Van Buren, MO - Deep in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks exists populations of Ozark Hellbenders, large freshwater aquatic salamanders that can reach up to two feet in length.

Due to pressures including illegal collecting, poor water quality, and other stream and associated habitat degradations, populations have severely declined in recent years. Given these unique animals can only survive in clean and clear spring fed streams, Audubon became interested in their health as the Missouri region they are found in has been designated as a Globally Important Bird Area, given sensitive bird species like Cerulean Warblers, a bird that also requires high quality habitat, in this case mature forests, like those found along the same Ozark streams.

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