MINGO JUNCTION-It was a night of presentations as the Indian Creek Local Board of Education learned about projects and other school happenings.

During the April 17 regular session at Indian Creek Middle School, board members heard from Crystal Fluharty, natural resources pathway instructor at Indian Creek High School, about the ongoing hellbender pilot project where Chief the hellbender ambassador is lodged in an aquarium and 15 juveniles are housed in a biosecure lab. ICHS is the only public high school involved in a state program to save the endangered species from extinction, and Fluharty and her students are in the second year of raising juvenile salamanders in order to release them back into the wild and repopulate the area. Fluharty said plans to release the juvenile salamanders have since changed.

“We still have 15 juveniles, and we still have the highest survival rate so far of all of our facilities in the hellbender partnership,” Fluharty said, adding that the partnership includes the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Toledo Zoo, Penta Career Center, Perdue University, and The Wilds.

She said some new plans are underway that will involve her students and possibly the community.

“We got approved to be the first facility to pilot a soft release, and then our students are going to be tracking these hellbenders for one year after to gather real data,” she said. “This process entails that a vet from the Columbus Zoo or The Wilds will come to Indian Creek and each hellbender will be surgically implanted with a transmitter.”

The goal was to release the juvenile salamanders this July, but there was difficulty in scheduling the tracking procedure. Instead, plans have been pushed back for one year and Fluharty said it was a good idea because the hellbenders will be older and larger. Officials will begin making plans this fall and the release will take place at an undisclosed location. She said tracking the salamanders would be time consuming and would take her students out of the classroom, but one idea was to possibly have a local university graduate student assist with the data collection since the salamanders could take 10-12 hours to track. Additionally, Fluharty commented that ICHS representatives were invited to Purdue for the Indiana Hellbender Partnership meeting on April 29 and for a soft release event in June, plus she has applied for aquatic education grants through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help support the program. Following more discussion, she said students Anna Bradley and Rayanna Adams attended the Ohio Wildlife Research Symposium at Shawnee State Park earlier this month.

“They had the opportunity to design and conduct their own personal research,” Fluharty said. “It was a great experience and our students did a great job. We’re excited to do that again next year and keep promoting that to bring more and more students…and be able to share it with other schools around the state.”

She also touched upon FFA student organization activities, with two teams competing at the Envirothon and plans to establish an indoor booth at the Jefferson County Fair, while she also hoped the group would take over a mum fundraiser. Other projects ranged from incubating eggs to FFA President Laney Cowden acting as animal care intern for the summer. Meanwhile, Fluharty added that requirements have changed for the Bags to Benches project and schools must now raise 250 pounds of plastic every three months to have their name entered into a raffle for a bench. Further plans included working with hydroponics, or growing soilless plants, and a potential Salt Watch program through the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District to discern the effects of road salt upon the environment.

The board also heard from natural resources pathway student Kole Daugherty, quartermaster of Boy Scout Troop No. 3, who asked to establish a pollinator garden at the high school campus. Daugherty was joined by Blake Kniszek, assistant senior patrol leader for Troop 3, and explained his project would both beautify the area and benefit the environment.

“The purpose of our project is to support the biodiversity and the ecosystem’s health by creating habitats that provide food, water, and shelter for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. After it’s built, the project will continue to grow with the addition of a veteran’s memorial to honor local veterans and create a space for reflection and appreciation within the community,” Daugherty said. “My pollinator project is dedicated to the Maxon family, as [ICHS teacher Janet] Maxon has made an incredible impact at this school, and her son, Blaine, has always been there for me.”

He added that should Indian Creek be selected for a bench from the Bags to Benches program, hopes were to add plaques to the seating to honor local veterans. During discussion, he said his project was for a distinguished conservation award and he would like to create similar gardens at all of the schools. Assistant Superintendent John Belt said the garden would be located in along a sloped area with standing water and the project would use native plants for a breeding habitat for bees and butterflies. The board later approved the move.

Senior Sierra Wells also presented her capstone project that involved interning with district public relations specialist Amy Colantoni to promote the natural resources program. Wells said marketing helped connect with the community and opens pathways for student opportunities.

“It prepares students for real-world careers and it raises awareness about the program’s offerings, students can learn stories of hands-on fieldwork, internships, and can work towards certifications,” she added.

She cited community and industry partnerships with local agencies, conservation groups, farms and businesses may provide internships, site visits, and guest lessons; student opportunities and career readiness, where projects, certifications, and competition results help build resumes and may lead to internships, scholarships, and job offers; and program visibility and enrollment, which communicates all about the program and could attract members. Wells also touched upon the hellbender project, which has gain notice in local media and at national conferences since students are conducting research and assisting institutions through the Hellbender Partnership.

Additionally, Colantoni provided an update on her work throughout the district. She told leaders that she was meeting with representatives of RSVP Print and Design of Wheeling regarding the 2026-2027 school calendar and also gave insight about social media usage over a 190-day period from September through mid-March. Colantoni noted that the high school Facebook page grew by 433 new followers, or an average of 61 new followers per month, while overall engagement grew by 88 percent–or about 98,716 interactions–within that period. She also highlighted media coverage about the schools and noted upcoming events such as preschool and kindergarten screenings at Hills and Cross Creek Elementary Schools on May 26 and 28, respectively; the upcoming production of “Mamma Mia!” at ICHS on April 30-May 3; and plans to establish an alumni database.