The Environmental Professionals Organization of Connecticut (EPOC) is pleased to announce our environmental grant awards for 2024 as follows (total amount of all awards is $10,650):

• Connecticut Zoological Society (DBA Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo)

  The Conservation Discovery Corps is the only program of its kind in Connecticut, providing local conservation efforts while offering a unique citizen-science-based approach for high school students of all backgrounds and abilities to explore zoology and environmental careers. Through STEAM-based hands-on experiences, students enhance their critical thinking and interpersonal abilities essential for any future career. In the spring and summer, youth receive first-hand experience in scientific methods, animal husbandry, STEAM activities, leadership, and teamwork. EPOC's grant will support the purchase of the artifacts and materials used by students in their stations and public presentations. These items will provide students with the necessary materials to develop and practice their public skills, scientific thinking, and educational conservation actions.

  
  

• Woodcock Nature Center
  
  Woodcock Nature Center exists to re-connect the community to nature and to one another. One of our most important roles is to steward the 152-acre state owned property on which our nature center buildings and trails sit. EPOC's grant will assist with purchasing three Extractigators along with their related accessories which will help Woodcock Nature Center to more efficiently gain control of invasive species such as wineberry, bittersweet, grape vine and euonymus that are encroaching on the yard and trails. These tools, along with the BigFoot accessory, which can be clamped on for added leverage in soft soil, will also help with removing big stands of Burning Bush and Multiflora Rose along their parking area.
  
  

•  Stamford Museum & Nature Center
  
  

  The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art and popular culture, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. EPOC's grant will help create a small evergreen holly grove in the external boundaries of an existing picnic area, just off of their Wheels in the Woods all-accessible trail. This area is typically visited by thousands of visitors each year. Funds will support the purchase of holly plants, both male and female to ensure berry production, from one or more of our local native nursery partners to be able to start the creation of a Holly Grove wildlife habitat. The habitat will be created and managed by the SM&NC education and land-use staff. The grove would also have an educational sign created to interpret it to visitors.

  
  

• Connecticut Scuba Academy (Non-Profit Educational Organization for Marine & Aquatic Sciences)
  
  The Connecticut Scuba Academy hopes to inspire and empower youth to take on environmental challenges. EPOC's grant will support an expedition of 12 Sound School High School students from New Haven, CT, along with 12 lifelong learners, adding a fresh perspective to our conservation efforts. In collaboration with their esteemed partners, Sound School and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, they will embark on the research vessel Island Rover to recover abandoned lobster pots and nets. These Ghost pots and nets pose an immediate threat to marine life, continuing to catch and kill indiscriminately.

  
  

• Earthplace, Inc. (Harbor Watch program)
  
  The mission of Earthplace is to build a passion in our community for nature and the environment through education, experience, and action. Earthplace has been based in Westport, Connecticut since 1958, and has grown to include many mission-related resources including a state-licensed preschool, a natural history museum, and Harbor Watch, their renowned water quality research program.  EPOC's grant will support materials for the installation of 5 fishing line recycling receptacles along the Norwalk River and Saugatuck River at popular fishing locations. These spots are often secluded and away from areas where traditional trash bins are present, therefore there is no option to encourage disposal of discarded line at all. Using the standard model developed by Boat US Foundation that is now fairly recognizable by fisherman, we will build and install 5 recycling receptacles out of PVC. The goal of this action is to improve water quality by reducing contamination and the proposed receptacles aims to provide fishermen and women with a designated area to properly dispose of old, broken, or tangled fishing line to prevent its entry into our waterways.
  
  

• KNOX, Inc.
  
  KNOX’s mission is: “Connecting and empowering our communities to grow a greener, healthier Hartford." Key services at KNOX include providing Hartford young adults with green job skills, managing and maintaining community gardens, training urban farmers, teaching children environmental education, restoring the urban forest, and greening the city. EPOC's grant will support  paid job training to 35 Hartford young adults through the Green Jobs Apprenticeships program. The goal of the program is to place Hartford young adults in full-time jobs that improve their full potential. Apprentices gain hands-on work experience, technical and professional skills, and certifications while completing a variety of landscaping projects throughout Hartford. This project will take place in Hartford, CT. This program uniquely prepares apprentices for green industry careers through industry-specific trainings and experience working in the field.
  
  

• Cheshire Pollinator Pathway Inc.
  
  Cheshire Pollinator Pathway creates native plant gardens in neglected spaces to sustain pollinators and local wildlife; support healthy ecosystems and watersheds, and educate the community on environmental best practices.  Cheshire Pollinator Pathway has installed several gardens from scratch along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. EPOC's grant will help maintain these areas from invasives (peripheral), as we continue to extend and plant out from these gardens. These were formerly uncared for spaces. A major part of the work involves clearing invasives, such as buckthorn, barberry, autumn olive, privet and vines. They are also creating a native tree and shrub nursery for our gardens and for public giveaways at Boulder Knoll Community Farm in Cheshire.
  
