Got Nature? Blog

Sherri Reinsch, research associate and hellbender husbandry coordinator gently handles a hellbender in the lab. (Photo provided by Purdue Agricultural Communications)

Purdue Stories: This amphibious rock star gets its own educational video game with the help of Purdue research.

The eastern hellbender salamander will never win a wildlife beauty pageant. It’s believed that it got its name from settlers who said it looked like a creature from hell that was “hell-bent” on going back there. But it turns out that the hellbender could probably win the pageant’s talent contest because of all the good it does for the ecosystem.

Purdue research has revealed that the hellbender is one salamander that just might capture your heart.

Once endangered in Indiana and at risk in other parts of America, the hellbender does so much good that it inspired its own custom-built Minecraft experience. Yes, Minecraft — the one with its own movie starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, and millions of players from every single country worldwide.

Helped by Boilermaker researchers first organized by Rod Williams, a former Purdue professor now on the faculty at Texas Tech University, “Help the Hellbender — A Minecraft Conservation Quest” was created for the Minecraft Education realm.

At left, a real-live hellbender salamander poses for the camera. Its Minecraft counterpart is pictured on the right. (Provided by the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)

This new game lets players traverse the hellbender’s underwater world, overcoming challenges and learning about why we all need to protect this superstar amphibian, whose health helps reveal the health of rivers and streams.

With millions of young Minecraft lovers around the world, the game is an ideal vehicle to reach middle schoolers and high schoolers — its target audiences.

It’s hoped that those students will discover not only a fascination with this lovable amphibian, but also a sense of environmental stewardship.

Roni Bullock, a senior Purdue Extension educator and forestry and natural resources graduate student, who has written lesson plans for teachers to use in combination with the game, says she sees the Minecraft game-based learning experience as a digital adventure that connects young minds to the living systems that sustain them.

“The hellbender might not look glamorous,” she says with a laugh, “but once you get to know it, you realize how much it tells us about the health of our rivers and streams. It’s a perfect species to show why protecting water matters.”

A living water-quality monitor

Looking like very slimy, super-overgrown tadpoles — their unique nicknames include “snot otter” and “water dog” — hellbenders can grow up to 2 feet long and weigh nearly 5 pounds.

You might notice that the hellbender’s wrinkly skin looks a bit like wet lasagna noodles. That’s because it lives underwater and breathes through its skin. This also is a main reason it’s so vital to humans. Because it absorbs oxygen through its skin, it’s a living water-quality monitor — a sentinel — for the health and purity of waterways.

(Photo provided by the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.)

When hellbenders get sick or fail to reproduce, water conservationists know they need to figure out what’s wrong with their watery habitat and then work to fix it.

Jason Hoverman, professor of vertebrate ecology in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources in Purdue’s College of Agriculture, says hellbenders are coming back in Indiana after their numbers were estimated at less than 1,000 before 2010. He says their comeback story is all about teamwork.

“We’ve released over 1,000 hellbenders into Indiana streams in the last decade and, just two summers ago, we found the first evidence that they’re reproducing again,” he says. “That was huge. It meant the population was not just surviving — it was recovering.”

At left, Purdue research technician Faith Dunlap releases a hellbender into Indiana’s Blue River in the summer of 2025. At right, Jason Hoverman, professor of vertebrate ecology, participates in the same hellbender release. The Blue River is a two-forked stream that runs through Harrison, Crawford and Washington counties. (Provided by the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)

The hellbender makes a comeback

The recovery is no accident. “It’s been a massive partnership,” Hoverman says. “We work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, several zoos and nonprofits. Everyone’s doing their part to make sure this species has a future.”

The collaboration even stretches beyond Indiana, linking scientists and conservationists across more than a dozen states in the hellbender’s range from New York to Georgia.

Hoverman and his team study the eastern hellbender, found mostly in the cold, rocky streams of southern Indiana near the Kentucky border. “They used to be found farther north,” he says, “but as water quality declined and habitats changed, their range shrank.”

Today, much of the work focuses on protecting and restoring those last strongholds — particularly the Blue River, where Purdue scientists monitor conditions closely. “It’s encouraging; overall, the water quality there has really improved,” Hoverman says.

But the battle isn’t over. Farming practices that strip soil from fields can send clouds of mud into streams, filling in the under-rock crevices where hellbenders stay hidden from predators and protect their eggs.

