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So what is the DEP?
I'm not really sure.
Environ protection
The Department of
Environmental Protection
They help the environment?
They get kids outside and stuff.
The Department of Environmental Protection?
They clean up Connecticut. They're good people. I like them.
Oh, the Department of Environmental Protection.
DEP is a state agency with a mission to conserve,
protect and improve the environment in Connecticut.
Let's follow some of the people who make this happen and
learn about the diverse career opportunities that DEP has to offer.
Sound of peregrine falcon calling
Well, I feel like I am the voice of wildlife sometimes.
I feel like if I wasn't here or people in my department weren't here,
nobody would speak for the wildlife.
Julie Victoria is biologist with the DEP wildlife division.
Her job involves monitoring and protecting different species of wildlife.
It's bald eagle and peregrine falcon banding season.
Let's go along with Julie, Wildlife Technician Geoff Krukar
and some volunteers as they band baby birds.
The bands help keep track of the birds as they grow,
migrate and return to their territory.
Sound of bald eagle calling.
I'm going to have to climb the tree behind me with the eagle's nest
and catch the chick, and put it in a bag,
and lower it down to the ground
where biologists can take measurements.
We are going to bring the chick over here and we are going to weigh it.
Then we are going to put bands on first.
We are going to do a lot of measurements on this bird
that we didn't do on the other bird.
The vet is going to take blood samples.
We are testing these birds for heavy metals and PCBs.
You have to talk to the public.
Because the number one issue facing wildlife
in this state is human disturbance.
Sally Snyder is one of Connecticut's watershed coordinators.
Her job at DEP is to work with local organizations, towns and the public
to protect streams, rivers and other bodies of water.
So as far as we've gotten in improving water quality
and cleaning up the habitat, there's still a long way to go.
Really, Connecticut is all part of one big watershed
and it all drains into Long Island Sound.
So it's very critical that we all do our best
to reduce the amount of pollution that gets to these areas.
One way that DEP monitors Connecticut's water quality
is by taking samples from Long Island Sound.
Let's take a ride on a research vessel
with Environmental Analyst Matt Lyman and crew.
Today this is would be considered perfect,
not much in the way of waves.
It's a nine out of ten.
Matt relies on seasonal employees to help him
get the samples and prepare them for testing.
The majority of seasonal employees hired by DEP
help take care of Connecticut's state parks and forests.
Most seasonals are hired between April and November
and work for a period of up to six months.
Other seasonal employees like Greg and Andrew,
assist with research projects.
We're trying to do a comprehensive analysis
of Long Island Sound on the water quality.
You're learning what you're going to be doing
in real life somewhere down the line.
The past summer jobs I had the general stuff.
And I wanted something to put on my resume
to make myself stand out and this was it.
I really enjoyed the work.
It gets me back out on the water again.
It's been really good for me.
DEP also protects the environment by inspecting and monitoring
facilities that have the potential to pollute
our air, water or land.
Rob Shuler is an Environmental Compliance Specialist
with the Storage Tank Enforcement Unit.
One of his responsibilities is to inspect gas stations
to help ensure that their tanks don't leak fuel.
It is very important to protect the environment
and I do feel good about doing my job.
When I came into DEP, I started off as a seasonal employee.
You learn as you go;
every site is different, every case is different.
Sometimes DEP responds to cases where there's been a leak or spill.
Let's go with Rob and his co-workers to a site
where gasoline was discovered leaking into the ground.
We have well drillers right now putting in monitoring wells
and recovery wells trying to gather the product from underground.
This sample is particularly important because
it has gasoline instead of water as the liquid in it.
We test those samples on-site
and provide the firsthand information for
the fire fighters, police and the DEP Emergency Responders.
This is a sample that we recently received
to see exactly what level of contaminants
would be dissolved in the water layer
to determine whether or not there's an impact for health.
What we are doing is important
to protect the water supplies of Connecticut.
We do make a difference.
There are so many places to enjoy Connecticut's natural beauty,
including more than 300 parks, forests, wildlife areas and boat launches.
And it's DEP employees dedicated to serving the public
who keep these areas clean, safe and enjoyable.
Let's visit with some of them as we follow
EnCon Police Officer Ray Ramos on patrol.
I'm an avid outdoorsman.
I love to fish and hunt and I love the outdoors
and that is why I chose to do what I do.
Ray's job is to enforce fishing, hunting, boating
and off-road vehicle laws and regulations.
We pretty much handle a little bit of everything.
He's also responsible for law enforcement
at state parks, like Hammonassett Beach.
