Youth Lead Campaign for Spotted Salamander as Ohio’s State Amphibian
By: Leah Crocker, Central Intermediate Roots & Shoots Coordinator
Youth from around northeastern Ohio are rallying behind the spotted salamander. They see this amphibian as a way for Ohio students to learn about wetlands and the importance of conservation. “Wetlands are important to the health and welfare of all Ohioans because they reduce flooding, control erosion, purify runoff water, are a source of recreation and a place of food, shelter and habitat for endangered species and other wildlife,” said Isabella Todaro, a seventh-grader from West Geauga Middle School in Chesterland, Ohio. She was one of eight students to testify in favor of Senate Bill 240 at an Ohio Senate hearing this past November. This bill, if passed, will name the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) as Ohio’s official state amphibian.
Isabella is a member of the Wetlands Education Team (W.E.T.), a student-led organization that started the spotted salamander campaign out of concern for the future of Ohio’s wetlands. The group surveyed their school and found that less than one percent of the students knew the correct definition of a wetland. They also learned that, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), only 10 percent of Ohio’s original wetlands remain. The group decided to approach their Ohio State Senator, Timothy Grendell, with the idea to propose the spotted salamander as the state amphibian.
“We looked for a photogenic animal with a compelling story to tell about the sometimes hidden story of what happens in wetlands,” stated Clay McMullen, an eighth grade member of W.E.T. They chose the salamander because it relies on seasonal wetlands called vernal pools for reproduction. It also lives in every Ohio county under rocks and near moist woodlands, ponds and creeks. If Senate Bill 240 is adopted, all fourth-graders in Ohio will learn about the spotted salamander and its wetland habitat because of requirements in the Ohio Academic Content Standards.
Sixth-grade students from Central Intermediate School in Wadsworth also traveled to Columbus to testify on behalf of the spotted salamander bill. They are members of the school’s Roots & Shoots after-school club, which plans and carries out service-learning projects that benefit animals, the environment and local community. The 65-member Wadsworth club which is part of the Jane Goodall Institute, a global program for youth, sent hundreds of postcards to Senators around the state asking for their support on this bill.
These youth hope that including the spotted salamander as a state symbol will send two messages to Ohio’s citizens. First, everyone can contribute to wetland conservation by learning about local vernal pools. “Vernal pools look like a small depression in your yard for three seasons of the year. It is mostly in the spring when they fill up with water and are used by many animals,” says Zac Kucera, an eighth-grader in W.E.T. All citizens can preserve wetlands by simply leaving vernal pools undisturbed. Second, the W.E.T. and Central Intermediate Roots & Shoots Club want students to realize that they can take an active role in the legislative process and environmental issues in their communities.
Senate Bill 240 was approved in a 32-0 vote in the Senate this past December and moves to the House of Representatives in early 2008. The youth involved hope that more students from around the state will learn about the salamander and wetlands by participating in this campaign. Anybody wishing to be part of these efforts can send postcards to Ohio Representatives asking for support for the spotted salamander bill.
For more information or to get involved, contact Leah Crocker, the Ohio State Volunteer Coordinator for the Roots & Shoots program, at Lcrocker@janegoodall.org.