  

• Town of Hebron Parks & Recreation Department - Trail Rangers
  
  The Town of Hebron Parks & Recreation Department is charged with maintaining open spaces and trails for passive recreational use and wildlife habitat. EPOC's grant will support equipment purchase to remove the non-native invasive plants- bittersweet, multiflora rose, autumn olive, and others from a field at the Old Hibbert open space to maintain the turtle habitat and allow access to the river. Success will be measured by the decrease in population of the afore-mentioned plants the following growing season, which can be photo documented.  

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The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community-based groups and environmental education organizations, funding for local projects that benefit the environment on an annual basis. For further information, see our Grant Program page on our website at epoc.org/grants.

The EPOC Environmental Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 to assist qualified applicants who are attending a college or university (in CT or out of state) and have declared majors pertinent to the environmental field.  The scholarships are awarded annually to junior, senior, and graduate level students (full or part-time) enrolled in accepted programs of study leading the student to become a Technical Environmental Professional in the State of Connecticut as defined by the CT DEEP, or a professional in a related service discipline who may render technical assistance to the Technical Environmental Professional. EPOC would like to express its thanks to all the students applying for a scholarship this year. At recent meetings of the EPOC Scholarship Fund Committee, scholarship applicants were reviewed and voted on. We extend our congratulations to the following award winners:

Julia Augustyn

Julia is a resident of Weston and is attending Wesleyan University as a senior for the coming academic year majoring in Earth and Environmental Science. From Julia’s application: My current degree will serve as a foundation for further schooling in a field focused on water resources, such as hydrogeology or water resource management. With increasing population growth, urbanization, and climate change impacts, the demand for water is intensifying while water scarcity becomes more prevalent. By working in water conservation, I can contribute to sustainable water management practices that ensure equitable access to clean water for communities and ecosystems. I want to join the professionals in this field that are innovating solutions, implementing efficient technologies, and advocating for policies that prioritize water conservation and resilience in the face of environmental changes.

Kristi Gagnon

Kristi is a resident of New Hartford and is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and is pursuing a master’s in Environmental Engineering and Science. From Kristi’s application: I am aiming to study topics such as radioactive and hazard waste management, environmental monitoring and sampling, environmental chemistry, and environmental law for engineers and scientists. I strongly believe that someone working as an environmental professional can benefit greatly both from direct experience as well as formal education. I believe that this degree will continue my personal development while on track to become a Licensed Environmental Professional. This master’s degree has once again strengthened my commitment to continue to help make Connecticut a healthier environment by working as an environmental scientist.

Zoe Prevost

Zoe is a resident of Enfield and is attending Central Connecticut State University as a junior for the coming academic year majoring in Earth Science with a concentration in Environmental Geology. From Zoe’s application: I chose to major in Earth Science because of the complexity and urgency of human-induced climate change. The unprecedented rate at which the earth is warming is having devastating impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem health, and human health.  I discovered my interest in hydrogeology and soil science, specifically regarding contaminant transport and human health. Industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels can have serious impacts on groundwater and soil quality, especially in urban areas.

Annie Roux

The EPOC Scholarship Fund is financed through the support of EPOC programs, proceeds from golf tournaments, and direct contributions from individuals and companies. EPOC is a non-profit organization, and as such, contributions to the Scholarship Fund are tax deductible for most firms. Unlike many other organizations, 100% of your contributions go in the EPOC Scholarship Fund. A committee of volunteers who support its goals and ideals manages the fund. For further information, please vist our Scholarship webpage.

Below is a link to the recordings and handouts from the EPOC/CT DEEP RSR training courses offered in March 2023. We are posting them with permission from CT DEEP for a limited time prior to the annual LEP exam which is being offered on May 16, 2024. The RSR course was offered in 2023 in four sessions, each four-hours in length, for a total of approximately 16 hours of instruction. EPOC will not be offering a live version of RSR training this year.

EPOC/CT DEEP RSR Training Courses 2023

For further information and application form, please see our Grant Program page at: epoc.org/grants

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY!

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment. The applications will be judged against the environmental benefits of the project and compared to the other grant submittals. Environmental benefits can vary widely and successful applications may include projects within Connecticut that improve the environment, such as: property and watershed clean-ups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects, monitoring environmental conditions of watersheds or ecosystems and hazardous waste collection efforts. Also, proposals that promote environmental education and development of youth for careers in the environmental field will be considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO APPLY ONLINE, SEE:

epoc.org/scholarship

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY!

The Environmental Professionals Organization of Connecticut (EPOC) recognizes its duty to assist in the education of individuals planning a career in the environmental industry. Consequently, the EPOC Environmental Scholarship Fund was established in 1998. The purpose of the Scholarship Fund is to assist Connecticut residents, or an immediate family member (spouse or child) of an EPOC Member in good standing, who are enrolled in accepted programs of study (see below) preparing the student to become a Technical Environmental Professional* in the State of Connecticut as defined by the CT DEEP, or a professional in a related service discipline who may render technical assistance to the Technical Environmental Professional.

