the city has received from CDP since officials started reporting in 2018.
-
The state Department of Environmental Protection's Energy Programs Office will host five public engagement sessions in December, four in-person and one virtual, as officials work to create a priority climate action plan to address the negative effects of climate change.
-
The city’s annual holiday tree lighting was held Saturday evening at the Arts Park, 20 N. Fifth St. Hundreds gathered for the free event, which included hot cocoa and s’mores-making, horse-drawn carriage rides, vendors and photos with Santa.
-
Residents from the Lehigh Valley and beyond on Thursday attended the state Department of Environmental Protection’s last public comment meeting on the commonwealth’s interim environmental justice policy. The majority said the policy doesn’t go far enough.
-
While plans for the site include homes, offices, restaurants and other facilities at the 200-acre East Side property, regulations call for at least 35%, or about 70 acres, to be preserved as open space for outdoor recreation.
-
Wildlands Conservancy’s first fall photography contest is underway, with entries due just before midnight Thursday. Officials said the contest aims to encourage residents to explore the outdoors, as well as share their interest in nature with others in the community.
-
Starting this month, and running on select Thursdays through March, this year’s series includes officials from state and local agencies, as well as nonprofits. It's free for members and costs $5 for non-members.
-
Less than a decade old and with trainees coming from all over the country, Rodale Institute’s Veteran Farmer Training program aims to give veterans the tools they need to pivot into successful farming careers, as well as spread knowledge about sustainable farming practices and regenerative organic agriculture.
-
Two professors were recently awarded a three-year, $750,000 grant from NASA to help engage and retain women in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, disciplines. The college was one of seven institutions to get funding.
-
Hunters Sharing the Harvest, Pennsylvania’s venison donation program, has since 1991 built a network of deer processors and food pantries across the state, donating nearly 2 million pounds of venison. Deer rifle season begins Saturday.
-
The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence is open to any commonwealth business, farm, government agency, educational institution or nonprofit organization that has developed or participated in a project that promotes environmental protection and stewardship. Applications are due by Jan. 3.
-
When state officials announced a series of in-person and virtual meetings there were no in-person meetings slated for the Lehigh Valley, even though the region is the third largest metropolitan area in the commonwealth. A meeting in Allentown has been added to the schedule.
-
A decade or so after buying his South Whitehall Township home in the late 1960s, Fred Buse started recording the average temperature, precipitation type and amount, as well as any animal sightings in his backyard to study and track the health of the local environment.
