SCIENCE IS WONDERFUL: JUNIOR-DETECTIVES JOIN THE FIGHT TO SAVE OUR SALAMANDERS

Last week, the GLOSSI team traded the quiet of the lab for the wonderful chaos of Science is Wonderful! A massive science fair in Brussels designed to bridge the gap between researchers and the public.

While salamanders are famous for their "superpower" to regrow lost limbs, they are currently facing a threat they cannot regenerate from: Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (or Bsal). This tiny, invasive fungus is currently devastating salamander populations across Europe.

At our booth, "Save the Salamanders!", we invited young researchers to step into our world and see how we track this pathogen. Our booth was buzzing with energy as visitors jumped into action through five hands-on stations:

• Microscopy: Kids got eyes-on with the enemy, watching live fungal spores wiggle under the microscope.

• Diagnostics: Our recruits tested "patients" to figure out which salamanders were healthy and which were sick, learning how we monitor outbreaks in the wild.

• The Circle of Life: Visitors followed the journey of a salamander from a tiny egg to a majestic adult.

• Fantastic Salamanders: Through our interactive game, pupils guessed "crazy facts" about different species and discovered the amazing diversity we are working to protect.

• Creative Conservation: Every detective could design their own colorful salamander to take home as a permanent reminder of their mission.

We were absolutely blown away by the sharp minds and curious questions from the pupils (and the young-at-heart adults!).

Why is this important? Once the fungus arrives in a population, the results are often catastrophic and there is no sustainable treatment available for salamanders in the wild. Therefore, awareness is our most powerful tool. By teaching the public simple actions, such as cleaning boots after a forest walk or not moving animals between ponds, we can stop the fungus from reaching new areas. In a very real way, these junior detectives are learning how they truly can save the salamanders.

A huge thank you to the organizers and everyone who stepped into the world of salamanders with us.

This research is part of the GLOSSI project and is made possible by the support of the European Research Council (ERC). Their funding allows us to continue our dedicated efforts to protect Europe’s salamanders. Do you want to learn more about the GLOSSI project? Check out the GLOSSI tab on our website!