*As defined by the CT DEEP, a Technical Environmental Professional (TEP) is anyone, including a Licensed Environmental Professional, who collects soil, water vapor, or air samples in order to investigate and remediate pollution to the state's soil or water, and who may be directly employed or retained as a consultant by a public or private employer.

Accepted programs of study include the following: Environmental Science, Geology, Biology, Chemistry, Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Earth Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Soil Sciences, Water Resources, Toxicology, Wetland Science, Engineering (Civil, Environmental, Chemical), and Other Related Degreed Environmental Programs if deemed relevant to the stated goal of the scholarship.

We ask that you assist us in publicizing the availability of the scholarships. If you know of students who meet our criteria, or professors, department chairs or personnel in financial aid offices at the universities you have attended, please inform them of the availability of the scholarship fund and direct them to EPOC's website.

For further information about the EPOC Scholarship Fund, contact Seth Molofsky at (860) 537-0337 or Email: epoc@epoc.org.

The EPOC Environmental Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 to assist qualified applicants who are attending a college or university (in CT or out of state) and have declared majors pertinent to the environmental field.  The scholarships are awarded annually to junior, senior, and graduate level students (full or part-time) enrolled in accepted programs of study leading the student to become a Technical Environmental Professional in the State of Connecticut as defined by the CT DEEP, or a professional in a related service discipline who may render technical assistance to the Technical Environmental Professional. EPOC would like to express its thanks to all the students applying for a scholarship this year. At recent meetings of the EPOC Scholarship Fund Committee, scholarship applicants were reviewed and voted on. We extend our congratulations to the following award winners:

Riley Matto

Riley is a resident of Stratford and is attending Eastern Connecticut State University as a Junior for the coming academic year. From Riley’s application: I came to Eastern with the knowledge I wanted to pursue a major in Environmental Earth Science, even though I wasn't clear on the jobs available with this major. This summer I am honored to get a taste of what my future could be like by pursuing an internship for my town, Stratford. The internship includes water sampling for the Housatonic River and data entry for these samples. Some careers that stand out to me include- exploration jobs, consultants, and geoscientists.

Daniel Schott

Daniel is a resident of Middletown and is a graduate student at Unity College in New Gloucester, ME. From Daniel’s application: A graduate degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability will provide me with the essential skills required to be a valuable member of the environmental community. I obtained my bachelor's in environmental science which provided me with the technical skills to jumpstart my career as an environmental professional. Now with almost ten years of remediation and environmental compliance experience, a master's degree will give me the confidence and knowledge required to step into a leadership role in the environmental field.

Aiden Roche

Aiden is a resident of Bristol and is attending Central Connecticut State University as a Senior for the coming academic year. From Aiden’s application:  l I made the swap to a major in Environmental sciences with a specialization in Geology in the Spring 2022 Semester. With a degree in Earth Science and concentration in Geology, I hope either to enter the mining industry to aid in mineral exploration or enter the field of hydrogeology to determine sustainable groundwater sources for agriculture purposes.

Wiktor Szwajger

Wiktor is a resident of East Hampton and is attending the University of Connecticut as a Junior this coming academic year. From Wiktor’s application: Interested in the field of environmental engineering through brownfields and contaminated site remediation. Would like to pursue higher education in Civil and/or Environmental Engineering to continue work on transportation and brownfields. Would like to pursue a career in contaminated site remediation or green transportation planning.

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The EPOC Scholarship Fund is financed through the support of EPOC programs, proceeds from golf tournaments, and direct contributions from individuals and companies. EPOC is a non-profit organization, and as such, contributions to the Scholarship Fund are tax deductible for most firms. Unlike many other organizations, 100% of your contributions go in the EPOC Scholarship Fund. A committee of volunteers who support its goals and ideals manages the fund. For further information, please visit our website at www.epoc.org/scholarship.

EPOC is pleased to offer our Learning Management System (LMS) site to provide our members with recorded content of our meetings, training sessions for our YEP members who are on-track to becoming LEPs, and, on-demand courses for LEP credits. Other content, including YEP training sessions and meetings, are available now as a benefit of EPOC membership with no additional fees required.

To access the site:

• Go to: https://epoc.mclms.net/en/ and click on login link to enter your EPOC main website credentials.
  
  Another way to access the site is to log in to EPOC's main website first at https://epoc.org/Sys/Login, and then go to the LMS site and click the login link. 

We will keep the EPOC membership updated as new content is added as we work towards making this site a resource for all EPOC members and to provide approved on-demand courses for LEP credits.

EPOC Environmental Grant Program

Now Accepting Applications for 2022 Awards

Application deadline is April 15, 2022

For further information and application form, please see: www.epoc.org/grants

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY!

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment. The applications will be judged against the environmental benefits of the project and compared to the other grant submittals. Environmental benefits can vary widely and successful applications may include projects within Connecticut that improve the environment, such as: property and watershed clean-ups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects, monitoring environmental conditions of watersheds or ecosystems and hazardous waste collection efforts. Also, proposals that promote environmental education and development of youth for careers in the environmental field will be considered.