
Earth Day celebration in full bloom at City Park in Reading
Midday was way past bedtime for Zeus, but he couldn't resist an afternoon snack.
Zeus, a hoary bat, rose from his nocturnal slumber to enjoy a few daytime mealworms and the adoration of a small crowd at City Park in Reading Saturday afternoon.
Steph Stronsick from the Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation Center in Rockland Township holds Zeus, a hoary bat, during a program on bats during Earth Day activities in Reading City Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Visiting Zeus and other bats was the reason Rosie Sparrow made the trip to the annual Berks County Earth Day celebration.
'He's so cute!,' Sparrow, 9, of West Lawn said of Zeus.
Rosie Sparrow, 9, of Bernville photographs Zeus, a hoary bat, during Earth Day activities in Reading City Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Zeus was found several years ago in York Township, according to the bat's handler, Steph Stronsik of Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation, Rockland Township.
Hoary bats, which are native to Pennsylvania, have had their population devastated by wind turbines, Stronsik said.
Other issues facing the area's bats include deforestation and white nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease, she said.
Elsewhere in the park, what appeared to be a small flock of white geese bobbed atop the heads of a group of friends.
Beverly Leviner of Bern Township said she found the geese hats and wanted to wear them to show support for snow geese. The birds' populations have been affected by a resurgence in avian flu.
She said she often visits the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster County. The site is visited by as many as 100,000 snow geese during their annual migration in late winter.
'It would be nice to have people go see them and take an interest,' Leviner said.
Beverly Leviner of Bern Township wears a snow goose hat to call attention to the avian flu and its effects on the geese during Earth Day activities in Reading City Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Leviner's geese weren't the only accessories with flair at the park — between the booths, a pair of dancers donned winglike scarves, dipping and twirling in synch.
Dancer Autumn Crane said her group, JCWK Dance Labs, uses interpretive dance to work through complex and often painful emotions.
The group recently was at Alvernia University for a performance and discussion on the aftermath of gun violence.
Crane, a physical therapist, said she uses dance to help victims of diseases like Parkinson's and conditions that cause dementia. The art form can assist them in working through their symptoms.
'I'm teaching them to 'burst' dopamine through fun fitness,' Crane said.
She said she's working with local nonprofit groups to have disability-accessible paths for walking meditation exercises, possibly at City Park and other local recreation areas.
Curious eventgoers swung by dozens of booths where local companies and nonprofits shared Earth Day exhibits and introduced themselves to community members.
One booth sported bags of sticks, boughs and other carefully chosen plant material, which kids were using to make crafts.
The plants in the bags were all native to the area, with the goal of the activity being to introduce people to the benefits of local flora, according to Jenny Wright, who was working the booth for the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society.
Wright warned of the threats invasive, non-native plants can pose to local ecosystems.
'Some (invasive plants) are very popular; people still plant them,' Wright said.
She said invasive plants like Norway maple, English ivy and Japanese wisteria can grow and reproduce quickly and may not be as susceptible to local pests and diseases, making it easy for them to outcompete the native species that the ecosystem relies on.
Wright was also handing out native plant seeds and providing lists of native plant nurseries.
