Purdue University has teamed up with four zoos to protect hellbenders. This effort is a worldwide collaboration as zoos, government agencies, and other conservation groups, implement much-needed conservation initiatives. Check out these videos and a new publication titled "How Our Zoos Help Hellbenders." Learn about the zoos that are collaborating with Purdue and the conservation efforts.
Purdue Extension disaster specialist Abby Hostetler is urging Hoosier property owners and others who might have suffered damage from the recent heavy rains and flooding to file a report with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Awareness of the Eastern Hellbender is growing due to the decline in numbers. Extension specialists receive reports of a "hellbender" that is found in a barn, or on a basement floor, crawling across a driveway, or occasionally in a pond. Here are some resources to help identify these large salamanders.
Learn about reptiles and amphibians with the Indiana Amphibian and Reptile ID Package. The four books share information on each species and includes full-color photos, physical descriptions, list of similar species, and descriptions of important aspects of their ecology and behavior.
Although two weeks of occasionally heavy rain and some unseasonably cold temperatures slowed planting progress and threatened newly emerging plants throughout Indiana, Purdue Extension corn specialist Bob Nielsen said there is still time to have a good grain crop if, as expected, weather conditions improved. The key, Nielsen said, is careful crop management.
Extension professionals around the state have the opportunity to receive training on hosting a Purdue Rainscaping Education Program in their county or region.
Recent heavy rains across much of the state have resulted in widespread ponding and flooding in fields. This creates challenges for farmers growing produce for fresh consumption because of the potential for the introduction of contaminants into growing areas.