Environment & Science

This week marks the start of astronomical winter which began with the December solstice, Sunday morning just after 10 a.m. EST.

While the penguins were taken off exhibit, barnyard birds and waterfowl at Lehigh Valley Zoo were shuffled to different enclosures so visitors could still view them.

Wind Gap will get a $130,000 state grant to help fund a new, larger pavilion at the borough's municipal park, officials announced Thursday.

Thousands were in the dark in Lehigh and Northampton counties as thunder rumbled and lighting flashed Friday afternoon in parts of the Lehigh Valley. Wind gusts reached more than 50 mph.

In its review, the LVPC said the data center proposal lacks specificity needed to fully review the project in Upper Macungie Township.

The state Game Commission is coordinating a response, which includes "safe removal, testing and disposal" of the impacted birds.

In addition to advancing the sewage plan, committee members also discussed the ongoing trail gap inventory and analysis, as well as voted in next year's chair and vice chair.

December temperatures in the Lehigh Valley have plunged far enough below normal to make even seasoned winter residents take notice.

The money is earmarked to help pay for a $20 million facility to treat water from Crystal Spring, one of Allentown’s four major water sources, according to city officials.

This week, Brad Klein and Marty McGuire take a look at Orion — the constellation most associated with the winter sky.

A November 11 Facebook post showed a map of Pennsylvania and the surrounding mid-Atlantic region being walloped by snowfall in the weeks ahead. It's "wrong" and "without context," a local meteorologist said.

Edward Boscola, city water and sewer resources director, said Wednesday that a roughly $2 increase in monthly sewer charges would keep the capital fund in good shape, minimize borrowing and contribute to upcoming projects at the wastewater facility.

The Lehigh County Authority released the estimate and a schedule of public meetings to review the plan and collect feedback from affected residents. The first meeting is scheduled for 6 tonight in South Whitehall Township.

Lafayette College's commercial composting vessel was placed in June. It comes more than a decade after the college first started it's composting program, with the dining hall using fully compostable packaging and cutlery.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection policy now recognizes 1,965 environmental justice areas in Pennsylvania. More than 200 are in rural counties.

Greater Easton Development Partnership has gotten agricultural grants totaling $60,000 from the Pennsylvania Farm Bill's Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant.

The first new building on Muhlenberg’s campus in more than a decade, the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., has racked up three different sustainability awards and certifications.

Lehigh Valley Breathes is a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. The project is expected to run for a year.

Come Sunday, daylight saving time is out and standard time reigns once again. That means an extra hour of sleep in the morning, but sunset slated for 4:53 p.m.

Animals and insects use fallen leaves to live or find food — including birds and butterflies. Often, if leaves aren't composted, they end up in landfills. Here are some alternative ideas.

The Lehigh Valley will join a large swath of the country in sharing frost and freeze headlines this week as temperatures fall into the 20s for the first time this season.

PennEnvironment on Monday released a new report, “Lawn Care Goes Electric," ranking emissions from gas-powered lawn and garden equipment by state and county across the U.S. Here's where Lehigh and Northampton counties ranked.