Thomas More University awarded two grants for its Biology Field Station

Thomas More University's Biology Field Station has been awarded two grants. One grant comes from the National Science Foundation and will allow the university to work to protect a threatened species, the eastern hellbender, and the other grant comes from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom to upgrade the Biology Field Station’s facilities and capacity and establish a head-start program in partnership with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

According to an article on Thomas More University's website, Chris Lorentz. Ph.D., who serves as the Biology Field Station Director, was quoted as saying of the work these grants will allow the university to do, “We are honored by this prestigious award and excited to increase our conservation work with eastern hellbenders. We’ve had adult hellbenders onsite since 2018,  and they never fail to elicit positive reactions from young students to adults alike when they see this unique species up close. As a complement to the research, these outreach programs are critical to raising awareness about the unique biodiversity in our backyard and the conservation efforts to preserve species and ecosystems.”

He added, “We have a long track record of partnerships and collaborations that advance our mutual interests in conservation and preservation of aquatic species. Working with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and others, including the Louisville Zoo, the Newport Aquarium, and Purdue University, will help meet the current needs to save this species from extinction.”

The eastern hellbender is a species of salamander that has recently been declared Kentucky’s state amphibian. It is the largest salamander in North America and is significantly declining in population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recently introduced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, citing the species’ dwindling presence.

The Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research Program through the National Science Foundation awarded the university’s Biology Field Station $193,649 in grant funding to support work to protect the eastern hellbender. The other grant, in the amount of $7,500, from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, will work in tandem with the NSF grant to help accomplish this goal. 

One effort to protect the species includes a headstart program, which will allow researchers to collect eastern hellbender eggs from the wild and raise them in captivity for several years before letting them out into the wild. This type of program has been shown to raise the chances of survival for the amphibians.

The funding will also allow the Biology Field Station to upgrade one of its facilities to provide space for up to 570 hellbenders, allowing researchers to examine the species at different stages of its life cycle.

Thomas More University’s Biology Field Station is the only active biology station along the Ohio river, and receiving this grant funding will allow it to have a positive impact on the eastern hellbender population.

For more information about Thomas More University, visit the school’s website.