Hal Scott Preserve photo by eVIP Virtual Volunteer Riley Crosby |
|
Lend a Hand to make a difference in your Orange County environment and community.
|
|
Spring 2021
Virtual Volunteer Opportunities
|
The Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has enjoyed working with our first families taking part in the new Virtual Volunteering activities. The Crosby and Perez-Figueroa families assisted with cleanups and social media postings on multiple Green PLACE properties. Email today to request more information on the opportunities available. Volunteers can take part in one or more of the projects. See below for details on storm drain labeling, another popular activity that can be done safely. Students seeking volunteer hours will need to gain preapproval from their schools to verify the eligibility of community service hours. |
|
In His Own Words
Jonathan Dressler Internship Highlight
|
My internship with the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) started in February of 2020 --also known as the “before times.” It was quite a learning curve at first but thanks to everybody in the office I felt very comfortable asking questions about information I was unfamiliar with. My first project was summarizing a Red Light/Green Light list, which involved researching all of the municipalities' websites and ordinances within Orange County to check for needed updates. After that I was placed on the permitting and compliance enforcement team with Jen Thomson. I learned about the different violations that can occur in the permitting process. About once or twice a week I would go with Jen for compliance inspections and site visits. We would go to different properties in the County to talk to consultants, property owners and developers informing them of any violations. I would then help Jen update the EPD complaint database and write Notices of Violations and Notices of Non-Compliance letters. About the time I was getting into the hang of things, we all switched to remote working. Thanks to Jen, Liz and Neal, I was able to stay in the loop and continue helping the enforcement team. Soon after, my unpaid internship became paid. I can’t say how grateful I was for the opportunity. I started to work more at EPD and assisted with field days focused on compliance inspections and wetland determinations. I was soon trusted to do compliance inspections on my own as well as given more responsibilities in the permitting process. I even applied for a Senior Tech On-Call position and I got it! I am graduating this spring 2021 from UCF in Environmental Studies. I am very happy I will have a job in my field of choice and can finally leave the restaurant industry. I know I still have so much more to experience at EPD and can’t wait to see how my career here blossoms! |
|
30 Years of Pollution Prevention (P2)
Safe Medicine Disposal
|
Pollution Prevention (P2) starts with you, and the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) would like to encourage you to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals properly. Fish tissue from salmon collected in Puget Sound have been found to contain Prozac, Lipitor and 81 other prescription drugs. Because pharmaceuticals are not adequately treated by most wastewater treatment plants they should NEVER be flushed down the toilet or poured down the drain. This includes medications taken by humans and those given to animals. Throughout the year there are Drug Take Back events that will accept your expired or unused pharmaceuticals. To find the next event visit https://takebackday.dea.gov/. Certain participating Walgreens participate in the Safe Medicine Disposal kiosk program so call your local store to ask if they participate and if they will accept your medications. If you are a resident of Orange County and would like to request a list of public disposal sites throughout the County, email [email protected]. Commercial facilities that dispense pharmaceuticals are required to properly dispose pharmaceuticals based on federal, state and local regulations. For more information about Pollution Prevention (P2), visit Residential Environmental Initiatives.
|
|
Sign Up!
Receive More News From EPD
|
Would you like to learn more about the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD)? EPD is excited to share a variety of information about events, sustainability, the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge, regulatory updates, lake management, water quality and more! If you would like to be included on the email list, please fill out this brief sign-up form.
|
|
Storm Drain Labeling
Spearhead a storm drain labeling project in your community. Orange County eVIP provides all the supplies, a one-hour training session and the support to create an enjoyable and meaningful service project for your group. Please help us keep our surface water clean and our storm drains functioning properly. Great project for scout groups!
|
|
EnviroScape Training Workshop
Learn how to use the EnviroScape Model to provide fun, hands-on watershed education presentations to youth in Orange County. Are you an educator? Once trained, classroom teachers and youth group leaders can also "check out" our education materials. One-on-one trainings can be arranged to accommodate your schedule.
|
|
Internship Program
To learn more about the program, send an email stating your interest. Internships are competitive and applications are accepted year-round. Students can earn service hours, college credit and meaningful work experience. Interns who complete a three-month unpaid internship are eligible to apply for paid internships as available.
|
|
Orange County Water-Quality Monitoring
Orange County partners with the UF/IFAS LAKEWATCH program to provide volunteers with training and equipment for water-quality testing on local lakes. Volunteers need lake access, a few hours each month to collect samples, transportation to deliver samples, a canoe or watercraft and a one-year-plus commitment to sampling.
|
|
In-School, After-School and Summer Camp Presentations
Teachers and youth group leaders interested in watershed education can request EnviroScape presentations for their students. Presentations are approximately 25 minutes long and are scheduled throughout the academic year and summer months as schedule permits.
|
|
Community
Cleanup Kit
Is your group looking for an environmental project? eVIP has a new kit that helps individuals lead a cleanup and assist in keeping Orange County free of pollution. eVIP provides the supplies, training and support. The project is a good fit for volunteers of all ages and groups of all sizes. Educational materials will be provided as requested.
|
|
If you enjoyed being an eVIP volunteer, please help us get the word out through social media. You can also provide your feedback and offer ideas for improvement! Scan the QR code or click on this link to access the short survey.
|
|
If you are interested in any of the opportunities listed above, please contact the Orange County Environmental Protection Division Volunteer Coordinator
|
|
Orange County Environmental Protection Division
407-836-1430 | Cell 321-689-8232 | Fax 407-836-1499
3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32803
Serving our community by conserving, protecting and enhancing the environment for current and future generations.
Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
