Tracy KarplusViews:
This summer, three high school interns joined The Orianne Society at the Wharton Conservation Center for an immersive introduction to salamander conservation. Lillian Bard, Emma Jenkins, and Ruby Karplus spent their summer under the guidance of Dr. Chris Jenkins and Wharton Conservation Intern Brendan Loring, biology student at the University of North Carolina. They gained hands-on experience studying native amphibians while learning about the ecology and conservation of the Southern Appalachians.
Below, Lillian, Emma, Ruby and Brendan share their experiences from the summer and reflect on the places, species, and conservation work that made their summer with us memorable.
Lillian
As a resident of central North Carolina, commuting to north Georgia each day was not going to be a solution for me. Instead, I had the privilege of staying at the Wharton Conservation Center, The Orianne Society’s newly acquired headquarters, research station and preserve.
Though I knew ahead of time that the station was going to be out in the wilderness, being located in the southern Nantahala Wilderness Area, I was still blown away by the incredible amount of biodiversity at the Center. Our first week was primarily a training week, during which I learned to identify many local salamanders, such as Dwarf Black-bellied, Ocoee, and Seal Salamanders. Since my home is located in an area with a high rate of development, where wildlife can be harder to find, it was particularly meaningful for me that at the Center, I could flip rocks just about anywhere and find salamanders.
The Wharton Conservation Center really comes alive at night. The Meadow fills with a cacophony of different frog calls; fireflies blink in the grass and trees; moths flock to light sources; and salamanders leave their rocks to wander freely. One of the most remarkable things I saw during the entire duration of my internship was when I walked out to one of the creeks one night and was able to see the glowing of bioluminescent larvae on the stream banks.
I could describe so many more details about the many species of flora and fauna I had the joy of encountering. The Wharton Conservation Center is a unique and thriving ecosystem, and I will never forget the incredible experiences I had there.
Emma
The Eastern Hellbender, also known by locals as snot otters or devil dogs, is the largest species of salamanders in North America. Despite their unsettling nicknames, their appearance is welcoming and soft. While adults can get longer than two feet, juveniles often reach only a couple of inches which allows them to burrow into small bunches of rocks for shelter. They have slimy exteriors that match the rocks they hide under, often making it difficult to spot them. They rarely reach for the surface of the water as they breathe through their skin, which is another reason why it is such a privilege to spot one.
Adults often nestle under large, flat rocks, and many people might not realize they have a special visitor under their streambed. To spot a hellbender is often rare, the Fish and Wildlife Services have proposed the species to be listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This means their populations are steadily declining throughout their range across North America. This is why myself, and my fellow interns, working with the Orianne Society this summer, conducted surveys in local streams and rivers to collect data on the amount of Hellbenders in historical sighting areas. We not only documented their overall distribution across different watersheds, we also wanted to see the effect of Hurricane Helene and if the species was able to bounce back after the destruction. To do this, we dawned our wetsuits and snorkels every week, while taking turns peeking under rocks with the cool river water that Hellbenders prefer soaking into our suits.
As an avid scuba diver myself, I was reminded that there is a whole entire world underwater. It does not matter if you are diving in the Caribbean or snorkeling in your backyard in Georgia, there are always amazing species waiting to be discovered and respected, such as the Eastern Hellbender. Hellbenders were a major focus for us this summer as habitat loss, sedimentation, and human impact, such as pollution and direct contact with the animals, are major conservation concerns. Which is why the team and I were thrilled to find numerous adults and three juvenile hellbenders. This gives hope for the future of the species and conservationists as their population in certain streams seems able to support and replenish themselves.
Ruby
The Black bellied Salamander is one of the largest stream dwelling salamanders in the southeastern United States, and along with the Dwarf Black-bellied Salamander they are important indicators of healthy mountain stream ecosystems. These salamanders spend their lives in and around cool, clear, well-oxygenated streams, where they eat aquatic bugs and other small animals. Because they rely on clean, high-quality habitat, their presence provides insight into the overall condition of a watershed.
