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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The center's annual Bake Oven Knob Autumn Hawk Watch begins in just over two weeks. Officials are hosting an informational Zoom session at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 to share the history of the count and volunteer opportunities, as well as how to count migrating raptors and some tips for identification.
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While the Canadian wildfire smoke is only the latest threat, experts and professionals said there are ways to monitor and improve the indoor air residents are breathing.
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Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.
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Called the Recovery in Nature initiative, two state departments have joined forces to create regional-specific partnerships to bolster substance use recovery efforts while strengthening all residents’ connection to nature.
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The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report of the most challenging places to live with asthma. The release coincides with peak asthma season in September.
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Awardees of the state Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program were announced Monday. It focuses on eliminating lead, mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards from school buildings.
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The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center on Wednesday held a news conference at the city’s Sculpture Garden announcing the nonprofit’s new report, “Lead in School Drinking Water.” Bethlehem Area School District was found lacking.
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State officials announced a $1 million pool for the 2025 Environmental Education Grants Program, as well as the Nov. 15 deadline to apply. Two Lehigh Valley projects were funded in the last round.
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Staff and volunteers at the sanctuary have monitored the autumnal migration since 1934 as part of conservation research efforts. It’s the longest-running raptor migration count in the world.
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Nine projects across Pennsylvania are included in the round of funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The projects focus on research, marketing, apprenticeships and sustainability for mushrooms, apples, potatoes and other crops.
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Less than a month after a strong, bad smell permeated through the city and surrounding areas for several days, prompting a state Department of Environmental Protection investigation, the odor has returned.
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Lehigh Valley Breathes is behind schedule from the course established in August 2023. Here's what officials have learned so far — and how they plan to proceed.
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The Lehigh Valley has been reshaped by a massive wave of development, both in industrial and residential, that has swept over the region the last three decades. While the development boom may be slowing, the impacts to the region’s economy and the environment are clear. (First of 5 parts)
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The free exhibit, “America’s Beautiful,” at Lehigh Gap Nature Center runs from Aug. 21 to Aug. 29. It includes 50 watercolor paintings of Smokey Bear.