Jenny Wright of Barto, a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, talks about native plants during Earth Day activities in Reading City Park on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The event featured a citywide cleanup in the morning, followed by a ceremonial tree planting along with performances by local bands throughout the day.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Geek Wire
26 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
Xplore unveils colorful hyperspectral views captured by its planet-watching satellite
An image from the XCUBE-1 satellite shows the Salt River in Arizona. ©2025 Xplore Inc. All rights reserved. Bellevue, Wash.-based Xplore has released the first hyperspectral images from its XCUBE-1 satellite, six months after the shoebox-sized spacecraft was sent into orbit. The pictures, captured with a resolution of 5 meters (16 feet) per pixel, show a river in Arizona, rugged terrain in Saudi Arabia, farmland in Uzbekistan and a settlement in Inner Mongolia — with each image color-coded to reflect wavelengths that go beyond what the eye can see. Such images can be used to assess agricultural crop health, moisture levels and other characteristics of a given terrain. Thermal infrared imagery could be used to track the spectral signatures of seagoing vessels or overland shipments as part of a campaign to crack down on illegal trafficking. For military applications, hyperspectral images could point to newly laid minefields or see through camouflage. And for space applications, Xplore's multi-sensor imaging system could be turned to track other satellites 'Xplore is focused on providing high-quality data products for our customers and partners,' Jeff Rich, co-founder and CEO of Xplore, said today in a news release. 'Our imagery is outperforming expectations, and its exceptional quality stems from the sophisticated ground calibration of our instruments and data processing pipeline. We expect demand for high-quality hyperspectral imagery to expand rapidly in multiple domains.' Two years ago, Xplore won a study contract from the National Reconnaissance Office to look into potential applications for hyperspectral imaging. Last December, XCUBE-1 was launched into low Earth orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Bandwagon-2 satellite rideshare mission. Xplore says it's been sharing its initial data and exploring use cases with key customers and partners. The company plans to send future satellite platforms into Earth orbit and to other destinations to execute on its 'Space as a Service' business model. 'We're thrilled with Xplore's progress and are thankful for our talented team and partners,' Xplore co-founder and chief operating officer Lisa Rich said. 'Their hard work and dedication are clearly reflected in the outstanding imagery we're producing. We now invite customers to request data samples to assess our data for their programs and projects. The use of these data products will be crucial to produce insights, perform change detection and identify anomalies that are critical to our customers' applications.'


Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
NASA Raises Odds of Asteroid Smacking the Moon in 2032
The odds of an asteroid the size of a 10-story building slamming into the Moon in 2032 have risen slightly, according to NASA. On June 5, the agency announced that Asteroid 2024 YR4 now has a 4.3% chance of lunar impact—up from 3.8%. This infamous space rock caused quite a stir earlier this year when initial data suggested it could collide with Earth in about eight years. But as scientists gathered more data, it became clear that this asteroid posed no threat to our planet. There's still a chance, however, that 2024 YR4 could hit the Moon. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope allowed scientists to refine the asteroid's orbit, leading to this tiny increase in the odds of a lunar impact. 'As data comes in, it is normal for the impact probability to evolve,' NASA's announcement states. When the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile first discovered 2024 YR4 in December 2024, NASA flagged it as a potentially hazardous object almost immediately. Initial calculations indicated that this asteroid had about a 1% chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. Over the next few weeks, those odds alarmingly climbed to nearly 3% before ultimately settling back down to zero by late February. At the time it was discovered, 2024 YR4 was roughly 515,116 miles (829,000 kilometers) from Earth. Since then, it's moved farther away. By mid-April, the asteroid was too distant to be observed by ground-based telescopes. It won't make another close approach to Earth until June 2028, but Webb's infrared capabilities allowed scientists to observe this space rock for about a month after it drifted beyond the reach of terrestrial technology. Researchers led by Andy Rivkin, a planetary astronomer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, have been using Webb's Near-Infrared Camera to observe 2024 YR4 and assess its damage potential, even as it moved away from view. In May, they captured one last observation of this space rock before it disappeared behind the Sun. This additional data improved their prediction of where the asteroid will be on December 22, 2032 by 20%, according to NASA. The odds of 2024 YR4 colliding with the Moon are still (relatively) low. And even if it does crash into the lunar surface, the impact would not alter the Moon's orbit, NASA states. Webb's observations have also helped researchers refine measurements of the asteroid's size, finding that it is approximately 174 to 220 feet (53 to 67 meters) wide, which is relatively small for an asteroid. A direct hit would likely result in nothing more than a new crater. But that's not to say this event wouldn't be significant. Anticipating a lunar impact would give scientists a rare opportunity to observe a crater being formed in real-time, assuming it hits the Moon's Earth-facing side. And even though 2024 YR4 no longer poses any risk to our planet, discovering it allowed scientists to practice planetary defense strategies, which could prove to be life-saving someday. NASA is already making plans for when the asteroid swings back by Earth in 2028, according to the June 5 statement. More observations from both ground-based telescopes and Webb could help scientists gather more information about the asteroid's shape and composition, which are important elements of its behavior and potential impact effects. Until then, we'll just have to wish this troublemaking space traveler farewell.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mission Launches Fuel Rocket Lab's Rally: Should You Buy the Stock Now?