In North Georgia, the Black-bellied Salamanders face many conservation challenges. Changes in water quality, habitat, and the increasing impacts of climate change all have the potential to degrade the streams they depend on. As temperatures rise and precipitation patterns become more unpredictable, protecting and monitoring these sensitive habitats becomes increasingly important.
This summer, The Orianne Society conducted Black-bellied Salamander surveys across several mountain streams across northern Georgia and western North Carolina to better understand the species’ distribution and population status. By documenting where these salamanders are present and collecting data on their abundance and habitat conditions, we can establish valuable baseline information that helps guide future monitoring and conservation efforts. These surveys also allow us to detect changes over time, identify streams that may require additional protections, and improve our understanding of the health of North Georgia’s aquatic ecosystems.
For me, participating in these surveys was an incredibly rewarding experience. Spending time in the streams searching for salamanders gave me the opportunity to see firsthand the species and ecosystems I have learned about, while also gaining practical experience in wildlife conservation and field research. I especially enjoyed working alongside The Orianne Society team and learning how careful observation and data collection can contribute to larger conservation efforts. Every survey was exciting, whether we found several salamanders or spent hours carefully searching through the stream habitat, and I quickly came to appreciate how much patience and attention to detail fieldwork requires. Most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to work directly with these remarkable animals and contribute, even in a small way, to understanding and protecting them. My time with The Orianne Society was an amazing experience that I will carry with me as I continue to explore my interests in wildlife, conservation, and environmental science.
Brendan
To the casual observer, the temperate deciduous forest floor is a tapestry of static green and brown—a quiet, unassuming carpet of fallen leaves and decaying wood. But step closer, kneel down, and wait; slowly, a sophisticated community of cryptic organisms begins to reveal itself. This summer, our small quad of research interns set out to survey one of its most elusive and remarkable residents, the salamanders.
Long before I ever picked up a field guide or stepped into a lab class, the natural world commanded my absolute attention. Returning to the Wharton Conservation Center for my second field season with The Orianne Society has been an extraordinary privilege and a reminder of why I first committed to these complex ecosystems. This season underscored the foundational principle that beneath the charismatic megafauna lies an intricate trophic web, each organism, large and small, supporting the strata above and below.
Field biology demands unwavering patience, sharp observation, and deep engagement with fragile aquatic and terrestrial systems. This summer, our team conducted intensive aquatic surveys using wetsuits and snorkeling gear to assess the distribution of the Eastern Hellbender, the largest salamander in the United States, capable of reaching 29 inches and 5 pounds. We targeted up to 11 historical coordinates across 7 streams in the Nantahala National Forest, successfully documenting 9 individuals over the course of the season.
These datasets inform population monitoring for a species currently under review for federal endangered species listing. As obligate indicators of high-water quality, hellbender presence signals overall aquatic ecosystem health. Furthermore, our surveys specifically evaluated population resilience following the severe hydrological disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene. This fieldwork involved arduous travel to remote mountain streams, cold-water immersions, unexpected plan changes, delays, and environmental obstacles.
Yet, the constant through every logistical challenge was the resilience and camaraderie of my three field partners, whose rigor and collaborative problem-solving persistently captivated and inspired me. The majority of our season was based near home at the Wharton Center, focusing intensive demographic monitoring on our target species: the Black-bellied Salamander and the recently described Dwarf Black-bellied Salamander.
We navigated rugged backcountry choked with rhododendron and brier to access the headwater streams and cascading waterfalls where we conducted our surveys. Spanning 17 tributaries and 6 distinct reaches of the upper Tallulah River, Black-bellied Salamanders and Dwarf Black-bellied Salamanders were recorded, measured, uniquely marked, and released following tail-tip tissue collection for genetic assays, with total encounters close to a thousand specimens.
Additional conservation duties included invasive plant species removal, trail maintenance, and nocturnal amphibian (frog-focused) surveys contributing baseline data for amphibian distribution and chytrid fungus resilience markers. This summer’s experience has been among my most valued and important endeavors. I am immensely grateful to The Orianne Society for their impactful conservation leadership, and to this exceptional team of young biologists. I am reminded that effective wildlife stewardship is fundamentally collaborative and that there is much work to be done in the conservation of these wild lands we cherish, and the unique species who sustain them.
