Students propel amphibian's win - Press Item

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: THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS (Alabama) 07 April 00 Students propel amphibian's win (Kim Chandler) : Montgomery - The red hills salamander triumphed where the dusky gopher frog failed. : Maybe that's because the frog didn't have a bunch of third graders behind him. : The Alabama Legislature gave final approval Thursday to a bill naming the red hills salamander as the official state amphibian. The federal government lists the salamander as a threatened spe cies because its habitat is disappearing to timber farming. : The critter got its elevated status after lobbying efforts by third-grade classes from Fairhope Elementary School. Teacher Susan Sims started the class project to help students learn both civics and science. : The state, apparently, has never had a most-favored amphibian before this. : Jordan Chason, 9, said he hopes the distinction will encourage people to protect the salamander. : "No one knew about the salamander. I thought it was going to die, and we saved it," he said. : Students in the classes took a field trip to Montgomery to watch the debate, wearing T shirts bearing the likeness of the creature. No sooner had House members cast their ballots than the pint-sized lobbyist set their sights on Gov. Don Siegelman. : "We want him to sign it," Chason said. : The 10-inch, dark-colored sal amander lives in only a few south Alabama counties. And don't try to tell the students he is not the fairest creature of them all. : "I thought the salamander was totally awesome. It has cool colors - red like my favorite football team, the Crimson Tide," said Jordan Ross, 9. : A few years ago, lawmakers drafted a bill naming the gopher frog as the official amphibian. : "We made up buttons and thought it was funny," said Rep. Blaine Galliher, D-Gadsden. "At that time, the speaker didn't see the humor in it." : The frog's bill died. : So lawmakers couldn't resist saying a few words of homage for the frog before the salamander vote, prompting a few jeers from third-graders seated in the gallery, who assumed their beloved salamander was headed for defeat. : "We did that for them. They got a kick out of it," Galliher said. :

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