“If you have bare farm fields and heavy rain, that soil can just slide into the river,” Hoverman says. “It’s like a mudslide filling in all the spaces they need to live.” He says the solution can be surprisingly simple: planting cover crops and buffer strips of trees at the edges of farm fields to retain soil and nutrients. “Those practices help farmers, too — they conserve soil and nutrients, so everyone wins.”

Hoverman sees the hellbender as an essential messenger: “When hellbenders are thriving, it means our water is clean enough for us to thrive, too. If we take care of them, we’re really taking care of ourselves.”

Jason Hoverman, professor of vertebrate ecology; Sherri Reinsch, research associate and hellbender husbandry coordinator; and Zach Kellogg, graduate research assistant in forestry and natural resources, in the Purdue Aquaculture Research Lab north of the West Lafayette campus. (Provided by the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)

Learning species conservation through play

When Minecraft’s virtual gaming platform enables players to dive into the world of the hellbender, Bullock wants to make sure those players resurface with a purpose.

“When they play, students get to experience three different roles,” Bullock says. “They’ll choose to be a wildlife biologist working in the field, a lab researcher helping raise hellbenders in captivity or a conservationist collaborating with local landowners. And at the end, they can actually become the hellbender itself, experiencing how human activities affect its world.”

By taking on those roles, players will experience the problems as well as the possibilities. “I want students to see that people really do have an impact on the environment around them,” Bullock says. “But I also want them to feel empowered — to realize that they can make a difference. Whether it’s through farming practices that prevent runoff or by pursuing careers in conservation biology, these are all ways to help protect wildlife and clean water.”

Bullock’s lesson plan will become part of Purdue Extension’s signature curriculum for teachers nationwide — and even internationally.

“It’s free for teachers everywhere, and anyone can download it,” Bullock says. “The lesson I’ve written is designed to pair with the game so that teachers can engage students and draw out the key concepts afterward.”

Her lesson plan will soon be available on Purdue Extension’s Nature of Teaching website as well as the Help the Hellbender homepage. “We want it to be easy; just click, play and learn,” Bullock says.

For the Purdue scientists behind the project, the goal extends far beyond the screen. Every student who plays and every teacher who shares the lesson helps build a generation that values clean water, resilient ecosystems, and the intriguing and mysterious creatures that depend on them.

As Bullock puts it, “If the hellbender can inspire even a few students to care about conservation, then that’s a win for everyone — including the rivers we all share.”

Resources:
Help the Hellbender website
Help the Hellbender Facebook page
Ask the Expert: Learn All About Hellbenders and Take a Tour, Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert video: Help the Hellbender – Dr. Stephen Spear of The Wilds, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert video: Live with Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens – Hellbenders, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Nature of Teaching – Hellbenders Rock Sneak Peek video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Nature of Teaching – Hellbenders Rock webinar video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Learn about hellbenders and take a tour of Purdue’s hellbender rearing facility video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild – Hellbender Hides video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild – Hellbender Release video , Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Hellbenders Rock! Nature of Teaching Lesson Plan, The Education Store

Amy Raley, Senior Content Writer,
Purdue Brand Studio

Purdue Landscape Report: When considering trees, shrubs, and forbs or grasses to plant for landscaping, a little research in advance can lead to dual benefits for both the appearance of your planting area and a wildlife-friendly landscape. Our native wildlife species are tuned into using our native plant species, so selecting plants that are naturally found in your area is a first positive step for plantings that benefit native animals. This can happen at a lot of levels. Oaks are a good example of this multi-level benefit. We might naturally think of the acorns that oak trees produce as the major wildlife food benefit, and it is extremely important for a host of mammal and bird species including jays, turkey, squirrels and deer. It is less obvious, but no less important, that oaks support hundreds of insects that feed on their leaves and acorns, and those insects support many species of birds and other animals that feed on them. Indiana has over 17 species of oak trees native to the state, so there is an oak tree suited to almost any site or situation.

American plum Prunus americana

Blackgum Nyssa sylvatica

In addition to oaks, many other native trees like cherries, persimmon, black gum, sassafras, red mulberry, beech and others provide food and habitat benefits. Trees that form cavities can provide nesting and den sites for several birds and animals. Providing a diversity of species and sizes of trees can favor a greater diversity of wildlife visiting your landscape. Smaller trees like sumac, paw-paw, flowering dogwood, crabapples and hawthorns add landscape interest and wildlife food value as well.

