Got Nature? Blog

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) highlights a powerful example of how conservation practices on working lands can support both farm productivity and wildlife habitat in their recent story, Restoring Roots to Save the Salamanders.

Image from U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service

On a stretch of farmland in southern Indiana, deep ruts once cut through fields so severely that, as landowner Ben Shireman recalls, “we had ditches in the field that you could park pickup trucks in.” Years of continuous row cropping by a previous owner had taken a toll on the land, leaving behind eroded hillsides, depleted soils and a system that was no longer sustainable both economically and environmentally. What followed for the Shireman family was not a quick fix. It was a transformation rooted in conservation, partnership and a willingness to rethink how their land could work for them and the environment around them.

Today, that same farm is a small but vital part of a growing effort to improve water quality and restore habitat for one of Indiana’s most unique aquatic species called the Eastern Hellbender.

Read how one southern Indiana farm transformed degraded soils and severe erosion into a more resilient system through conservation practices and partnerships here: Restoring Roots to Save the Salamanders.

At the center of this effort is the Farmers Helping Hellbenders initiative, a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) focused on improving water quality in the Blue River watershed while supporting habitat for the Eastern Hellbender, one of Indiana’s most unique aquatic species. By implementing practices like rotational grazing, cover crops and nutrient management, farmers can improve soil health and contribute to cleaner waterways that benefit both agriculture and wildlife.

This story highlights how targeted conservation programs and local collaboration can create lasting impacts, helping farms remain productive while protecting natural resources for future generations. It also emphasizes the importance of outreach, technical assistance and farmer-led innovation in building more sustainable systems across Indiana landscapes.

Learn more about the Farmers Helping Hellbenders program.

Resources:
USDA Awards Farmers Helping Hellbenders Project in Funding, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) Got Nature? Blog
Improving Water Quality by Protecting Sinkholes on Your Property, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Improving Water Quality Around Your Farm 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
Nature of Teaching – Hellbenders Rock Sneak Peek 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
Learn about the hellbender work at Mesker Park Zoo video, Purdue FNR Facebook
Learn about hellbender work at The Wilds video, Purdue FNR Facebook
A Moment in the Wild – Hellbender Release video , Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Help the Hellbender, Purdue University College of Agriculture

Diana Evans, Extension & Web Communications Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service