
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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The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, in partnership with the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, is holding its 10th annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids on Saturday, Jan. 11.
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Administered by Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, with funding from the DCNR, officials said the effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.
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The longest running raptor migration count in the world wrapped up for the 2024 season. Staff and volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours recording species as part of Hawk Mountain's conservation efforts.
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The project, beginning today, includes rebuilding the stream bank. Officials said increased public interest and use, climate change and more frequent high-water events have significantly eroded it.
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State environmental officials awarded $2.55 million in grants as part of a statewide effort to improve air quality in communities through cleaner fuel transportation infrastructure.
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Three farms in Lehigh County were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.
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During the 2023-24 hunting seasons, a record-breaking 261,672 pounds of venison from 6,905 deer and six elk statewide was donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. Find out how much was donated in the Lehigh Valley.
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Part of the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program, the grants support projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats. A dozen Lehigh Valley projects were funded.
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The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, on Nov. 2 erupted in Lehigh Township. The fire, which grew from 150 acres to almost 600, took seven days of fighting before it was marked 100% contained.
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Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch ended late last month, with 9,373 migrating raptors recorded. While the overall count is lower than last year, many species exceeded 2023 totals.
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While environmentalists and researchers said impacts on the region’s crops and water may be few due to the short duration of smoky days, it’s a largely understudied topic.
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Officials are marking 10 years on the farm in Bethlehem, supporting the Lehigh Valley's hungry and spreading education about sustainable farming practices.
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The pause is the latest obstacle for landfill officials, who want a 275-acre expansion, and a being counted as a success for many residents who have argued and rallied against it.
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Held June 7 in Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley Environmental Advisory Council Network’s “Funding Municipal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs,” focused on federal and state funding opportunities available to organizations across the region.
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The projects focus on advancing land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation, community revitalization through green infrastructure and environmental education.
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The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in April voted to remove the mail-in application process for antlerless licenses, as well as move up the sale to the fourth Monday in June.
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Spraying began 9 a.m. at Washington Crossing State Park. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.
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After the driest May on record, the Lehigh Valley is still dealing with bone dry conditions, exacerbating allergies and creating optimum conditions for brush fires.
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The company on Tuesday filed a notice of appeal to the Commonwealth Court, according to court documents.
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Five of North America’s smallest falcon, four male and one female, were banded in an effort to help researchers study and bolster the declining species.
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The White Haven Trail, part of the D&L Trail that stretches through the Lehigh Valley, has been resurfaced, and improvements have been made to the trailhead.
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Lafayette on May 26 submitted plans to replant College Hill after it was deforested for a $1.2 million walkway project. Here's the plan.