Discover DEP: the Official Podcast of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Episode 65-Freshwater Mussels with Jeanette Bowers-Altman

Freshwater mussels inhabit rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. They are vital to their ecosystems, filtering water and cleaning our waterways. Jeanette Bowers-Altman, Principal Zoologist in DEP’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, sits down with Gladys Giron to discuss this fascinating mollusk and its status in New Jersey, role in the environment, and how DEP aids in its conservation.

To learn more about freshwater mussels in New Jersey, click here.

Episode 64-Fish and Headwaters’ Index of Biotic Integrity with John Vile and Brian Henning

DEP is responsible for monitoring the quality of New Jersey’s water. One way by which this is done is through biological monitoring. The Fish and Headwaters’ Index of Biotic Integrity monitoring programs, also known as FIBI & HIBI, use fish and other aquatic species as measures of water quality. John Vile and Brian Henning, research scientists in DEP’s Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Bureau of Freshwater & Biological Monitoring, sit down with Bob Bostock to discuss how the health of fish in streams can help scientists to assess the health and condition of the water, as well as to identify ecological changes.

To learn more about these programs visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bfbm/ibipagemain.htm

Photo: John Vile (left) and Brian Henning (right)

Episode 63-Ticks with Jim Occi, PhD Graduate Student in Entomology at Rutgers University

It’s tick season, and those little buggers are biting with a vengeance this year. For many, ticks and other outdoor pests can put a damper on our favorite outdoor summer activities. It’s important to follow safety precautions to avoid these unwelcome guests on your summer adventures. Jim Occi, PhD graduate student in Entomology at Rutgers University, sits down with Bob Bostock to tell us more about these pesky pests.

To learn more about how DEP deals with mosquitoes, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/mosquito/

To learn more about Rutgers’ Center for Vector Biology, please visit http://vectorbio.rutgers.edu/

To view Jim Occi’s website and tick photography, please visit http://jimocci.photoshelter.com/gallery/Ticks-of-the-World/G0000SbPGLWQHnPU/

Episode 62-Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park with Superintendents Jen Clayton and Rob Rodriguez

Out of New Jersey’s 40 treasured state parks, Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park are the largest and most-visited. With hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, dedicated state employees work hard to make sure the parks are up and running year-round. Superintendents Jen Clayton and Rob Rodriguez talk about the amenities, history and natural wonders that make their parks special, as well as the challenges that come up along the way.

To find out more about Liberty State Park, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/liberty.html.

To find out more about Island Beach State Park, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html.

To find out more about the Piping Plovers, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/plover.pdf and http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2016/ploverupdate7-16.htm.

 

Photo Courtesy of volunteer Kevin Knutsen

Episode 61-Division of Fish and Wildlife 125th Anniversary with Director Larry Herrighty

This year, DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is celebrating its 125^th Anniversary. The Division has rededicated itself to its long-time mission of conserving wildlife and providing recreation opportunities for generations of hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts. New Jersey is home to a remarkable diversity of fish and wildlife species and hundreds of dedicated professionals to manage these resources. Larry Herrighty, Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, sits down with Bob Bostock to discuss the history of the Division, the wildlife that it protects, and how they’ll be celebrating this milestone throughout the year

For more information on the Division of Fish and Wildlife, please visit http://njfishandwildlife.com/.

To view the New Jersey Monarch Butterfly Conservation Guide, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/monarch-guide.pdf.

Episode 60-Summer Flounder Fishing with Russ Allen and Al Ivany

 

Fishing is a popular pastime in New Jersey, and you can’t talk fish without mentioning the summer flounder, also known as fluke. New Jersey is pursuing an agreement regarding 2017 fishing regulations. Currently, New Jersey’s regulations for summer flounder fishing are: 18-inch minimum size, 104-day season, and 3-fish possession limit. To keep this recreational fishery strong, DEP is working with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to implement best practices that keep summer flounder population strong. Russ Allen and Al Ivany from the Division of Fish and Wildlife sat down with Bob Bostock to talk about summer flounder and its importance to New Jersey

For more information on Summer Flounder and fishing regulations, please visit www.savefluke.nj.gov, www.fishsmart.org and www.njfishandwildlife.com.

 

 
(left to right, Russ Allen, Al Ivany)

 

 

Episode 59-Baseball and New Jersey Geology with Chris Adair and Mike Morvay

Baseball is the National Pastime, but literally every pitch thrown in both the major and minor leagues carries a piece of the Garden State to the plate.  That’s because for more than 75 years every baseball put in play has first been rubbed with a little bit of Lena Blackburn Baseball Rubbing Mud, which takes the shine and slickness off of the ball. This “Miracle Mud,” which is collected from a secret spot right here in New Jersey, is as much a part of baseball as peanuts and Cracker Jack. Chris Adair, part time assistant geologist in DEP’s Division of Water Supply & Geoscience, and Mike Morvay, director of grounds for the Lakewood Blue Claws minor league baseball team, sat down with Bob Bostock to discuss the important link between New Jersey’s geology and baseball.

Check out the Lakewood Blue Claws at http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t427

From left to right: Mike Morvay and Chris Adair

Epsiode 58-Montclair Sate University Social Media Project

This past spring, DEP partnered with Montclair State University’s Marketing Department to create a social media project for the Montclair students. The students were able to analyze 7 of DEP’s Facebook pages, give DEP’s social media administrators feedback, and create social media campaigns for Earth Week 2017. Now that the project is completed, Dr. Patrali Chatterjee and two of her students, Nathan Ellis and Rokhaya Fall, sat down with Bob Bostock to discuss this collaborative project and the positive outcomes it had both for DEP and Montclair State University.

To find out more about Montclair State University’s Feliciano School of Business, please visit https://business.montclair.edu/.

Click the links below to view the seven DEP Facebook pages that were a part of this project:

• NJDEP Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability (https://www.facebook.com/NJDEPAQES/)
• NJDEP Compliance and Enforcement (https://www.facebook.com/NJDEPComplianceandEnforcement/)
• New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites (https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyStateParks/)
• New Jersey Forests (https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyForests/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf)
• New Jersey Historic Preservation Office (https://www.facebook.com/njshpo/)
• NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife (https://www.facebook.com/NJFishandWildlife/)
• AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program (https://www.facebook.com/AmeriCorpsNJWAP/)

Photo: (l-r) Nathan Ellis, Dr. Patrali Chatterjee, Rokhaya Fall

Episode 57-Blue Acres with Director Fawn McGee

The Blue Acres Program offers New Jersey residents the opportunity to sell properties that were damaged by Super Storm Sandy, or which lie in areas that are exposed to repetitive flooding damage. DEP works with homeowners in these areas to reduce the risk of future flood damage and to help families move out of harm’s way. Fawn McGee, Director of the Blue Acres Program at DEP, joined Bob Bostock to discuss the successes of this program and the process surrounding it.

To find out more about DEP’s Blue Acres Buyouts, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/greenacres/blue_flood_ac.html.

Episode 56-Historic Preservation Month with Kate Marcopul

May is Historic Preservation Month. This month is particularly exciting for DEP’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO), which works to preserve, protect and promote New Jersey’s historic resources. Kate Marcopul, Administrator of the Historic Preservation Office, sits down with Bob Bostock to discuss the important role that HPO plays in the state of New Jersey, including review and compliance, administering the National Register Program on behalf of New Jersey, providing technical assistance to developers, surveying and inventorying historic properties across the state, maintaining data, and everything in between.

To find out more about DEP’s Historic Preservation Office and New Jersey’s historic sites, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/.