The Clean Water Institute of Lycoming College now has a crowd-funding initiative underway to restore Eastern Hellbender populations in Pennsylvania and New York over the next three years.

With many Hellbender populations in Pennsylvania and New York approaching complete extirpation, and with no significant state or federal protection or funding, the Institute undertook this funding initiative..

The Clean Water Institute and others have started recovery programs with the intent to augment populations in New York and Pennsylvania with juvenile hellbenders raised in captivity from wild-caught eggs (known as “head-starting”) and to place natural cover rocks and artificial habitat structure in streams where remnant populations have a good chance of recovery.

The Institute currently have 100 three-year-old and 134 six-month-old hellbenders being raised by our project partners, but we would like to raise at least 5,000 or more hellbenders for future release.

They plan to assess the success of habitat enhancement and population augmentation through electronic monitoring of microchipped salamanders.

To meet these goals, the Institute seeks funds to support head-starting, habitat enhancement, and monitoring of augmented populations.

Donated funds will be used for:

-- Collection of Eastern Hellbender eggs and larvae for rearing in captivity - $10K

-- Aquarium supplies and food for rearing larvae until the age of three years - $10K

-- Installation of natural and artificial cover rocks in historic hellbender streams - $25K

-- Electronic monitoring of microchipped hellbenders using tracking equipment - $30K

-- Preparation and dissemination of educational materials - $5K

-- Summer internships for student participation in this project - $20K

Click Here for more information and to donate.  Click Here for a background fact sheet on Hellbenders prepared by the Clean Water Institute.

PA’s Symbol Of Clean Water

Senate Bill 658 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) was passed last November to name the Eastern Hellbender as Pennsylvania’s state amphibian and symbol of clean water in the Commonwealth.

The bill is a project of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s High School Student Leaders group and Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), one of Pennsylvania’s members on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission and Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

The bill has been in the House State Government Committee since the bill was passed by the Senate. and is now in the House State Government Committee.

The Hellbender bill prompted Associated Press reporter Marc Levy @timelywriter to do a 24-hour poll on Twitter in December about naming the Hellbender the state’s amphibian.  The Hellbender won handily with 90 percent of the vote.

Click Here for more.

Related Stories:

Lycoming College’s Hellbender Research Helps Advance Senate Bill For First Ever State Amphibian

[Posted: April 9, 2018]

4/16/2018