Environment & Science

A team of students from Bangor Area High School placed ninth in this year's statewide Envirothon competition, essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. The team placed first for the wildlife station.

In a map released Thursday, nearly the entire state of Pennsylvania was designated as “abnormally dry” by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The status is a precursor to drought and is likely to worsen over the next couple of weeks.

The cost of the Upper Mount Bethel Preserve project is estimated at $2.1 million, it was disclosed at a public meeting of the final plan on Wednesday night.

Upper Macungie Township is asking for community feedback during its review of the township's zoning ordinance and SALDO.

The "You Point, We Pick" program will be back at Burnside Garden, 1461 Schoenersville Road, starting Saturday, June 3.

A beautiful May has left the Lehigh Valley searching for a drop in the bucket — a drop of rain, that is, after one of the driest months on record.

A red fox in Northampton County earlier this month became the first mammal in the Lehigh Valley to contract bird flu.

Anglers say Bushkill Creek has a history of receding, leaving hundreds of fish to their death.

Authorities are investigating the origin of a fire which devastated the 900 block of Ferry Street in Easton on Monday, while volunteers are attempting to help victims acclimated after the disaster.

Melanie Biringer launched her business, Constellation Station, this year with a mobile planetarium is designed to offer physical accessibility to children and give back to the special needs community.

The Blue Mountain fire, also called the Gap Fire, erupted Saturday in Lehigh Township. It's now 100% contained, officials said.

The last substantial rainfall in the area came Sept. 28, when nearly a quarter-inch fell at the climate station at Lehigh Valley International Airport. Here's why that could make anticipated rainfall Sunday very dangerous for drivers.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, she's joined by politics reporter Tom Shortell and digital managing content producer Stephanie Sigafoos.

A ban on open fires in Northampton County will take effect Sunday. Charcoal and propane grills still will be allowed, along with fires in a fireplace or otherwise contained indoors.

The red flag warning is in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday in both Lehigh and Northampton counties. It's the second red flag warning issued so far this month.

The fire erupted Saturday in Lehigh Township. Over the following days, the fire grew from 150 acres to almost 600 near the border of Northampton and Carbon counties.

Daniel Klem Jr., director of the Acopian Center for Ornithology at the college, on Saturday was presented with the Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award. His most recent study found 3.5 million birds dying every day in a 365-day period.

The trend of above-average warmth continued Wednesday, with the National Weather Service reporting several high temperature records tied or broken at climate sites before noon. Thursday will threaten the record books again.

The annual series, starting later this month and running on select Thursdays through March, focuses on engaging residents about the environment and conservation efforts.

Easton Outdoor Company hosted the launch of the Elevate program, which aims to help outdoor activity-oriented businesses connect and thrive, on Monday, Oct. 29.

Firefighters battling a blaze on Blue Mountain expressed gratitude to the community for an abundance of donations — so many that they have advised people to hold onto their contributions as they have reached capacity for storage.

The National Weather Service said there will be “no relief” to ongoing drought and fire concerns, with record-challenging temperatures expected by midweek across the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the mid-Atlantic region.