HELLBENDER TALK — Students in Indian Creek High School’s natural resources career-technical education pathway recently spoke at a Hellbender Partnership meeting. Among those participating were, from left, Laney Cowden, Cheyan Wright, Sierra Wells and Rayanna Adams. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — Students in the natural resources career-technical education pathway at Indian Creek High School led a presentation on Oct. 29 about their ongoing hellbender pilot project at the Columbus Zoo.

Four students in Crystal Fluharty’s class updated state leaders and zoo officials about the project, which is in its second year, during a biannual hellbender partnership conference. Among the organizations on hand were the Columbus and Toledo zoos as well as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Penta Career Center, the Wilds, Purdue University and state watershed and soil and water coordinators, among others. Between 50 and 60 people were on hand who are all part of a partnership to save the endangered salamander from extinction.

The salamander dates back hundreds of years in Jefferson County, including the Cross Creek region within the school district, but time and environmental changes culminated in a population decrease. Since then, ICHS has become the first public school to take part in the program which partners with the state and other groups to repopulate area waterways. The high school acquired Chief as its hellbender ambassador in 2023 and later received about 20 juvenile species. Chief maintains a home in an aquarium on the main floor while the juveniles are lodged in a biosecure lab on the lower level of the building.

The students led a PowerPoint presentation informing officials of how they regularly tend to the amphibians and record data that is shared with the partners. Of the 20 original juvenile hellbenders, five presumably perished from stress or saprolegnia, a disease found in freshwater aquaculture, and the 15 remaining hellbenders are thriving and awaiting release in the near future.

“The students presented on hellbender health and husbandry, the weight and mass of each individual and then they discussed tag and release dates,” Fluharty said, adding that the juvenile salamanders were doing exceedingly well under the students’ care and are currently above target growth. “So far, ICHS has the highest survival rate. The Wilds will be assisting the students in tagging and releasing our 15 hellbenders next fall.”

She commented that the release will occur at an undisclosed location and the school will receive 20 new baby hellbenders to raise during the next three or four years.

Students Sierra Wells, Laney Cowden, Cheyan Wright and Rayanna Adams took part in the conference and found it rewarding.

“It was an updated on the growth, habits, what we do and the release date,” said Wells. “It was fun and a great experience.”

“I spoke about the babies’ growth from this year,” added Cowden. “It was really nice to do that to understand the program. It’s a great personal experience.”

The students have more upcoming speaking engagements, including the Ohio Tech Conference in February in Columbus and the spring Hellbender Partnership meeting in Belmont County in March, but Fluharty also hoped to see them presenting during the Ohio Student Wildlife Research Symposium also set for next year. She was appreciative of school, local and organization officials for their unwavering support.

“Thank you so much to the Friends of Indian Creek Foundation, Indian Creek Board of Education, Jefferson Soil and Water, the Wilds and our local community for supporting this unique program.”