Got Nature? Blog

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding $197 million for 41 locally led conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). RCPP is a partner-driven program that leverages partner resources to advance innovative projects that address climate change, enhance water quality, and address other critical challenges on agricultural land.

“Our partners are experts in their fields and understand the challenges in their own backyards,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Through RCPP we can tap into that knowledge, in partnership with producers and USDA, to come up with lasting solutions to the challenges that farmers, ranchers, and landowners face. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of public-private partnership at its best, made possible through these RCPP investments.”

The “Farmers Helping Hellbenders” project, led by Dr. Rod Williams and Purdue Extension wildlife specialist/Help the Hellbender project coordinator Nick Burgmeier, is among the projects set to receive funding through the RCCP Classic fund, which uses NRCS contracts and easements with producers, landowners and communities in collaboration with project partners.

Fourteen contributing partners will assist in the project:

• Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Gardens
• Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
• Indianapolis Zoo
• Indiana Department of Environmental Management
• Crawford County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Floyd County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Harrison County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Crawford County Cattleman’s Association
• Harrison County Cattleman’s Association
• Washington County Cattleman’s Association
• Cryptobranchid Interest Group
• The Nature Conservancy
• Wallace Center at Winrock International

With help from nearly $2.7 million in RCCP funding, the project aims to improve hellbender habitat in a four-county region in south central Indiana, the only remaining habitat for hellbenders in the state, by expanding the use of agricultural conservation practices that lead to decreased sedimentation in local rivers systems.

Sedimentation is a major cause of hellbender decline and reduced sedimentation will increase available habitat for hellbenders, mussels, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. This project also will address soil and nutrient loss, which are concerns for agricultural producers, as the targeted conservation practices and systems have been shown to have long-term benefits for agricultural systems and operations.

“Through this initiative, focused on Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, and Washington counties, we expect to improve water quality and aquatic wildlife habitat,” Burgmeier said. “Simultaneously, we hope to improve soil retention and nutrient availability to crops by helping farmers implement practices such as cover crops, riparian buffers, grassed waterways, etc. Additional benefits will include increases in riparian and pollinator habitat and increased protection for karst habitat through the selected targeting of sinkholes.”

As part of each project, partners offer value-added contributions to amplify the impact of RCPP funding in an amount equal to or greater than the NRCS investment. Private landowners can apply to participate in an RCPP project in their region through awarded partners or at their local USDA service center.

“RCPP puts local partners in the driver’s seat to accomplish environmental goals that are most meaningful to their community.  Joining together public and private resources also harnesses innovation that neither sector could implement alone,” Indiana NRCS State Conservationist Jerry Raynor said. “We have seen record enrollment of privately owned lands in NRCS’ conservation programs and RCPP will be instrumental in building on those numbers and demonstrating that government and private entities can work together for greater impacts on Indiana’s communities.”

For much of the last 16 years, Williams and his team have been researching eastern hellbenders, spearheading regional conservation efforts and advancing hellbender captive propagation, or the rearing of this ancient animal in captivity and their eventual return to the wild.

Full article > > >

Additional Resources
Improving Water Quality by Protecting Sinkholes on Your Property video
Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm video
Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians
Hellbenders Rock! Nature of Teaching Lesson Plan
Nature of Teaching – Hellbenders Rock Sneak Peek video
Nature of Teaching – Hellbenders Rock webinar video
Learn about hellbenders and take a tour of Purdue’s hellbender rearing facility video
Learn about the hellbender work at Mesker Park Zoo video
Learn about hellbender work at The Wilds video
Dr. Rod Williams’ 2017 TEDx Talk Help the Hellbenders video
A Moment in the Wild – Hellbender Hides video
A Moment in the Wild – Hellbender Release video 

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Wild Bulletin, IN DNR Fish and Wildlife:  Indiana’s coyotes start to put on their winter fur this time of year. While this makes them look large and fluffy, they weigh in at less than your average sleepy beagle. Coyotes can be helpful to people by feasting on mice that invade homes in winter and voles that raid crops and stored feed. Most coyotes live near people, pets, and livestock, and never cause any problems.

