DEP Employees Know How to Pay-it-Back

Folks with DEP are always donating their time, talents and knowledge to help the public and promote awareness about the importance of Florida’s natural resources. These are just a handful of the recent “kudos” given to DEP and DEP-related employees.

• Ichetucknee Springs State Park received the “Shining Star Award” earlier this year at the 21st Annual Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards Ceremony. Hosted by the Florida Education Foundation and the Florida Department of Education, the award recognizes the state’s Outstanding Business Partnerships. Ichetucknee was nominated for its participation in the PARKnership (LIFE Program) with Fort White High School. Students in several grade levels and subject areas used the park as an outdoor classroom to learn about water quality, Karst topography, and the regions uplands and wetlands.



• The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) and Friends of the Reserve celebrated their 3rd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner last month. Volunteers contributed more than 11,000 hours of service to the Reserve in 2007. The Reserve’s “Volunteer of the Year” award went to Jimmy Duke; Peggy Friedman received the “Environment Award” from the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club; and retired Navy Officer Tom Barry received one of 10 “National NOAA Environmental Hero” awards.



• Russel Frydenborg and Jessica Patronis with DEP’s Bureau of Laboratories were recently recognized by the Leon Association for Science Teaching for their assistance with Rickard’s High School International Baccalaureate students on the Group 4 Project at Lake Munson in Tallahassee.

Whether it’s biological or ecological, water, mineral or animal, DEP has the employees and volunteers who are passionate about Florida’s environment and eager to share their knowledge in an effort to protect the state’s resources for the benefit of future generations.