Within a typical forest in the eastern United States, salamanders are everywhere. On an acre of forest, thousands of salamanders may be foraging among the leaf litter, under logs, and in creeks ...

Japanese giant salamanders are a rare species with over 23 million years of history. Many Japanese and foreign volunteers have been moved to join Richard's cause.

In 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requested that the Environmental Protection Agency engage in consultations regarding pesticide impacts on the salamander — but the agency failed to do so.