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

This week is the 12th annual Air Quality Awareness Week, and the theme is “Air Quality Where You Are.” DEP and the state of New Jersey have made it a priority to improve air quality and increase air quality awareness. To help celebrate, Frank Steitz sat down with Gladys Giron to talk about air quality, criteria air pollutants, how well New Jersey is meeting federal standards, how to reduce exposure to ozone, and this week’s initiatives both in New Jersey and around the nation.
For New Jersey’s air quality facts, suggested actions for Air Quality Awareness Week and beyond, and other things you can do to help improve air quality, visit www.cleanair.nj.gov
Follow New Jersey’s Air Quality Awareness Week efforts on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NJDEPAQES/
USEPA and partners Air Quality Awareness Week webpage: www.epa.gov/airnow/airaware
Follow USEPA’s Air Quality Awareness Week efforts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/airnow and Twitter at http://twitter.com/airnow
Listen to Discover DEP’s Air Quality Awareness Week podcasts from 2016 and 2017.

Trenton was the third city to join DEP’s Community Collaborative Initiative. In this episode, Bob Bostock sits down with Julie Krause, single point of contact for Trenton at DEP, to talk about her work with local government officials, community groups and stakeholders to support environmental improvement projects important to the city. Listen in as she talks about current projects, such as the Assunpink Daylighting, as well as the collaboration necessary to make these projects successful.
Listen to Frank McLaughlin’s episode on the Camden Collaborative Initiative here.
Listen to Bill Lindner’s episode on Perth Amboy here.
To learn more about CCI in Trenton, click here.

In Discover DEP’s 6th episode, Frank McLaughlin told us about the Community Collaborative initiative and how it got its start in Camden. Now, the CCI has expanded to three additional cities across the state, which will be featured on the next few episodes. This episode will focus on Perth Amboy, the second city to join the initiative. Listen in as Gladys Giron sits down with Bill Lindner, single point of contact for Perth Amboy, to discuss DEP’s collaboration with this city, brownfield redevelopment projects such as 2nd Street Park, and the importance of partnerships in bringing innovative solutions to complex environmental challenges.
Learn more about CCI’s work in Perth Amboy here: http://www.nj.gov/dep/cci/perth.html
Listen to Frank McLaughlin’s episode on the Camden Collaborative Initiative here: http://njdep.podbean.com/e/episode-6-camden-collaborative-initiative-with-frank-mclaughlin/

Since the first National Women’s History Month in March 1987, every year we take a moment to recognize, honor and celebrate the achievements of American women. This month recognizes the courage and contributions of women everywhere who are breaking down barriers, raising their voices and fighting for what they believe in. There has been a continuous effort to bring and engage women in the STEM and environmental fields – including here at DEP. Women are represented in every leadership category at DEP – from the executive team, assistant commissioners, directors and administrators. Gladys Giron sits down with Deputy Commissioner Debbie Mans to talk about her experience so far at DEP as well as some of her past barriers and accomplishments.
Click the link to read DEP’s press release on Deputy Commissioner Debbie Mans: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2018/18_0010.htm
New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/WHTrail_Book.pdf

New Jersey’s state parks are home to about 1,000 miles of official trails and, thanks to the State Park Service, every mile is now available on Trail Tracker. Trail Tracker allows you to track your current location, view trails and points of interest, search for park activities, and download PDF maps of New Jersey’s state parks. This app is helpful in planning for trips to state parks and can also be used in real-time to track your location in any of our state parks, forests or recreation areas. Listen as Heather Merring, one of Trail Tracker’s creators, sits down with Gladys Giron to discuss how this app got its start and the resources it offers.
To get started, visit: www.spstrailtracker.nj.gov or www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/

This week (March 11-17) is AmeriCorps Week, which celebrates AmeriCorps members and alumni for their commitment to educating the public about the environment, stewardship, and the impact their work has around the state and nation. In fact, DEP’s own AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors are celebrating throughout the state. In this week’s Discover DEP episode, Gladys Giron talks about AmeriCorps Week with Amanda Lotto, current AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program Manager and former Watershed Ambassador, Lauren Cromie, Ambassador for the Mullica River Watershed, and Isabella Castiglioni, Ambassador for the Rancocas Creek Watershed.
To learn more about AmeriCorps Week 2018, visit: https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps
For more about the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/wms/bears/americorps.htm
To learn more about DEP’s Division of Water Monitoring and Standards program, visit: www.nj.gov/dep.wms
Like the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NJWAP/
Listen to Discover DEP’s previous Watershed Ambassador Program episode here: http://njdep.podbean.com/e/episode-46-americorps-new-jersey-watershed-ambassadors-program-with-ismail-sukkar-and-alexis-bowman/
 
From l-r: Lauren Cromie, Amanda Lotto, Isabella Castiglioni