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Funded Projects

One of the four key pillars of the mission of the Foundation for the Conservation of Salamanders is to fund salamander conservation, education, and research initiatives through annual grants. We are the only foundation solely dedicated to conserving all salamanders and our team works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that funding is available to support the impressive work of herpetologists around the world. FCsal has funded $71,000 in research projects since 2013. 

 

Our call for proposals is announced annually in November and posted on our website, social media, and partners. Take a look through the impressive work of some of our past grantees for ideas about what activities we support.

2024 FCSal Grant Recipients

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Community-engaged research and conservation initiatives of the vulnerable Himalayan salamanders Tylototriton himalayanus in eastern Nepal - $2,455
Dipa Rai & Manoj Pokharel, Research Fellows, Wildlife Conservation and Research Endeavour Nepal

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Fungus FINDeRs: Coupling inexpensive, field-based, molecular diagnostics with citizen science to mitigate the spread of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans - $2,950

Brandon D. Hoenig, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh
Philipp Böning, Postdoctoral Research
 Associate, & Amadeus Plewnia, Doctoral Student, Trier University

Past Grant Recipients

2023

Ensuring the endemic salamander conservation (Bolitoglossa savagei) through community-based conservation actions in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) Key Biodiversity Area, Colombia - $5,000
Jose Luis Pérez González, Principal Investigator, Fundación Atelopus & Jose Daniel Barros Castañeda, Environmental Education Coordinator, Universidad del Magdalena

September Update

Transforming the Rare Brazilian Salamanders in Symbols of Conservation in Amazonia - $5,000
Pedro Peloso, Director of Strategic Planning, Instituto Boitatá

February Update

2022

Searching for threatened and lost salamanders in a mesoamerican hotspot with a citizen science approach - $4,763

Diego A. Gómez Hoyos, Country Coordinator, ProCAT Costa Rica; Henry Sandí, Citizen Science Leader, San Vito; Junior Porras, Monitoring Coordinator, National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)

Check out the new website and Facebook page for this initiative!

Development of novel breeding enclosures for groundwater salamanders - $1,400

Danté Fenolio, Bekky Muscher-Hodges, Kamryn Richard, Brittany Nunn, Ariana Duffey, and Andy Gluesenkamp, Center for Conservation and Research, San Antonio Zoo

2020

Monitoring the incidence of emerging pathogens on endemic urodeles from the Cantabrian range, Spain - $5,000

Barbora Thumsová, PhD Student, University of Cádiz

Jaime Bosch, Senior Research Scientist, National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid

August Update, October Update, December Update 

This project produced two publications! You can read more here: Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Threat to the Iberian Urodele Hotspot and here: Climate warming triggers the emergence of native viruses in Iberian amphibians

Status assessment of the eastern mud salamander in New Jersey - $500

Matt McCann; Science, Research, and Policy Associate; Delaware Riverkeeper Network

June Update, December UpdateSeptember 2022 Update, Final Report

Population genetics of the southern dusky salamander - $1500

Chace Holzheuser, PhD Student, Florida State University

January 2021 UpdateFebruary 2022 Update

2019

Long-term effects of silviculture practices on salamander densities - $5000

Nicholas Caruso, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Carola Haas, Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

July UpdateJanuary Update

2018

Proactive development of mitigation tactics to combat the salamander-eating fungus

Molly Bletz and Douglas Woodhams, University of Massachusetts, and Reid Harris, Amphibian Survival Alliance

April 2018 UpdateApril 2023 Update

Expanding Eastern Hellbender Captive-Rearing Facilities in Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.

Rod Williams and Nicholas G. Burgmeier, Purdue University, and Joe Smith, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (Update)

Sublethal Effects of Insecticide on Salamanders

Donald Brown and Alice Millikin, West Virginia University (November Update) (Final Report)

2017

The Effects of Specific Conductance on Stream Salamander Occupancy and Allocthony in Southeastern Kentucky

Jacob Hutton from the University of Kentucky, awarded $5,000 (March update) (June update) (November update) (January update)

 

Ex-situ Conservation Breeding and Repatriation of the Imperiled Striped Newt Notophthalmus perstriatus in the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida

Robert Mendyk and Mark Beshel of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, awarded $1,994 (Update)

Estimating effective population sizes for central Texas Eurycea cave and spring salamanders

Andrew Corbin at the University of Texas, Arlington, awarded $1,000 (April update)

 

2016

Assessment of the Conservation status and needs of Taylor's salamander

Dr. Christopher Michaels from the Zoological Society of London and José Alfredo Hernández Díaz from Africam Safari, awarded $4,474 (Final Report)

(January '17 update, right click) (November update) (September update) (June update) (March update)

 

Developing China’s first Chinese giant salamander conservation eco trail in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve

Shu Chen from the Zoological Society of London, awarded $500

 

Vernal Pools for Me

Aram J. K. Calhoun and Kristine Hoffmann from the University of Maine, awarded $500

(Webcomic) (Vernal pool coloring book)

2013

 

Monitoring Appalachian Salamanders Using Environmental DNA

Todd Pierson, Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, awarded $1,500 (Final report)

 

Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) Ohio Conservation Plan

 Jamie Weyer, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, awarded $500 (Final report)

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