This is my third year working here as
a seasonal employee at Hammonassett Beach.
I would say definitely work here, whether it's as lifeguard, in the gate,
as a seasonal park ranger, anything.
It's a fun time and you make a lot of friends here
and it's just generally a nice place to work.
I found out that Hammonassett was hiring lifeguards
and I figured that I was ready for the responsibility.
The staff and the lifeguards here do a
very good job of keeping beach patrons safe.
And it's a great summer job for anyone in college and it's fun!
My career was with banking and I enjoy this job
because I am still working with customers on a daily basis.
Mature adults, retirees, it's a great job for you!
Let's go inland and meet some other DEP park employees
at Gillette Castle and Talcott Mountain State Parks.
This is a wonderful facility because we see so many people
from so many different parts of the world.
I've met people from France, from South Africa, from England.
I am fluent in Portuguese and I speak Spanish as well.
So I enjoy talking to folks who don't speak English
and it kind of builds a kinship when they come here.
You just have to love the outdoors and the public.
Every customer to a park is valued.
Even a simple smile makes people think,
"Hey that castle, that was great! Let's go back again".
When my staff comes on for the summer,
they're going get an education here.
Today this might not make any difference,
but ten years from now, you might reflect back to this job
and say, "Wow, I learned a lot working for DEP".
I know I did.
As soon as you start the job, they give you a tour of the tower
and then they give you a packet so that when
you are giving the tours, you got to talk about the history.
You meet a whole lot of different people and you learn a lot.
I like the people that I work with.
They make it very easy to learn new things
and accomplish tasks.
We get to have a lot of fun with
some of the projects we'll do. For instance
this summer, we built a footbridge
at Great Pond State Park in Simsbury.
And it was a huge thing for us
because we learned a whole lot of skills through it.
Now we can transfer that to other aspects of our lives.
DEP sponsors programs where children and families can have fun
at state parks and forests and develop a love of the outdoors.
Let's meet Doris Johnson, Outreach and Education Coordinator
and check out some of DEP's programs and events.
I work a lot promoting environmental awareness
in the urban communities. I love my job at DEP.
It's very rewarding.
And my advice is to disconnect yourself from the television
and the computer and to connect yourself with the outdoors.
Nature plays a very important role in who we are.
I like walking around and looking at the water.
Cause the environment is peaceful and it's really fun!
So we're all out here and I think the kids are really enjoying it.
And so it's really important that we connect all the kids
to the natural world so they can be
the next generation of environmental stewards.
So now you know what the DEP is.
If you are interested in helping the environment,
there are so many opportunities at DEP
and in your community to gain valuable work experience.
Let's hear some advice from both students and employees
on how to make a difference in our world.
Ask yourself what your interests are
and then come into the agency
and search around for a good match.
I think it's important to havea love for the environment
and I think you need to know where you're going.
You need really to have a broad base of skills.
There are an enormous number of
local environmental clubs that volunteers can join.
We've been trying to promote things within our school community.
The club gives experience learning more about what can be done,
like we've gotten solar panels for the school.
I think it's good that we are affecting
a place that we go to everyday.
We just to try to make people aware
by having certain events;
like having the DEP come down
and talk about job opportunities.
That's the part of the Division of Forestry
that I take care of.
The internships here are very good.
Try to find names of people who are working on projects
that you're interested in.
If you are willing to put in the effort,
you can find a lot of fun stuff to do here.
I wasn't always an environmental engineer.
It ended up being something that I really love.
So if working in any department of the DEP
is something that you want to get into,
definitely follow what your mind
and what your heart says.
You may have a passion as a kid for
making sure you recycle as much as you can,
because it's the right thing to do.
If that interest can be nurtured,somehow, some way,
it's going to make us a better agency for the future.
We're going around checking all the classrooms
to see if how they're doing with recycling.
And our goal is to get 75% of the school to recycle.
I started getting the kids involved,
making signs, posters to put around the school,
doing presentations to classrooms.
I have seen improvement in them
and they are taking recycling much more seriously.
For our food, we put it in this green bucket
and we compost it and it turns into soil
to help the trees and grass and other plants.
If we don't protect the environment,
then we won't have any plants like the ones we have now.
We hope you've enjoyed meeting some
of the interesting people who work for DEP.
Please call or visit the website if
you would like to find out more
about all the job opportunities that are available.
We can find a place for you and
I would encourage anybody who cares about the outdoors,
cares about the environment to give it a shot
because it's a wonderful career.
I'm helping out my community
and I'm helping out life
and that's what it's all about!