People can help ensure problems remain few and far between in a few ways. Licensed hunters and trappers can help maintain healthy coyote populations through regulated harvest, and people can also take steps around their homes and livestock to prevent coyotes from causing problems. Find a wealth of resources on the IN DNR Fish and Wildlife coyote page.

Subscribe to Wild Bulletin.

Resources:
Coyotes (PDF), Wildlife Conflicts, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
Should I Be Worried About Coyotes in My Yard?, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
Coexisting With Coyotes, Wild Bulletin, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Ask the Expert: Coexisting with Coyotes , Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Urban Coyotes – Should You Be Concerned?, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Pets Disappearing? The Cause May Be Coyotes, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Question: Which is the correct species of coyotes I have on my land here in Indiana, coyote or coywolf?, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitators, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
How do you eliminate a nuisance animal on your property?, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)-Fish and Wildlife
Urban Coyote Research Center, Urban Coyote Ecology & Management, Cook County, Illinois

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

---

On this episode of A Moment in the Wild, Purdue wildlife technician Zach Truelock introduces the southern leopard frog, which is found in the southern half of Indiana. Learn how to tell them apart from the northern leopard frog and plains leopard frogs in the state, how to identify their calls and their mating habits.

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:
Sounds of Frogs & Toads, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Frogs & toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Salamanders of Indiana Book, The Education Store
Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders, Purdue Nature of Teaching
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Hellbender ID, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Amphibian Photos & Sounds, Purdue Nature of Teaching

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

In this Moment in the Wild, Purdue wildlife technician Zach Truelock introduces you to the green tree frog. Learn about where this species lives, its physical characteristics, its call, and its breeding habits.

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:
Sounds of Frogs & Toads, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Frogs & toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Salamanders of Indiana Book, The Education Store
Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders, Purdue Nature of Teaching
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Hellbender ID, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

In this episode of A Moment in the Wild, meet the Pickerel Frog, a small to medium sized frog, which has thick white folds on both sides of its back, differentiating it from other species. Learn about its poisonous nature, its breeding habits and more inside.

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:
Sounds of Frogs & Toads, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Frogs & toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Salamanders of Indiana Book, The Education Store
Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders, Purdue Nature of Teaching
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Hellbender ID, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

In this Moment in the Wild, Purdue wildlife technician Zach Truelock introduces you to the Fowler’s Toad, shares how to tell it apart from the American toad, and dispels some common myths about toads in general.

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:
Sounds of Frogs & Toads, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Frogs & toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Salamanders of Indiana Book, The Education Store
Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders, Purdue Nature of Teaching
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Hellbender ID, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

In this Moment in the Wild, Purdue wildlife technician Zach Truelock explains the differences between frogs and toads, from physical characteristics to breeding and movement habits.

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:
Sounds of Frogs & Toads, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Frogs & toads of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Salamanders of Indiana Book, The Education Store
Amphibians: Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders, Purdue Nature of Teaching
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Hellbender ID, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

MyDNR Email Newsletter, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR): Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease affecting white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. Hunters who want to have their deer tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) can bring their deer to select Fish & Wildlife areas and State Fish Hatcheries during the hunting season.

Deer heads can be dropped into designated coolers or hunters can make an appointment for their deer to be sampled by a biologist during office hours. The 2022-23 sampling locations and their hours of operation are listed on the Fish & Wildlife: CWD website.

Hunters who submit a deer for CWD testing will receive a metal tag reminiscent of Indiana’s historical deer harvest confirmation process.

Alternatively, hunters may submit their deer to the Purdue Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (ADDL) for testing for a fee. Hunters should complete the submission form and follow the shipping instructions on Purdue ADDL’s website.

