(calm music)
- Right now we're out looking for salamanders.
We're looking for the red-cheeked salamander.
And right now I'm not havin' any luck
(chuckling)
But I like it a lot.
- Besides the fact
that they're adorable little amphibians,
(laughing)
because they are,
salamanders are great bioindicators.
- Here at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
everyone is always looking up at the amazing views here.
But on this month's episode of Outside Science,
we follow a group of interns who are taking a closer look
at the cuter side of the park.
- Yes, I got him.
- Never really thought
like small animals were important you know
like you never really think about it
but all this internship has really taught me
like how important these tiny little things are.
And so that's really cool
and just being outside, it's awesome, I love it.
- And this one is alive
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
is the salamander capital of the world.
Salamanders are great bioindicators.
If we see a change in our salamanders species composition
or our population levels, that's a big tip
that there's something going on in the environment
that we should probably be concerned about
and that we need to look into further.
- It's just fun to like be able to come out here
and look for the salamanders underneath the rocks
and all that and it's fun getting hands dirty sometimes too.
You know when you actually do catch 'em
it's pretty cool 'cause like all your hard work pays off so.
- Now we're just releasing them back
into their habitat.
I chose this rock right here
'cause it's nice and damp down here
and salamanders love dampness.
So, wiggle him out, trying not to get my germs on him.
There he goes.
- I've been studying biology in university
for the past four years
and I've never really done any field research before.
So to have my first experience
at field research be out here in the rolling hills
and mountains.
(chuckling)
Is really an incredible experience.
- For the last two years,
we've had the Youth Environmental Leadership interns
from Asheville GreenWorks join us
to work along side our ACE,
American Conservation Experience interns,
on whatever project we have going on on those days.
- It's fun because you get to do
so much hands on stuff and it makes me feel very empowering.
It makes me feel like the work that I'm doing matters.
- It's very heartwarming.
It's, it makes you feel good.
It makes you feel like your making a difference
even though you're starting off small.
- For a lot of the them you know
sometimes it's the first time that they're
in a national park.
- There we go.
- Oh, there we go, we found one.
- Where?
- It's opening a door
that they didn't even know existed.
- Erin, she's been awesome
through this whole thing and so I know
that this is what I want to do for a fact now
'cause it's just been an awesome experience
and it's just been great.
(cheering)
(laughing)
- It's really excited me
to pursue something similar to this in the future
and knowing that my options are so wide open
is really comforting.
- Anything to help the earth be a better place.
(laughing)
- Thanks for watching Outside Science, Inside Parks,
be sure to check in each month for new episodes.