DEC Does What?!

DEC’s dispatch office receives more than 100,000 calls every year. Sean and Erica talk to Communication Specialist Alicia Bodmer and Communication Technician David McCasland from Ray Brook Dispatch about what it’s like to respond to challenging calls. From coordinating mountain and water rescues to deploying staff and equipment during extreme weather events, DEC dispatchers hear it all, playing a...

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States each year, more than hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding combined. In this episode, guest Dr. Leo Bachinger, Special Assistant with DEC’s Office of Climate Change, joins hosts Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar and Chief of Staff Erica Ringewald for a conversation about the biggest risks created by extreme heat, how clim...

While HABs have existed for billions of years, recent changes—including climate change, warmer temperatures, and increases in phosphorous and other nutrients—are accelerating their growth and negative impact on New York’s environment, human health, pets, and summertime activities. In this episode, hosts Sean and Erica are joined by Matt Kraft and Leanna Pierson, Research Scientists with DEC’s Divi...

We all know the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” but how familiar are you with where your trash ends up and the many ways New Yorkers can help reduce waste in our communities? New York State is leading the way on advancing more sustainable solid waste management and educating people about how to prevent landfilling, protect glass and other recyclables from ”wish-cycling,” and directly support...

One of DEC's primary missions is to oversee the cleanup of contamination throughout New York State, and this episode discusses the recent news on efforts underway to address the legacy of pollution from the former U.S. Navy and Northrup Grumman facility in Bethpage and related operations on Long Island. DEC is working closely with State, federal, and local partners to ensure public health and the...

Anglers can find world-class fishing opportunities across New York State, thanks in large part to a network of 12 DEC-operated fish hatcheries – each specializing in raising and stocking various species of trout, walleye, salmon, muskellunge, and more! On this episode, Sean and Erica explore the importance of these facilities with Michelle Poprawski, DEC’s Catskill State Fish Hatchery Manager. Div...

Beetles, round goby, kudzu, hydrilla - Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to New York’s environment, causing habitat degradation, loss of native species, crop damage, and much more. This episode, Sean and Erica are joined by DEC Research Scientists Cathy McGlynn and Jessica Cancelliere from the Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health to discuss all things invasive and the imp...

On April 22, 1970, Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed legislation to create the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Six years later, the legendary Nancy Lussier joined Team DEC, where she rose through the ranks from account clerk to become the agency’s longtime Director of the Division of Management and Budget Services. In preparation for her retirement, Nancy joins Sean and E...

Did you know that DEC has a team of meteorologists using the latest science to keep New Yorkers informed about air quality across our state? This week, Sean and Erica are joined by DEC air pollution meteorologists Abigail Komarc and Sarah Lechleitner who explain the Air Quality Index and how to use it, how weather conditions and different seasons can affect air quality, whether we have to worry ab...

We welcome Brendan Woodruff and Pam Hadad-Hurst, two hard-working members of our sustainability team, to discuss how DEC is leading on sustainability statewide to reduce greenhouse gases and protect our environment. Brendan and Pam outline sustainable practices in place at our facilities, DEC’s collaboration with other state agencies in “going green”, and ways New Yorkers can incorporate these sam...

With Arbor Day approaching on April 26, we talk to foresters Bryan Ellis and Jason Drobnack about how New York’s forests are evolving, the role trees play in combatting climate change, and why chainsaws still give New York a cutting edge in forest management.

The first episode of “DEC Does What?!”—featuring biologists Dr. Angelena Ross and Dr. Dan Rosenblatt, both with DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife— focuses on the potential effects of the April 8 solar eclipse on New York wildlife, work underway to protect endangered wildlife, and how different species adapt to changes in their habitat caused by climate change and other factors.   Episode Credits...