In the News
Working Lands for Wildlife Welcomes Newest Private Lands Biologist
Ben Wilson has joined the WLFW Eastern Hellbender team to help serve farmers in Northern Alabama.
Learning and Connecting at the 10th Biannual Hellbender Symposium
Resuming after a long hiatus, the popular gathering for professionals in the hellbender research and conservation community was a great success.
A Fond Farewell to a Founding Team Member
Departing Private Lands Biologist Mike Knoerr Looks Back on His Time with the Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife Program
A Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife 2023 Roundup
A look back on accomplishments and forward to new opportunities.
Hellbenders Will Get a Second Chance to be Considered for Endangered Species Act Listing
In a lawsuit brought by conservation groups against the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), a federal judge decided FWS must revisit their initial decision not to list the Eastern hellbender.
What Would an Endangered Species Act Listing Mean for the Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife Program?
Working Lands for Wildlife is structured to continue providing benefits to agricultural landowners while ensuring adequate protections for listed species.
America the Beautiful Challenge Grant Adds Value to Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife Partnership
The recently awarded grant will increase economic opportunities for farmers who plant riparian buffers in hellbender priority watersheds.
Historic USDA Investment in Working Lands for Wildlife is Great News for Hellbenders
Working Lands for Wildlife will dedicate $500 million over the next five years to strengthen and expand efforts to protect wildlife and restore habitat on private agricultural and forest lands.
NRCS Staff Support the Hellbender WLFW Program by Learning About Natural Design Principles
NRCS staff from four states met in Western NC to tour stream restoration projects for hellbenders and get a close up look at best practices.
To Restore Hellbender Habitat, a Biologist Visits the Farmers' Market
When working to restore wildlife habitat on agricultural lands, outreach to producers can be challenging. Private Lands Biologist Mike Knoerr figured out a way to make it much more efficient.
Are Hellbenders Found Downstream of the Ohio Train Derailment Really a Sign That the Water is Safe?
Ohio authorities have called the recent capture and release of two hellbenders downstream from the site of a train derailment and toxic chemical spill a 'positive discovery,' because hellbenders are an indicator of a healthy aquatic ecosystem, but the reality is more complicated.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program Announces Funding for Projects to Support Hellbender Conservation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has has announced grant awards for the 2022 cycle of its Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program and several of the awards will benefit Eastern hellbenders.
2022 Was a Busy Year for the Working Lands for Wildlife Hellbender Program
2022 was a busy year for the Working Lands for Wildlife hellbender program.
10,000th Hellbender Released to the Wild
The Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are celebrating a historic milestone in hellbender conservation in Missouri. As of August 2022, the total Saint Louis Zoo-raised endangered Ozark and eastern hellbenders released into the wild since 2008 now numbers over 10,000 individuals.
Field Day at Mountain Research Station
The Field Day at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, NC will be a great event for agricultural producers to get the latest updates on agricultural research and to see the latest and best available tools and equipment at the trade show. The NRCS Partner Biologists for the Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative will be in attendance with information about the program.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in Grants to Conserve Habitat in the Southeast’s Cumberland Plateau
Seven projects will preserve forest and stream habitats, benefiting game species, forest-dependent birds, and fish and mussel species
U.S. Fish and Wildlife denies Endangered Species Act protection for eastern hellbenders
Just as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has called on the public to help locate and document sightings of the declining population of eastern hellbender salamanders to help in recovery efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list the salamander as an endangered species.
Researchers study eastern hellbender salamanders parental habits
Unlike most wildlife species, male hellbenders provide exclusive care for their young for an extended period of seven months.
Virginia Tech Researchers Receive NSF Grant to Study Parental Care in Eastern Hellbender Salamanders
William Hopkins, professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is the principal investigator on a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $738,817 to study parental care in the eastern hellbender salamander.
Chattanooga Zoo Announces Baby Hellbenders
The Chattanooga Zoo announces the successful hatching of a group of Hellbender eggs collected from the wild here in East Tennessee.