Resources:
Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR), Fish & Wildlife
Indiana 2022-2023 Hunting & Trapping Season (pdf) list, IN DNR, Fish & Wildlife
Indiana DNR Shares 2022-2023 Hunting Season, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources
Wildlife Habitat Hint: Trail Camera Tips and Tricks, Got Nature? Blog
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, Video, Purdue Extension Youtube channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 2, Hanging & Skinning, Video
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 3, Deboning, Video
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 4, Cutting, Grinding & Packaging, Video
How to Score Your White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
White-Tailed Deer Post Harvest Collection, video, The Education Store
Age Determination in White-tailed Deer, video, The Education Store
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store

Subscribe and receive free MyDNR Email Newsletter
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife

---

In this Moment in the Wild, Purdue wildlife technician Zach Truelock introduces the painted turtle, how to identify the species, its mating rituals and what is its preferred habitat. Learn more inside.

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:
Turtles of Indiana, The Education Store
Forestry Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest, The Education Store
Appreciating Reptiles and Amphibians in Nature, The Education Store
Indiana Amphibian and Reptile ID Package (4 softcover books), The Education Store
When Juvenile Snakes Come Calling, FNR Got Nature? blog
A Moment in the Wild, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
A Moment in the Wild: Black Racer, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
A Moment in the Wild: Eastern Kingsnake, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
A Moment in the Wild: Eastern Hognose, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
Ask An Expert, Purdue Extension – FNR Playlist

Zach Truelock, Hellbender Technician
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

Rod Williams, Assistant Provost for Engagement/Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

---

Purdue College of Agriculture News: Timber rattlesnakes are widely distributed across the eastern half of the United States, living as far north as New Hampshire and as far south as Florida. Hilly forests like those found in Brown, Monroe and Morgan County, Indiana suit the secretive lifestyle of the venomous snake. According to Purdue Extension wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan, there is no reliable estimate of the number of Timber rattlesnakes living in Indiana. Sightings are rare but most likely to occur during the hottest parts of the year.

“Late July and August are the peak of their breeding season in Indiana,” said MacGowan. “The males move around a lot more, tracking the scent of the females.”

While they are normally hidden among rocks and brush, rattlesnakes have been observed 20 feet high in trees on rare occasion.

“Chipmunks are their primary food source in Indiana, but larger males eat squirrels and similarly-sized prey,” MacGowan explained. “They even consume songbirds.” A typical adult grows to be between three and five feet in length.

Rattlesnakes are patient hunters. Most often they use their natural camouflage to ambush prey. They inject a lethal venom, potentially strong enough to kill a human if left untreated. The venom contains hemotoxic elements, meaning it can damage or destroy blood vessels and cells.

But just because rattlesnakes are venomous does not mean they create frequent problems for nature lovers. “Timber rattlesnakes are reclusive and are quite unaggressive as far as snakes go,” MacGowan explained. “A lot of the locals in the areas I research don’t realize rattlers live nearby since the snakes keep to themselves.” According to the CDC, roughly 7,500 instances of venomous snakebites are recorded a year in the United States. Of those, about 5 are fatal. During his time as part of the Hardwood Ecosystems Experiment, MacGowan realized that even when looking, finding a rattlesnake is not an easy task.

For full article on the rattlesnake please visit: Unexpected Plants and Animals of Indiana: Timber Rattlesnake

Resources:
Snakes and Lizards of Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Snakes of the Central and Northeastern United States, The Education Store
Snakes of Indiana, The Education Store
Indiana Amphibian and Reptile ID Package (4 softcover books), The Education Store
Reptiles: Turtles, Snakes, and Lizards​​, Purdue Nature of Teaching Website
Ask An Expert, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
A Moment in the Wild: Eastern Hognose, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
A Moment in the Wild: Eastern Kingsnake, Purdue Extension – FNR Video
A Moment in the Wild: Racer, Purdue Extension – FNR Video

Purdue University Department of Agricultural Communication

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

---