Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Vermont’s diverse geography & abundant natural resources make the state a unique place to live. This page is a family-friendly page viewable by all ages.

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Thank you for visiting our page. This page is dedicated to protecting, respecting and enjoying Vermont’s natural resources. The Vermont DEC seeks to create a safe, positive online space for all. We welcome your comments and thoughts, and ask that you please keep your comments, photos, videos, and wall posts respectful. When you post comments on this Facebo

ok page you agree to abide by the policy set forth below. All comments left on the Vermont DEC page are the sole responsibility of the commenter. Because this page is public-facing, you participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. When you submit a comment on our page you agree that the comment content is your own, and that the Department is not responsible from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability. All posted content must comply with DEC’s policy for posting and will be removed if it does not meet the requirements below. The Department reserves the right to remove any post that does not comply with this policy. In addition, the Department also reserves the right to ban individuals who violate any of the guidelines listed below or Facebook’s terms of service. DEC does not allow the following posts and content on our page:
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Hi! I am Solvie Smestad, one of the Inland Lake Scientist Interns this summer! I am originally from Minnesota, which sta...
08/08/2026

Hi! I am Solvie Smestad, one of the Inland Lake Scientist Interns this summer! I am originally from Minnesota, which started my love for lakes at a young age. I am a rising senior in the Rubenstein school as an Environmental Science major with a minor in GIS and Place-Based Education. This summer I will be collecting lake samples from inland lakes with Kellie Merrell to contribute to various projects of Bioassessment, Next Generation Lake Assessment, and Climate Change Sentinel Lakes. In the spring, I am hoping to continue this experience with a complete analysis of temperature changes and dissolved oxygen profiles from sentinel lakes from the last seven years. This summer, I am hoping to grow my understanding of lake chemistry and aquatic life by gaining fieldwork experience. When I am not interning, I spend a lot of my time with my friends on camping trips, weekend travel, sunrise swims, hiking, and getting coffee at Speeder and Earl’s.

Are you interested in community-based stream water sampling in Vermont? The LaRosa Partnership Program is a state-funded...
08/07/2026

Are you interested in community-based stream water sampling in Vermont?
The LaRosa Partnership Program is a state-funded program that helps alleviate the cost and provide the laboratory support needed for high-quality water sampling across Vermont.
Learn more at the link: https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/map/monitor/larosa

Noelle Van Hoef is from Bloomfield Hills, in the Metro Detroit region of Michigan. She is a rising senior at the Univers...
08/06/2026

Noelle Van Hoef is from Bloomfield Hills, in the Metro Detroit region of Michigan. She is a rising senior at the University of Vermont in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism program with a concentration in Recreation Leadership and Environmental Education. This summer she is interning with the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation in Region 3 as the Parks Field Operations and Visitor Services intern. She has previously worked in Oakland County’s Department of Parks and Recreation and holds a certification as a Wilderness First Responder. The main projects she is working on with FPR include swim water testing, improving accessibility in parks, and updating information on park websites and in park kiosks. In her free time, Noelle enjoys skiing, swimming in any natural body of water, crafting, listening to music, and reading!

Anna Hoppe is from Essex, Vermont, and is the Climate Resilience and Engagement Intern with the Climate Action Office. S...
08/04/2026

Anna Hoppe is from Essex, Vermont, and is the Climate Resilience and Engagement Intern with the Climate Action Office. She is working on developing social media and website content to communicate messages around climate change and resiliency strategies, as well as supporting projects to help municipalities and small businesses engage in climate resiliency planning. After witnessing the impacts of climate change while working on a farm and growing up in Vermont, she’s excited to support work to achieve Vermont’s climate goals. When she’s not working, Anna enjoys kayaking, hiking, and baking for her family and friends.

Have you ever encountered a round hollow in the bedrock by a stream? If so, you likely saw a pothole! Potholes form when...
08/04/2026

Have you ever encountered a round hollow in the bedrock by a stream? If so, you likely saw a pothole!

