A staff report
Many people don’t know that there is a species of giant aquatic salamanders living in NC, but since 2010, many people do. This is how success is measured after initiating an awareness campaign, whether the intent is to sell products or to draw attention to the plight of one of nature’s vulnerable species.
In 2010, the North Carolina Zoological Society (NCZS) teamed up with the Advertising and Graphic Design students at Randolph Community College (RCC) to bring awareness to the environmental changes to this salamander’s habitat that were on course to endanger the long-term survival of this particular species of salamander.
When Dr. John Groves, curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the NC Zoological Park, estimated that the species Cryptobranchus alleganiensis would become extinct in less than 80 years, the NCZS and the administration of RCC asked the students in the design department to create an advertising-style marketing campaign for this salamander, boasting of its accomplishments, citing its benefits, and outlining a plan to improve the odds of survival by educating the public about steps they could take to be a part of the effort to extend its longevity.
The campaign was focused on students ages 6 to 10 because they would probably be witness to the extinction, if nothing was done to help. They would probably be the ones that would visit zoos on school field trips, and they would probably experience hikes and walks in the woods of North Carolina. Further than that, Dr. Groves suggested that capturing the attention of students in that age group would be the best hope for swift change in the future.
Though the species is unique there are several glaring facts that made it seem as though extinction was the natural course this species could expect. Was it unnecessary to intervene? Was nature simply taking its course with these salamanders?
This species is ancient and has survived for 65 million years. Once found as far south as the Ozarks, it has migrated geographically upwards and now resides from parts of Georgia to New York.
The project was problematic from the start. The details about this salamander were food for thought even to thinking adults. For starters, the common name of the species is the Hellbender salamander. (How do you introduce that to students 6-10 years old?) Of course, there are lots of nicknames for the salamander too, like Snot Otter, Lasagna Lizard, Mud Puppy, Allegany Alligator, and Devil Dog. It would prove very challenging to make that sound good in an advertising jingle.
This species likes streams with cool/cold flowing water around 40-50 degrees, where it will find a big rock in the stream to hide itself under and make its ‘nest’. There it will stay until it reaches sexual maturity at around 5 years of age.
Being such a solitary creature, the Hellbender doesn’t explore much beyond its home area. In fact, if a human goes into the river and removes a Hellbender’s home-rock, the salamander will spend all its efforts trying to find that rock again, foregoing mating or even eating until it dies of starvation. (A lack of foresight is another unfavorable quirk of this species?)
The Hellbender has lungs but not gills. It breathes through the skin and has frills of skin folds on its sides to increase the area of the skin, which is covered in thick slime. How many kids aged 6-10 would be able to overcome the ick factor of a slimy, ugly, salamander that is almost as big as they are?
This salamander normally grows to about 30 inches in length, (some specimens grow up to 6 feet). It feeds on crayfish, fish, tadpoles, insects, and smaller salamanders including their own young. (How can you advertise that to the parents of the students ages 6-10?)
The threats to this species began with silt washing into their streams from higher up in the mountains because of unavoidable erosion, coupled with rising temperatures in the waters. Even as the species migrated to cooler climes, other pollutants entered the water flow from pesticides and other chemicals being washed out of human habitats by rain.
There was quite a task set for the students who embarked on the project to generate awareness. Can you introduce a species people haven’t ever heard of before, with all its details, and inspire conservationist commitment? Can you convince students that age to care about whether this species lives or dies? If so, how?
The Hellbender Extended Longevity Project (H.E.L.P) was born. To increase awareness of the existence of this rarely seen giant salamander, an exhibit was set up to display the salamander to the public at the NC Zoological Park. A mascot costume was created to allow a 6 ft. tall person to move freely inside. The mascot would act as a greeter at Zoos and other venues, and star in an educational video for students in elementary schools. The mascot was called Rocky H. Bender by some and Snotty Otty by others.
The campaign included several items to be sold in the Zoo’s gift shops to keep the salamander on the students’ minds like, Snot Rocks jawbreaker candy; Hot Snots cinnamon candy; and a gag toy salamander jumping out of a box to surprise the unsuspecting.
A recommendation was made to develop a new brand of soil compost/fertilizer at the zoo called S.O.S. (Save Our Salamanders) compost, which could be sold to generate funds for intervention efforts. A t-shirt was designed featuring Rocky H. Bender, the mascot. And a puzzle book was created to be given to students ages 6-10.
The elementary school students were encouraged to talk about the possible coming extinction of this species with their families. The general public was encouraged to use lawn care products that didn’t contain environmental contaminates that could be washed into the streams after the rain; and to be aware of the Hellbender when hiking along streams. Signage was posted along some streams to caution the public about moving rocks in the streambed. Several zoos across the nation have sponsored awareness campaigns to focus attention on the issue. The internet was flooded with photos and articles like this one, to increase the public’s interest in preserving this species. Has it worked?
That campaign began in 2010, as public focused project that came to fruition by a partnership between the NC Zoological Society and the community college system. Have you heard anything about the Hellbender salamander since 2010? If so, the awareness campaign was successful. Have you seen a salamander t-shirt, candy, or a salamander toy? Even better. Just as it is with any advertising campaign, first you have to know what the store is selling before you can buy it. If you want to inform the public that there is a species at risk of extinction, first you have to make them aware of the issue, and define a solution before they can do anything to H.E.L.P.
Author: staff report
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