Cara Powell will testify Wednesday in Columbus to protect Ohio's wetlands and adopt the spotted salamander.

Cara and three others, with the Roots and Shoots program from the school, are looking to make the salamander Ohio's state amphibian.

In related news, one state amphibian hopeful resides in Portage Park District

Press Release from the Portage Park District

The spotted salamander may not be a commonly seen creature, but it is about to become the State Amphibian of Ohio. Only 14 States have designated a State Amphibian; Ohio will be the 15th when Senate Bill 240 passes Wednesday in Columbus. "Spotted Salamanders are found in many places around Portage County," says Portage Park Program Director Dawn Alber. "We've done several informational programs about vernal pools in our parks."

Vernal pools are the seasonal pools of water used for breeding by salamanders, frogs and other amphibians. Designation of a state amphibian is important since little is known about these nocturnal creatures by the general public.

Traditionally, the most popular time of year for salamander watching is the spring mating season, when the salamanders return to vernal pools to mate and lay their eggs. Masses of salamanders can be found moving over land towards the vernal pools, if just the right conditions exist. The weather must be rainy and warm, and the movement is always at night.

The Portage Park District owns several promising areas for salamander and amphibian research, including the Chagrin Headwater Preserve and the Streetsboro Preserve. The Park District is hasn't yet reached the capacity to open these preserves to the public. "Salamanders serve as the "˜canaries' of our environment, "Alber explains. "If the amphibian population is healthy, it is a good sign that the environment is healthy."

Threats to the spotted salamander include wetland filling and draining for development; introduction of fish to breeding ponds; pollutants, such as insecticides and herbicides, and loss of deciduous forest, the adult habitat.

Wetland and forest habitat preservation is an important element of the Portage Park District Park, Trails and Greenways Project. "We're excited to begin this project that will engage the community to identify needs and opportunities for conservation and recreation," said Christine Craycroft, Park District Director. "We hope to get a lot of participation in creating a vision for the future of Portage County that will yield many environmental, health and social benefits such as wildlife habitat, healthy recreation, flood control and drinking water protection that's in everyone's interest." 

On the web: The Portage Park District www.portageparkdistrict.org  

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