DEC Does What?!

This Season 4 kick off episode spotlights DEC’s affordable and fun DEC summer camp offerings and the lifelong bonds they help create. DEC’s Summer Camp program attracts 1,400 children each summer to the State’s week-long sleepaway learning experience at four different locations across the state.

Episode Notes:  

• Summer Camp Experience
• Register Online
• Employment at Education Cam...

In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica welcome Alan Ilagan, Associate Director Human Resources, and Natalie Joseph, Human Resources Specialist, with DEC’s Division of Human Resources to highlight DEC’s recruiting efforts to fill positions across every region of New York State, open exam announcements for Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Forest Rangers, and how potential candidates can find jobs through the ...

DEC’s first campgrounds—Sacandaga and Sharp Bridge—were established in 1920, and the newest campground, Frontier Town, opened in 2019. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by Campground Program Supervisor Jessica McBride and Conservation Operations Supervisor Andrea Dukett who explain how DEC’s Bureau of Recreation oversees the operations of 55 campgrounds and day use area...

Since the 1930s, DEC (then known as New York’s Conservation Department) has participated in events at the New York State Fairgrounds. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by Oneida Fish Hatchery Manager Bill Evans and Public Participation Specialist Emma Antolos to explore how DEC staff from the Divisions of Lands and Forests, Fish and Wildlife, Law Enforcement, Forest Protection, and Communications, Education, an...

Bats are the world’s only flying mammal and New York State is home to nine different species. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by DEC Wildlife Biologists Casey Kennedy and Ashley Meyer with the Division of Fish and Wildlife to explain how DEC’s Bat Diversity Program tracks population changes and distribution of bats throughout the state. Guests also discuss the many benefits bats provide, how New Yorkers...

Established in 1949, New York’s Artificial Reef Program is the oldest in the U.S. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by DEC Marine Biologist Christopher LaPorta and Division Director Marty Gary to dive into the history of the State’s artificial reef network and how it artificial reefs help conserve, protect, and improve marine habitat for a variety of species. Guests also discuss how reefs support fishing ...

New York State is rich in minerals, including sand, gravel, bluestone, zinc, and salt, which are mined for industrial and construction uses and the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the annual value of New York's mineral production at $1.84 billion. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by Psalm Wyckoff, Section Chief for the Mined Land Reclamation Program, and Jami June, Mined Land Reclamation Specialist—staff with...

In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica speak with Officer Mary Frano and Officer Craig Tompkins from DEC’s Region 3 (lower Hudson Valley) about the agency’s wide-ranging front line efforts to protect New Yorkers and the environment. Conversations explore the critical work of DEC’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) who help protect New York’s air, water, wildlife, and public safety. The episode...

In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica welcome Gordon Batcheller, retired DEC’s Wildlife Bureau Chief and current Wildlife Biologist with the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and Mike Menza, Environmental Program Specialist with DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, to discuss the extraordinary restoration success story for New York State’s wild turkey population, the spring and fall turkey hun...

Hosts Sean and Erica speak with Captain Nancy Ganswindt and Forest Ranger Chuck Kabrehl about the critical work of DEC’s Division of Forest Protection in responding to wildfires and wilderness emergencies across the State. From fighting forest fires to conducting backcountry rescues to enforcing the laws of New York State, their talents are many. Capt. Ganswindt and Ranger Kabrehl also share their most memorable rescues, inve...

In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton about the opportunities and challenges leading New York’s expansive environmental agency, the foundational role of the State’s natural environment to the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, and the importance of standing up and leading on environmental protections.

Episode Notes:

• Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton
• GOGO: ...

In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by staff from DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife— Roy “JR” Jacobson, Habitat Protection Section Head, and Krista Spohr, Freshwater Wetlands Outreach Coordinator—for a conversation about the newly adopted freshwater wetland regulations and general permits, how DEC determines where wetlands are located to enhance conservation efforts statewide, and the lo...

DEC’s Spills staff respond to more than 10,000 spills each year, part of the agency’s real-time emergency management of petroleum and hazardous and non-hazardous material releases that can have direct impacts to local streams, water supplies, and public health. In this episode, hosts Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar and Chief of Staff Erica Ringewald are joined by staff from DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediat...

In this episode, hosts Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar and Chief of Staff Erica Ringewald are joined by Julie Berlinski, a research scientist with DEC’s Bureau of Water Resource Management, and Division of Water environmental program specialists Alene Onion and Leila Mitchell, to discuss the need to reduce rock salt use and how to do it. While the use of rock salt on roadways and sidewalks is necessary for safe and efficient ...