Winterberry Ilex verticillata

Umbrella magnolia Magnolia tripetala

Trumpet creeper Campsis radicans

Shrubs, forbs and grasses provide additional opportunities to add attractive and interesting appearance as well as wildlife habitat benefits through food and shelter. Shrubs like the native dogwoods, viburnums, plums, and hazelnuts can be beneficial to several types of wildlife through food, cover and nesting locations. Some species like plums and hazelnuts can provide people food as well.

The use of native plants has the added benefit of reducing the risk of introducing non-native and potentially damaging invasive species to the environment.

You can access native plant materials in a variety of ways. I am noticing more retail nurseries stocking and advertising native plant selections, so you may have some good choices close-by. The number of nurseries specializing in native plants designed for wildlife and restoration plantings is growing as well. A directory of seed and planting stock sources can be found at seed and planting stock sources.

The Indiana Native Plant Society has an abundance of resources related to native plants in landscaping.

Your local Soil and Water Conservation District may also have native plant sales that provide access to native plants.

Resources:
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Youtube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR Youtube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide, Google Books
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

It is natural to think of spring as the season of flowers in our woodlands, but summer can also provide some outstanding displays of native bloom. In addition, these flowers are often attracting some of our largest and showiest butterflies and bumblebees. Here are a few of the late summer flowers you may encounter in local woodlands. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Wood Nettle is a look-but-don’t-touch type of plant. While I find the foamy white flowers attractive, the stinging hairs along the stems and under the leaves feel like instant poison ivy. This is one of the reasons Foresters don’t wear short pants in the woods! It is a good indicator of moist and fertile soils.

Wingstem is a large plant with thin ridges along the stems providing the name. These head-high and taller plants of edges, thin woodlands and fertile soils put on a great display. It seems to be a common plant in black walnut plantations as both the good soils and light shade favor its growth.

Tall Bellflower catches the eye as blues seem to stick out in the green and yellow dominated foliage. I see this attractive star-shaped flower on tall stalks at the edge of woodlands and in areas where more sunlight enters the forest understory.

Pale or Yellow Jewelweed is in the same genus as the impatiens found in the garden stores. The tube flowers turn into spring-loaded seed pods that pop with the least amount of pressure applied by a finger and thumb. It is hard not to be startled even if you have experienced this mini-explosion before. Spotted Jewelweed is very similar, but has orange flowers with dark dots.

White Snakeroot can be quite common in forest understories. The white flowers may be the dominant bloom in some woodlands, partly because of the toxic nature of the plant. It is toxic to both livestock and humans and is the source of the milk sickness that killed Abraham Lincolns mother. Cows grazing in woodlands would eat the white snakeroot, which tainted the milk consumed by the pioneer families.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit flowers in the spring, but the cluster of red berries which ripen in the late summer and fall are large and bright, so they draw attention. While toxic to humans some birds and other wildlife will consume the seeds. The less common, but related Green Dragon plant has similar berry clusters.

Great Blue Lobelia has a name that matches its visual impact. The tall spikes of brilliant blue flowers are excellent for pollinators and put on a great show. This is a plant of woodland edges and moist soils, but can get to be 4 feet tall, with large numbers of flowers, so it is hard to miss when present.

Resources:
Celebrate Pollinator Week with Flowers of June Tour, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Pollinator Conservation Education, Purdue Extension – Entomology
What’s buzzing in your backyard? Learn about protecting pollinators, beekeeping with Purdue Extension, Purdue Extension News
Indiana Monarch and Pollinator Conservation website
Protecting Pollinators: Protecting Pollinators in Home Lawns and Landscapes, publication, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Tracking the Bloom, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana’s Native Orchids, Indiana Forestry & Woodlands Association (IFWOA) Webinar
Landscape Uses of Native Plants, Indiana Native Plant Society
Find an Arborist video, Trees are Good-International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Tree Planting Part 1: Choosing a Tree video, Purdue Extension
Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide, Google Books
Intro to Trees of Indiana: Flowering Dogwood, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
ID That Tree Spring Bloom Edition: Bladdernut, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

Have you been hearing more annoying buzzing around your ears than normal? Maybe you’ve got an itch you just can’t seem to scratch. There’s a good explanation for that.

