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

Groundwork Elizabeth is an innovative initiative that is improving access to sustainably grown local produce for urban communities surrounding Kean University. As one of the 10 winners of the 2016 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, Groundwork Elizabeth stood out for their Come Grow With Us! Community Farm and Garden Initiative. In this week’s podcast, Jonathan Phillips, executive director of Groundwork Elizabeth, and Jackie Park Albaum, Director of Come Grow With Us! Farm and Garden, joined Bob Bostock to discuss this incredible organization, its current initiatives and the many partnerships – including one with DEP -- that make it possible.

For more information on Groundwork Elizabeth, please visit http://www.groundworkelizabeth.com/ or call (908) 289-0262.  

Every year the nation pauses on the third Monday of February to salute all those who have served as president of the United States. To commemorate President’s Day, Bob Bostock, DEP’s Director of Strategic Communications and a student of the presidency, sat down with Gladys Giron, Communications Assistant, to discuss those presidents who have had a close connection with New Jersey, from the first POTUS right down to the present day.

For more information on historical sites associated to the presidents, please see:

Monmouth Battlefield State Park: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/monbat.html
Princeton Battlefield State Park: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/princeton.html
Washington’s Crossing State Park: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html
Grover Cleveland's Birthplace: http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/grover_cleveland/gc_home.htm

DEP’s Community Collaborative Initiative works closely with diverse partners in urban communities to support their vision for revitalization and growth. It addresses complex environmental challenges with innovative solutions. Due to the CCI’s successful start in Camden in 2015, it has since expanded to include Perth Amboy and Trenton. Lou Valente, DEP’s Chief Project Advisor, joined Bob Bostock to discuss the CCI’s current and future goals and how these fit in with DEP’s overall mission.

For more information on the Community Collaborative Initiative, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/cci/.

One of the ways that DEP strives to protect New Jersey’s land, keeping it beautiful and safe, is assisting in the cleanup of sites that are abandoned or underutilized due to contamination. Bill Lindner, Supervising Geologist in DEP’s Bureau of Brownfield Reuse, joined Bob Bostock to discuss brownfield redevelopment and the positive impact that this has on the surrounding communities.

For more information on brownfield redevelopment, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/brownfields/.

As a result of the use of the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, the number of nesting pairs of bald eagles in New Jersey declined to only one by 1970 and remained there into the early 1980s. Kathy Clark, Supervising Zoologist for the Endangered and Nongame Species Program, joined Bob Bostock to discuss how our national bird, the bald eagle, has successfully recovered in the Garden State as well as provide insightful information on this majestic bird’s habits, habitats, and life cycle.

For more information on bald eagles, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/raptor_info.htm.

2016 Eagle Report: http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/eglrpt16.pdf

NJN’s Survival of Species Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHZoTJQHOaE

The Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park at Rowan University contains thousands of 65-million-year-old fossils and provides a unique window into the Cretaceous Period – the heyday of the dinosaurs. Dr. Ken Lacovara, founding dean of the School of Earth and Environment at Rowan University, joined Bob Bostock to dig into the story behind this up-and-coming fossil park, its captivating history, and its boundless future.

Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park: http://www.rowan.edu/fossils/
Dr. Lacovara’s website: www.kennethlacovara.com
TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/kenneth_lacovara_hunting_for_dinosaurs_showed_me_our_place_in_the_universe
TED RadioHour: http://www.npr.org/2016/09/30/495638072/whats-the-anthropocene

With Black History Month quickly approaching, DEP will be hosting the exhibit Oh Freedom!: Blacks on the Battlefront and in the Aftermath of the American Revolutionary War in New Jersey. This exhibit powerfully portrays the role African Americans played in the Revolutionary War in New Jersey. Olivia Glenn, South Jersey Metro Regional Manager of the New Jersey Foundation and creator of the Oh Freedom! exhibit, joined Bob Bostock to discuss the discoveries of her research and the impact that this important point in history has had on New Jersey.

For more information on the Oh Freedom! exhibit, please visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/oh_freedom/.

Oh Freedom! will be on display in the cafeteria hallway in DEP’s 401 building from January 17-30.

January is Radon Action Month. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. This unwelcome gas can seep into homes and accumulate in enclosed places. Anita Kopera, supervisor of DEP’s Radon Section, joined Bob Bostock to discuss radon in New Jersey and DEP’s role in radon prevention, regulations, outreach and education.

For more information on radon and DEP’s Radon Protection Element, please visit http://www.njradon.org/.

You can also call the toll free information line at 800-648-0394 or DEP’s Radon Section office at 609-984-5425.

Every year, New Jersey’s state parks celebrate the New Year with First Day Hikes. To welcome 2017, the New Jersey State Park Service is hosting 19 guided hikes, 1 mountain bike ride and 1 horseback ride in state parks, forests and historic sites on New Year’s Day. Stephanie Fox, Resource Interpretive Specialist for the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, sat down with Bob Bostock to discuss how people can start the new year off right by getting outside in New Jersey’s beautiful outdoors.

For more information First Day Hikes, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/first_day_hikes.html.

For more information on New Jersey’s State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/.

For the past 6 years, DEP has participated in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program as a part of Governor Christie’s annual Season of Service Campaign. This year’s Angel Tree Drop Off took place on December 13. More than 1,000 gifts were delivered for 231 children this year alone. Richard Pease, Envoy at the Salvation Army Trenton Citadel Corps, joined Bob Bostock to discuss the Angel Tree Program and the difference that the Salvation Army makes both locally and worldwide.

For more information on the Salvation Army and to find out how you can get involved, please visit http://newjersey.salvationarmy.org/NewJersey/trenton.