Potholes form when turbulent stream water creates eddies/whirlpools over small weaknesses in bedrock (a crack, small depression, etc.). Rocks get trapped in the eddies and grind against the bedrock, slowly deepening the depression and drilling a circular hole. You can see this process in action in the video on the third slide. Over time, the river carves deeper into the rock and potholes can become abandoned. Such a beautiful erosional feature to see out in nature!

Are you passionate about water quality and skilled in grant writing and coordination? DEC’s Clean Water Initiative Progr...
08/03/2026

Are you passionate about water quality and skilled in grant writing and coordination? DEC’s Clean Water Initiative Program is seeking to hire an organized and motivated candidate to join our team as the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) Grants Manager.

The LCBP Grants Manager will work within a dynamic and collaborative team monitoring and reporting on EPA grants to reduce pollution and restore ecosystem health in the Lake Champlain basin.

Learn more and apply by August 12, 2026, at the link: https://careers.vermont.gov/job/Montpelier-Environmental-Analyst-V-Lake-Champlain-Basin-Program-Grants-Manager-Limited-Service-VT-05601/1413812300/

I’m Lucy Colby, from Coventry, Rhode Island and I am interning with the Aquatic Invasive Species program! This summer I ...
08/01/2026

I’m Lucy Colby, from Coventry, Rhode Island and I am interning with the Aquatic Invasive Species program! This summer I will mainly be taking and analyzing samples from lakes and ponds across Vermont to monitor for presence of Zebra Mussel veligers (larvae) as well as working on manual removal of Water Chestnut! I’m so excited to get to know more Vermont waterbodies, experience more of our beautiful state VIA motorboat and kayak, and see lots of wildlife! I’m so grateful to be working outside every day and learning from professionals with so much unique experience! When I’m not in the field, you can find me reading a book halfway through a hike, practicing Spanish, looking for frogs at a swimming hole, or sampling a new creemee stand (I’m up to 8 this summer!).

Earlier this month Governor Phil Scott visited the Franklin Town Hall to celebrate the work at Lake Carmi for Franklin ...
07/31/2026

Earlier this month Governor Phil Scott visited the Franklin Town Hall to celebrate the work at Lake Carmi for Franklin County’s Capital for a Day event. Despite having to move the event from the Lake to an indoor location because of the weather, this event was fantastic!
Partners in Lake Carmi's restoration effort highlighted the strength of collaboration and the impact of their hard work over many years. Through persistence, learning, and partnership, these efforts have produced meaningful improvements in the health of Lake Carmi. As many noted, the work accomplished over the past five years stands as an outstanding model of successful collaboration!

Thank you to Governor Phil Scott; the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources/Department of Environmental Conservation/Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation; the Vermont Agency of Agriculture; the Lake Carmi Campers Association; the Town of Franklin; the Franklin NRCD; the NRPC; University of Vermont LCSG; Lake Champlain Basin Program; and the many others who contributed both to this event and to the continued protection of Lake Carmi!

My name is Maddie Tencza, I’m originally from Connecticut and am currently working as a research associate under Dr. Jos...
07/28/2026

My name is Maddie Tencza, I’m originally from Connecticut and am currently working as a research associate under Dr. Joshua Morse of Vermont Fish and Wildlife and Dr. Helina Jolly of the University of Vermont. This summer, I am conducting long-form interviews with Vermonters regarding their experiences living alongside black bears in the state. This includes outreach to and scheduling with interviewees, conducting audio-recorded interviews, and transcribing interviews for the purpose of data collection. My work has exposed me to the inner-workings of research projects and has motivated me to continue adding to the growing body of human-wildlife coexistence literature. When I am not interning, I enjoy getting outside as much as possible and continuing to explore the state!

07/27/2026

If it's something in air monitoring that we need to sample we probably packed it! 😆

📷 Picture of Air monitoring staff packing up air samples to go setup in our Underhill site.

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