Florida's Python problem; post-hurricane flooding; and rescuing the nation's largest amphibian

Burmese pythons have decimated the populations of small mammals in the Florida Everglades since they established a breeding population in the 1990s. Nearly 1,000 have been removed through the annual Florida python challenge since it began in 2013. 

Tropical storm Debby dropped more than a foot of rain in some parts of North Carolina. The water levels in lakes and rivers rose significantly and risks of flooding followed across swaths of our state. 

Before removing thousands of dams, NC first has to remove the nation’s largest amphibian, the Eastern Hellbender salamander.

Guests

McKayla Spencer, Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

Lisa Sorg, North Carolina reporter, Inside Climate News 

Zachary Turner, environment reporter at WFAE