HELLBENDER CITIZEN SURVEY

Students and citizens across Southwest Virginia are using a new technique, called environmental DNA (or eDNA), to determine exactly where hellbenders live. Instead of looking for whole animals, scientists use eDNA to check for the presence of hellbenders through the presence of genetic material released by hellbenders into streams through loose skin cells or waste. This approach, however, isn't without problems. In most of our area, we have hundreds of miles of streams to sample and no idea where to start! As a result, we're looking to both better understand where hellbenders live and how humans interact with them. Head on over and take our survey to contribute to one part of this research.