Photo provided by Purdue Extension – Entomology

Indiana saw record amounts of rainfall in August, resulting in flooding across the state. These rain events and flooding, along with a warm start to September, have created the perfect storm of conditions for a large boom in mosquito populations. Although flooding itself may temporarily wash away some mosquito larvae, the standing water left behind as floodwaters recede can provide abundant new breeding habitat. Floodwater is one of several important mosquito breeding environments in Indiana, along with woodland pools, slow-moving streams, ditches, marshes and the edges of lakes.

Indiana is home to more than 50 species of mosquitoes, and different species use different types of water for reproduction. Some mosquitoes are associated with floodwater and other natural habitats, while others prefer smaller, humanmade containers. Following a period of heavy rain, water can collect in old tires, clogged gutters, rain barrels, birdbaths, catch basins, tree cavities and other objects around homes. It’s important to empty these water sources to reduce mosquito populations around the home.

The mosquito life cycle also helps explain why populations can appear to increase rapidly after a major rain event. Female mosquitoes can lay as many as 400 eggs after having a blood meal. Depending on the species and environmental conditions, eggs can hatch in less than three days. The larvae, commonly called “wrigglers,” take roughly 7-10 days to develop into pupae. After an additional 2-3 days, the next round of adult mosquitoes emerges. The water remaining after all of the August storms will produce many new generations of mosquitoes in a relatively short period of time. You may have already noticed an influx in these pesky insects!

The increase in mosquitoes is not just an outdoor annoyance. Several mosquito-borne viruses are concerns for Hoosiers, including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, La Crosse fever, Eastern equine encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis. Wild birds can serve as reservoirs for some of these viruses. Mosquitoes feeding on infected birds may subsequently transmit viruses when they feed on other animals or people. The Indiana Board of Health monitors for vector borne diseases, and has identified mosquito pools that are positive for West Nile Virus across the state.

For Indiana residents dealing with the aftermath of heavy August rainfall, reducing standing water around homes is an important first step. Removing or disposing of objects that collect water, regularly changing water in birdbaths and unused wading pools, keeping rain gutters unclogged, draining stagnant pools and puddles, and covering stored water such as rain barrels and cisterns are all great preventative measures around your home. Eliminating these breeding sites interrupts the mosquito life cycle before adults emerge.

Homeowners can also reduce exposure to adult mosquitoes. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, particularly during periods of high mosquito activity, can greatly reduce the chance of mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are often most active around dawn and dusk, so limiting outdoor exposure during those periods or staying in screened areas can reduce the chance of being bitten. EPA-registered mosquito repellents can provide additional protection.

As Indiana moves beyond August, mosquito numbers may remain elevated wherever standing water persists. Removing that water, improving drainage and protecting against bites can help Hoosiers reduce mosquito populations and limit their potential impact on people and animals.

Resources:
Indiana Department of Health
Mosquitoes, Purdue Extension Entomology
Mosquitoes In and Around the Home, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Community-Wide Mosquito Management, Purdue Extension – Entomology
Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods, CDC Yellow Book, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mosquitoes and ticks – little pests carry big risks – Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Mosquitoes carrying Zika virus can be controlled and avoided – Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Field Season Upon Us! Be Prepared – Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Excess Rain and Pond Integrity – Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Health & Wellness Lessons, The Nature of Teaching
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel

Tabatha (Tabby) Flinn, Senior Regional Educator
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Purdue Extension

Explore the latest newsletter updates on the Indiana Woodland Steward website. Stay up-to-date with forestry news and receive their free e-newsletter by subscribing at IWS Subscribe.

Highlights from the new Newsletter include:

• Ticks in Indiana Woodlands: Identification, Risk Reduction, and Prevention
  By Lee Green
  “Indiana’s forests, woodlots, and edge habitats support a diverse tick fauna that matters to both human and animal health. As reforestation has increased and wildlife hosts, especially white‑tailed deer, have…”
• How Emerging Digital Forestry Technologies Can Support Indiana Landowners
  By Erica Kronenberger and Zhao Ma
  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University
  “Indiana is home to more than 4.8 million acres of forestland, of which 4.6 million acres are timberland, and this amount increases every year1. Eighty four percent of Indiana’s forests is…”
• Prescribed Burn Associations: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Bring Fire Back to Indiana’s Landscape
  By Danielle Howard
  “Indiana’s ecosystems are shaped by fire. And to help them thrive, we need to bring fire back. But how do we re-ignite…”
• Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima
  By Lenny Farlee, Ron Rathfon, Don Carlson, Brian Beheler
  “Tree-of-heaven (ToH), also known as Chinese sumac, varnish tree, or stink tree, is a large, rapidly-growing deciduous tree native to parts of China. Tree-of-heaven was introduced …”
• Days Gone By Volumn 35 Number 2
  Constructing a corn crib from native hardwoods on Mr. Herbert C. Thomas’ property in Vermillion County (photos by Roy C. Brundage, undated).

