WINTERSVILLE — The Indian Creek Foundation has granted $15,000 to help Indian Creek High School in its efforts to develop a pilot program with the State of Ohio.
ICHS was approved to participate in a hellbender program to raise the endangered salamanders and reintroduce them into the wild in a bid to revive the population. School officials are working with the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Columbus Zoo and will receive its ambassador this summer. The funding from the foundation will help secure facilities for the amphibian, which will be fostered by students in a first for schools across the state.
Officials will be presenting on the program during today’s learning fair at the high school from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Science teacher Crystal Fluharty is working with Assistant Principal Keith Swearingen and interactive nedia teacher Dave Moffat on the project and said it will be incorporated into CTE studies at the school.
“The Indian Creek Foundation is funding the start of the Raise and Release Hellbender Program and establishing our hellbender ambassador’s aquarium set up,” Fluharty said. “Although the foundation is giving us a head start, we will be looking at other funding sources to complete and maintain the whole program. With the foundation partnership we finally have an official program that is going to impact our students, district and community.”
Fluharty said the Columbus Zoo will provide the ambassador and goal is to have the first hellbender onsite by July 1 while the school will receive the first batch of young salamanders from the Toledo Zoo in the late fall. Leaders are discussing the aquarium setup and design and Fluharty noted that all students will have a hand in the process.
The funding will help create the state-of-the-art, bio-secure environment for a high-tech, innovative educational environment. It will feature 24-hour security and a collaborative atmosphere and the program will be incorporated into multiple CTE studies with students involved in everything from research and care of the aquatic animals to educating the public and advocating for the hellbender population. Hellbenders are among the oldest animals found in Jefferson County and date back at least 160 million years. The population has declined during the last century and the pilot program is to help restore the species as well as grow student and community interest.
“We are extremely excited for the program and feel blessed for this opportunity. We will be the first public high school to have this program and feel extremely excited and thrilled,” she added. “The hellbender program will be cross-curricular throughout the Creek Career Tech Pathways. The students will be conducting real-time research when raising and releasing this state’s endangered species. Our students will be using new technology by building prototypes to collect the data and Natural Resources students will be working and collaborating with Jefferson Soil and Water, ODNR and the Columbus Zoo, to name a few.
“This is a unique opportunity for our students, district and community. We plan to have a ‘Meet the Hellbender’ event in the early fall. The students are eager to get started and ask every week when our hellbenders will arrive.”
Officials thanked the Indian Creek Foundation, JCSWCD the Columbus Zoo and John Navarro of ODNR for their support.
Assistant Superintendent John Belt, who serves with the foundation, said the funds will help erect the first tank to house the salamander.
“The foundation is extremely proud to help fund an education initiative where Creek students are the only high school students in Ohio, and possibly the nation, to be involved in research to repopulate an endangered species. This is a fantastic opportunity for the students and our district,” Belt said.
The Indian Creek Foundation has provided more than $100,000 to district schools in gifts and scholarships since 20003, including fees for students to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth and Closer Look programs, purchasing a 3-D printer for the high school engineering department and drones for Indian Creek Middle School.
Individuals, groups or businesses interested in supporting the foundation can contact Belt at foundationindiancreek@gmail.com, and those who want to help the hellbender program directly can call the high school at (740) 264-1163.