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. RKLB has recently launched several successful missions, which involve deploying satellites to Earth orbit using its Electron space vehicle. Evidently, at the onset of June 2025, RKLB launched its 65th Electron rocket to deploy Earth-imaging satellites for real-time space-based intelligence company, BlackSky. In May, Rocket Lab launched the third mission for its Japanese customer, Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc. (iQPS). In March, the company deployed eight satellites for Germany-based global wildfire and detection company OroraTech. These missions, apart from showcasing Rocket Lab's increased launch cadence, also demonstrate the company's efficiency in conducting frequent, reliable and dedicated small orbital launches for satellite operators with 100% mission success. Such back-to-back launch missions must have been boosting investors' confidence in RKLB lately, as evident from its three-month price performance. Rocket Lab's shares have surged an impressive 66.2% in the past three months, outperforming the Zacks aerospace-defense industry's gain of 18%. It has also outpaced the broader Zacks Aerospace sector's rise of 21.8% as well as the S&P 500's gain of 7.5% in the same time frame. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research A similar stellar performance has been delivered by other defense stocks involved in the space industry, such as Lockheed Martin LMT and Intuitive Machines LUNR, over the past three months. Shares of LUNR surged 82%, while those of LMT rose 2.6%. According to a World Economic Forum report from April 2024, the space economy is projected to grow from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035, driven by the increasing adoption of satellite and rocket-enabled technologies. This outlook strengthens the long-run growth prospects of stocks like RKLB, LUNR and LMT. Notably, Lockheed engages in the research, design and production of satellites and space transportation systems, while Intuitive Machines is a space exploration company involved in supplying space products and services to support sustained robotic and human exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond. On the other hand, RKLB's Electron launch vehicle ranks as the second most frequently launched orbital rocket by U.S. companies. Looking ahead, the company is expected to continue its strong prowess in the space industry, with RKLB aiming to launch more than 20 Electron rockets in 2025. This, in turn, should bode well for Rocket Lab's operational results in the coming quarters. Let's take a sneak peek at its near-term estimates to check if that reflects a similar story. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RKLB's 2025 and 2026 sales suggests an improvement of 32.8% and 47.7%, respectively, year over year. A look at its 2025 and 2026 earnings estimates suggests a similar year-over-year improvement. However, its second-quarter 2025 earnings estimates suggest a year-over-year decline. The upward revision of its 2025 and 2026 estimates over the past 60 days indicates investors' increasing confidence in the stock's earnings generation capabilities. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research While Rocket Lab holds strong long-term growth potential, it faces several pressing challenges. One of the primary concerns is its high operating expenses, driven by continued investment in next-generation technologies such as the Neutron launch vehicle, spacecraft capabilities and a broader portfolio of components. These expenses often offset revenue gains, leading to losses, as evident from its recent quarterly reports. Another major risk is Rocket Lab's elevated debt levels, which currently surpass those of many industry peers (as illustrated by the long-term debt-to-capital ratio in the image below). The company invests aggressively in the design, manufacturing and commercialization of new space technologies. However, if product development timelines slip, the associated debt burden could significantly strain future financial performance. This risk is underscored by Rocket Lab's recent delay in its first Neutron rocket launch, from an initial 2024 target to mid-2025 at the earliest. Delays like this highlight execution risks that could further pressure the company's balance sheet. RKLB's Long-term Debt-to-Capital Image Source: Zacks Investment Research In terms of valuation, RKLB's forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 19.18X, a premium to its peer group's average of 4.50X. This suggests that investors will be paying a higher price than the company's expected sales growth compared to that of its industry. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Other space stocks, such as LUNR and LMT, are trading at a discount to RKLB in terms of their forward P/S ratio. LUNR and LMT have a forward sales multiple of 6.51X and 1.49X, respectively. To conclude, investors interested in Rocket Lab should wait for a better entry point, considering its premium valuation and high leverage. The stock holds a VGM score of F, which is also not a very favorable parameter for investing in a stock. However, those who already own this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock may continue to do so, considering its impressive performance at the bourses, upward revision in annual earnings estimates and year-over-year sales growth predicted by its near-term estimates. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data