The Indiana Woodland Steward Newsletter is a resource offering a wealth of valuable information for foresters, woodland owners, timber marketing specialists, woodland and wildlife enthusiasts. The Indiana Woodland Steward Institute (IWS) is an entity made from 11 organizations within the state including Purdue University, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association (IHLA), that works to promote best usage practices of Indiana’s woodland resources through their Woodland Steward publication.

Resources
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) website
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment – Wildlife Responses to Timber Harvesting, Purdue Extension
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Virtual Tour Brings Forest Management for Birds to Life, Got Nature? Blog Post, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region, The Education Store
Deer Impact Toolbox, Purdue Extension
Grassland Management Series, Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
Birdfeeder tips, The National Audubon Society
Explore the Rich World of Oaks with Purdue FNR Extension & Partners, Purdue Extension – FNR
Managing Woodlands for Birds Video, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Subscribe: Deer, Forest Management, ID That Tree, Woodland Management Moment, Invasive Species and many other topic video playlists Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Dan McGuckin, President
Indiana Woodland Steward

Dr. Brian MacGowan, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University

Fall Hunting and Fishing Licenses on Sale
MyDNR, Indiana’s Outdoor Newsletter: Whether you’re gearing up to hunt, fish, or simply enjoy the outdoors this season, now’s the perfect time to prepare. Check out the IN DNR Sport License webpage as you will find information for:

• Deer
• Turkey
• Small Game
• Upland Game
• Migratory Birds
• Bobcats

New DNR Hunting, Fishing and Trapping License Mobile App Now Available
The GoOutdoorsIN mobile app launched in early July and is ready to download. It’s free and available for Android and iOS. With the app, you can purchase a license, check in your harvest, view your order history and active privileges and edit your customer account information from your smartphone.

When searching in the app stores, search “GoOutdoorsIN” so that the app pops to the top of the search results. You can also find it in the official DNR app.

Resources:
Hybrid Striped Bass Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Largemouth Bass Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Seafood Basics: A Toolkit for Understanding Seafood, Nutrition, Safety and Preparation, and Sourcing, The Education Store
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Eat Midwest Fish
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
A Guide to Small-Scale Fish Processing Using Local Kitchen Facilities, The Education Store
Aquaculture Family Coloring Book Development, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Deer Harvest Data Collection, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Age Determination in White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Wildlife Playlist

Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

In the past few years, prescribed fire has caught on in Indiana. Government agencies and land trusts have increasingly used it as a tool to create wildlife habitat, manage for rare and endangered species, and promote ecosystem health. On these properties, fire has been reintroduced to landscapes it shaped for thousands of years.

However, while fire is being used to improve our public lands, 96% of Indiana is privately owned. If fire is truly going to spread, private landowners need to start burning as well. One means to that end is the formation of Prescribed Burn Associations.

Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs for short) are, at their most basic level, groups of people who burn together. By burning as a group, members of the PBA can share expertise, equipment, and labor to get more fire on the landscape. They can also pursue training and funding opportunities that may not be readily available to individuals. In Missouri, the formation of 18 PBAs has led to prescribed fire on more than 11,000 acres across the state in the past 10 years. The model for success is already out there.

Indiana is just getting into the PBA game. One PBA based in Daviess County already exists, and interest meetings for two more in Brown and Harrison are on the calendar for fall of 2026. More meetings are in the works across other parts of Indiana.

So, how does one get involved with a PBA? If you happen to be in one of the counties mentioned above, it’s as simple as contacting the leader or attending a meeting. Fire experience is not a requirement, only enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Members don’t have to be landowners either – many PBAs include professionals, students, and folks who are simply interested in learning new land management skills.

If there isn’t a PBA in your area, consider getting one started. Find a few other people who want to be involved, hold an interest meeting to share information and sign folks up, then elect a board. From there, the board guides the organization and helps create its rules, and the larger membership decides on a coverage area and name. Then, all that’s left to do is inventory available equipment and expertise, line up some burns, and start getting good fire on the ground.

