Steve Gephard

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Steve Gephard

Steve Gephard

Host, Nature’s Connections
Former Supervising Biologist, DEEP

Steve shares his passion and expertise as he works so hard to maintain and advance the migratory fish populations in our state...and around the world. He served over forty years at DEEP and shares his love of the natural world with each episode.

Stephen Gephard is a Supervising Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Fisheries Division. He works out of the Old Lyme office and supervises the Division’s Diadromous Fish Program as well as the Habitat Conservation and Enhancement Program. The first promotes the conservation and restoration of fish that migrate between the ocean and freshwater (like salmon, shad and eels).  The second protects fish habitat through permit reviews and actively seeks to restore habitat and provide landowners with technical assistance.

 

Steve was born just outside of Chicago but spent all of his summers at his family’s cottage on the Connecticut River, where he learned about fish and other creatures as well and swimming, canoeing, and hiking.  After gaining his undergraduate degree he moved full-time to Connecticut and earned a graduate degree at UConn, studying fish in the Salmon River.  After a brief stint in the U.S. Peace Corps in Africa, he returned and landed a position with the State and has been there for over 35 years.  He began working on the Connecticut River with the Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program but branched out and now works with migratory fish throughout the state.  Steve serves on many regional and interstate committees and is well-known by the professional fisheries community throughout the Northeast.  He also is active in international fish conservation circles.

 

Steve has served three U.S. presidents as a U.S. Commissioner to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, which seeks to conserve Atlantic Salmon from North America, Iceland, the British Isles and from Portugal to Scandinavia and Russia.  He also serves on a scientific advisory committee to the government of France for the restoration of migratory fish to the Loire River.  He has presented at many international symposia.  But Steve is the most happy when exploring the lower Connecticut River valley.  He has lived in several valley towns and currently resides in Essex.

Programs

Nature's Connections

With a focus on the migratory fish populations...but also on trails, wildlife, and forestry...this program tries to serve up the information that might help residents get more involved in our incredible natural surroundings.  In each installment, Steve Gephard demonstrates how things are connected in the natural world and why we need to care about the ripple effect that can happen when a natural event occurs...or a species becomes endangered...or climates warm up....

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