What do the gray bat, the eastern hellbender, the amber darter, the eastern indigo snake, and the pitcher plant have in common? They are all protected species in Georgia. On this episode, we'll explore the lives of these animals and plants and find out what is being done to preserve them for the future.

In the past hundred years we have lost numerous species to extinction. The ivory-billed woodpecker, the Carolina parakeet, and the American Chestnut are just a few of the species lost to habitat destruction, over-hunting, and introduced species. Fortunately, programs like Georgia's Natural Heritage Program and the Georgia Endangered Plants Stewardship Network are working to study and preserve the over 100 animal and plant species listed as protected in Georgia.

We'll track eastern indigo snakes using radio telemetry, visit a cave where the reclusive gray bats live, look for hellbenders in a clear mountain streams, and visit some school children as they learn how to care for their very own pitcher plant bog!

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