Still not sure how to start? That’s where we can help. If you are interested in starting or joining a PBA, you can fill out this PBA Interest Form, and we will reach out to help you get started.

With the formation of PBAs across the state, fire can be more broadly used as a management tool, benefiting the natural world and humans alike. For more information on PBAs, including formation tips and upcoming meetings, visit the Prescribed Burn Associations website.

Resources:
Indiana Prescribed Fire Council (INPFC)
Effective Firebreaks for Safe Use of Prescribed Fire, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Prescribed fire: 6 things to consider before you ignite, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
Getting Certified as an Indiana Certified Prescribed Burn Manager, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR
FNR Ask The Expert: Prescribed Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: Prescribed Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Late Growing Season Prescribed Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Backing Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Flanking Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Strip Head Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Point Source Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Wild Habitat Hint: Prescribed Fire Techniques – Ring Fire, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Danielle Paige Howard, Extension Prescribed Fire Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to Nannyberry Viburnum, a native shrub found across Indiana woodlands. Learn how to identify Nannyberry by its finely serrated leaves, drooping branches, clustered fruit and seasonal changes from spring blooms to fall color. Lenny also shares where this species commonly grows and how it fits into Indiana’s natural landscapes. This video provides a helpful introduction to identifying Nannyberry Viburnum whether you’re a student, landowner, or just interested in better understanding the trees and shrubs around you.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

In this edition of ID That Tree, Purdue Extension Forester Lenny Farlee introduces us to Eastern Swamp Privet, a native Indiana shrub commonly found in wetland and swampy habitats. Unlike the privets around yards, homes and towns, the Eastern Swamp Privet comes from a different genus of plants. Learn how to identify this species by its opposite arrangement, simple leaves, finely toothed margins and spurs. This video provides a helpful introduction to identifying Eastern Swamp Privet whether you’re a student, landowner, or just interested in better understanding the trees and shrubs around you.

If you have any questions regarding wildlife, trees, forest management, wood products, natural resource planning or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page.

Resources:
ID That Tree – Video Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Conservation Tree Planting: Steps to Success, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Fifty Common Trees of Indiana, Purdue Extension – FNR
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Habitat University, Episode 12 – Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Native Trees of the Midwest, Purdue University Press
Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry Woodland Owners Association
District Forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
Find an Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources

Description of Bovine Tuberculosis:
Bovine tuberculosis (bovine Tb) is a disease found in mammals caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). In North America, bovine Tb is most commonly found in domestic cattle and captive and wild cervids (white-tailed deer, elk, etc.) and less commonly in other mammals such as raccoon, opossums, coyotes, and wild boars.

Bovine Tb has been greatly reduced in the cattle industry since the National Cooperative State-Federal Bovine Tuberculosis eradication program began in 1917. Currently, most states are accredited as “Bovine Tuberculosis-Free” by the United States Department of Agriculture, however, sporadic outbreaks do still occur throughout the United States.

Cattle, captive cervids, and wild white-tailed deer are considered reservoir hosts for bovine Tb. A reservoir host is a species in which bovine Tb can persist and be transmitted among individuals within a species or be transmitted to another species. Wild white-tailed deer may pose the greatest threat to the establishment of bovine Tb on the landscape because they move freely across the landscape and may contact multiple domestic cattle herds.

In Indiana, bovine Tb was detected in domestic cattle in 2008, 2010, and 2011 and most recently in April 2016 and a captive red deer and elk herd in Franklin County in 2009. The first case of bovine Tb in a wild white-tailed deer in Indiana occurred in August 2016 in Franklin County. All confirmed cases of bovine Tb in Indiana have been from the same strain of M. Bovis.

As of Dec 14th, 2016, 2,024 white-tailed deer samples have been collected, 2 exhibited lesions consistent with bovine Tb; 1,897 samples have been tested and 0 samples have tested positive for bovine Tb.

Frequently asked questions:

Picture 1. Bovine Tb Management and Surveillance Zones in Indiana as of Dec. 2016.

Picture 2. Lesions from bovine Tb infection in the chest cavity of a wild white-tailed deer. Photo by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Additional Bovine Tb Resources:
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, FNR-551-W publication, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources
Bovine Tb, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Bovine Tb, Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH)
Bovine Tb Disease, USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Bovine Tb, Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Bovine Tb, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Bovine Tb factsheet, Center for Disease Control

Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources