North Carolina Conservation News

The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander is one of the rarest species in North Carolina, and it’s hanging on by a thread. Before Hurricane Helene, only about 500 individuals were known. After massive landslides severely damaged their habitat, their current numbers are unknown.

TNC, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC), and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission quickly launched a rescue mission, entering disaster‑stricken areas to locate these tiny salamanders and safely transport them to the NC Zoo, where they will be cared for as part of a new breeding program.

Learn more in this story by The News & Observer.

PBS joined our fire crew in North Carolina’s Sandhills to learn why we set forests on fire—on purpose. Alan Teed, Burn Boss and Sandhills Stewardship Manager, led the burn and walked the PBS team through the plan and its execution. TNC uses controlled burning to restore and maintain fire‑adapted ecosystems such as longleaf pine forests.

Longleaf pine is one of the region’s most at‑risk forest types. Its range once stretched across 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas, but centuries of land conversion and fire suppression reduced it to just 3.5 million acres. Thanks to stewardship efforts and land protection, that number has grown to 5.2 million acres.

Watch the PBS episode.