‘Canary in a coal mine’

According to KFOR, biologists in Kentucky found a giant salamander, the eastern hellbender, living in a stream in the state.

Given its name, this might not sound like good news. However, the eastern hellbender is very rare, and its presence means that the stream it’s in is healthy. When environmental problems appear, this animal doesn’t survive. This makes it something of a “canary in a coal mine,” according to officials with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. If it disappears, it can be an early sign that something about the stream’s environment is off.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the health of rivers and streams is key to the health of all of us. However, they’ve been increasingly polluted by both urban and farming areas. This has led to lower water quality not only in the streams, but also for the people and animals that depend on those streams.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center explained that healthy streams are good for all sorts of things, including promoting biodiversity. More aquatic animals, like the eastern hellbender, mean a better life for all of us, since all life is interconnected. It can even mean more food available for everyone on the planet, further down the food chain.

Monitoring biodiversity is important when it comes to understanding not only how many and what kinds of animals are around, but also the health of the environment they live in. Tools such as trail cameras and projects like the one that found this salamander are key to cluing us all in about the health of an area.

If you want to help promote biodiversity and the environmental health that it usually signifies, vote for candidates who will pass laws working toward those goals. Learning more and understanding how we are all connected can help you foster biodiversity pockets near you. If we all do this, we will create a world that is safer and healthier for all of us.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.