Environmental Professionals
Organization of Connecticut

EPOC News
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  • Tue, May 26, 2015 12:13 PM | Seth Molofsky (Administrator)
    EPOC Environmental Grant Awards for 2015

    The Environmental Professionals’ Organization of Connecticut (EPOC) is pleased to announce our environmental grant awards for 2015 as follows (total amount of all awards is $12,821):

    • Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District

      The District promotes the sound use and management of natural resources through technical assistance and education in an area that includes 26 municipalities in the lower CT River Watershed and on Long Island Sound. EPOC’s funding will support laboratory costs of microbial source tracking in the Coginchaug River Watershed. The goals of this project are to further efforts to track down possible sources of persistently high levels of E. coli through microbial source tracking. Success will be measured through identification of host sources.
    • Moodus Reservoir Preservation Group

      The Moodus Reservoir Preservation Group (MRPG) is a local non-profit community membership organization working to protect and improve the fragile ecosystem of Moodus Reservoir, a 566 acre man-made lake, located in the town of East Haddam, CT.  EPOC’s grant will support a pilot study to test the efficacy of contact herbicides in 25 heavily infested acres of Moodus Reservoir
      . The funds will be used to supplement additional funding obtained from grants, town funding and private contributions with goal of implementing a treatment program to address invasive aquatic plants that now cover 80% of the lake bottom of Moodus Reservoir.

    • Scantic River Watershed Association

      The Scantic River Watershed Association (SRWA) is an all-volunteer, non-profit environmental organization formed in 1972. The SRWA is committed to protection of water quality and pollution control of the watershed, which encompasses around 90,000 acres in the towns of Hampden, MA, Stafford, Somers, Enfield, Ellington, East Windsor and South Windsor CT, where it drains into the Connecticut River. EPOC’s funding will support the purchase of HOBO temperature data loggers and E.coli testing supplies to monitor water quality parameters along the Scantic River. The association uses volunteers for monitoring and data is summarized annually and is used to monitor the health of the river.
    • East Granby Land Trust

      The East Granby Land Trust (EGLT) is a private, non-governmental, non-profit organization incorporated in 1974 for the purpose of conserving open space in the town of East Granby.  EPOC’s grant will support the hiring of an arborist to remove large trees from Pond Meadow downed due to beaver dam and will include continuing pond maintenance with volunteer support. This past summer the pond was thickly covered with duckweed, a condition that has degraded water quality and the habitat it provides aquatic creatures like fish, turtles and amphibians.

    On an annual basis, the EPOC Grant Program provides funding for local projects by non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations that benefit the environment . For further information, see our Grant Program page.

  • Wed, September 24, 2014 3:33 PM | Seth Molofsky (Administrator)

    2014 Scholarship Awards

    The EPOC Environmental Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 to assist Connecticut residents 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 Connecticut students applying for a scholarship this year. At a recent meeting of the EPOC Scholarship Fund Committee, this year’s scholarship winners were voted on and approved. The total amount of awards for this year was approximately $10,000. Congratulations to the following:

    Celicia Boyden

    Celicia is a resident of Moosup and is a senior at the University of Connecticut, majoring in Environmental Engineering. During her time at UConn, she also worked as a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Geophysics. Celicia’s Environmental Engineering professor states, “I have been deeply impressed by the excellent leadership of Ms. Boyden for design teams, and good organization skills for class and research. She has discussed with me several times about her thoughts of career paths. She always expresses enthusiasm of applying her knowledge to solve real environment problems…”

    Brianna Church

    Brianna is a resident of Higganum and a junior at University of Connecticut, majoring in Environmental Engineering. Brianna was a member of a team of interns at the UConn Office of Environmental Policy (OEP). Her Environmental Engineering professor writes, “Over the past two years, I have also seen Brianna continue to excel in her studies, consistently performing at the top of her class, while working 10-12 hours a week this past year as an extremely reliable, diligent and productive OEP intern. What sets Brianna apart, even from the most motivated students, is her thirst for knowledge and willingness to seek new challenges.”

    Johnathan Feldman

    Johnathan is a resident of Windsor and is entering his senior year at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), majoring in Geology. Johnathan’s Geology professor states, “What sets Johnathan apart from other students is that his service to the Physics and Earth Sciences Department is unparalleled. This past year, Johnathan initiated an effort to bring a chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE), the Earth Sciences Honor Society, to CCSU. He is currently working on a project with Dr. Oyewumi to investigate arsenic contamination in the area of Lebanon, Connecticut.”

    Larry Page

    Larry is a resident of Northford and is a graduate student at the University of New Haven, pursing a master’s degree in Environmental Science. Larry also works full-time as an environmental consultant at a Connecticut based firm. Larry wrote in his essay, “…my continued studies, which include the pursuit of a Ph.D. in environmental science, will enable me to fulfill my desire to learn about natural processes and to contribute to environmentally sustainable progress.  This type of progress is becoming increasingly important as the population grows and the stresses on the planet’s natural resources rapidly increase.”

    Sarah Vitale

    Sarah is a resident of Manchester and is in her second year of her PhD Hydrology program at the University of Connecticut. Sarah’s graduate academic advisor states, “Sarah is eager to learn and shows a strong commitment to advancing her education in hydrogeology. In her first year as a Ph.D. student, she has taken initiative in the development and progression of her research. She is further developing a cost effective means of characterizing groundwater flow conditions in bedrock and overburden wells using dissolved oxygen as a tracer.Sarah has demonstrated the leadership and persistence necessary to follow through with challenging projects and build a successful career in the environmental field as a hydrogeologist."

    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. Anyone needing additional information about the Scholarship Fund or EPOC, please contact Seth Molofsky.

  • Tue, May 06, 2014 2:46 PM | Seth Molofsky (Administrator)
    The Environmental Professionals’ Organization of Connecticut (EPOC) is pleased to announce our environmental grant awards for 2014 as follows (total amount of all awards is $11,460.00):

    • Last Green Valley: EPOC’s funding will support interactive educational opportunities for middle school students during science classes, or after school at club meetings. Hands-on sessions will include using watershed maps and an Enviroscape ®, a table-top watershed model. Students analyze maps, ask questions, make observations, and predict how day-to-day activities can impact storm water and water quality in our lakes, rivers, and Long Island Sound. Students will also learn about pollution prevention and best management practices to help keep pollution from entering our water bodies.

    • Connecticut Envirothon: EPOC’s grant will support the purchase of materials used by high school students and teachers for an annual statewide field competition held in May. CT Envirothon goals are to promote environmental awareness, knowledge, and active personal stewardship among high school students through educational workshops during the school year and cumulating in a field day competition.

    • Eastern CT Conservation District: EPOC’s grant will support The Niantic River Watershed Committee (NRWC) proposal to partner with the Town of East Lyme, Millstone Environmental Laboratory and East Lyme High School to conduct a Streamwalk survey of Latimer Brook in the Flanders area to identify land use and stream corridor conditions that may be contributing to the observed nitrate levels. NRWC will utilize a riparian corridor assessment, or Streamwalk, developed by the Connecticut office of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

    • Norwalk Tree Alliance: The Norwalk Tree Alliance (NTA) initiates and supports programs for a healthy urban forest in Norwalk, where dense populations and development have reduced canopy. NTA provides environmental education in Norwalk area schools and at the Annual CT Tree Festival, which EPOC grant monies will help support.

    • Menunkatuck Audubon: EPOC’s grant will support the improvement of rooftop garden area used by the Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School to learn about the life cycles of butterflies and observe their unique habits along with pollinators and hummingbirds.
    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.
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Environmental Professionals Organization of Connecticut, Inc.
P.O. Box 176, Amston, CT 06231-0176
Seth Molofsky, Executive Director
Phone: (860) 537-0337, Fax: (860) 603-2075

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