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SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

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THE MEMO from our E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR ou can hear them long before you see tation, which helps raise funds and increase awareness of them. And those with good noses can smell bats, without disturbing these rather sensitive animals. them, too. I’m talking about the Initial studies indicate that too many Y 8 to 10 million straw-colored COURTESY OF REBECCA HARVEY people might be causing the bats to fruit bats ( Eidolon helvum ) that migrate leave their preferred roosting sites and through Kasanka National Park in northern relocate to alternate areas. This can Zambia each fall in one of the world’s largest sometimes result in overcrowding and mammal migrations. These beautiful bats, too much stress to trees overburdened with the largest wingspan of any African with bats. species, stop in Kasanka for several weeks each Forest loss and fragmentation year to roost and forage in the “mushitu,” or along the bats’ migratory path com - evergreen swamp forest. prise another threat. Many native Four BCI Conservation Leader Circle Zambian forests are being converted members and I visited Kasanka National Park to savanna by poachers and others this past fall as part of an exciting BCI trip to who indiscriminately set fires. southern Africa. We were amazed by the beauty and sheer As part of our growing international focus, BCI is magnitude of the bats of Kasanka. Watching them partnering with Kasanka National Park to help the straw- emerge each evening to forage, then return to the trees in colored fruit bats and their vital ecosystem. Kasanka, with the early (early!) morning, was a spectacular experience. two lodges and two campsites, is entirely reliant on During the 1970s and ’80s, Zambian wildlife suffered tourism and charitable contributions for revenue. BCI’s greatly from heavy poaching, intense bushfires and culti- International Program is awarding a special grant to help vation of lands. The once-numerous black rhinoceros protect Kasanka’s forest roosts from fires and other dis - completely disappeared. Kasanka National Park was not turbances. Some of the important activities the Park is spared. Fortunately, interested parties established the conducting include forest management, such as con - Kasanka Trust, a charitable organization based in Zambia, trolled burns, to prevent widespread devastation from il- the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which admin- legal burns and engaging local communities and schools isters the park – the first national park in Zambia to be in bat education. privately managed. The park and its large mammals have As you will read in this issue, BCI has a long history shown an incredible recovery over the years, but the of protecting bats around the world. We are pleased to be straw-colored fruit bats are the star attraction of this im- initiating this important partnership with Kasanka Na - proving ecosystem. tional Park to help protect the fruit bats. Unfortunately, there are still great challenges. One cur- rent dilemma centers around encouraging increased visi-

Nina Fascione

Protect yourself, your family and bats… By making a lifetime gift to Bat Conservation International, such as a charitable gift annuity, you provide yourself and/or your beneficiaries with dependable income for life. And best of all, your gift will help protect bats for generations to come. To find the charitable gift that best fits your financial goals, visit www.batcon.org/planned Bats_Winter_11rljhrljh4vjjhaeap5rljh2_Layout 1 2/13/12 12:45 PM Page 1

P.O. Box 162603, Austin, Texas 78716 BATS (512) 327-9721 fax: (512) 327-9724 Volume 29, No. 4, WINTER 2011

FEATURES P UBLICATIONS S TAFF Director of Publications: Robert Locke Photo Editor: Meera Banta The Memo Graphic Artist: Jason Huerta Copyeditors: Angela England, Valerie Locke S IRTHDAY BATS welcomes queries from writers. Send your article proposal 2 BCI’ B with a brief outline and a description of any photos to: Three decades of bat conservation [email protected]. by Robert Locke Members: Please send changes of address and all cor res- pondence to the address above or via email to members@bat- BCI Profile: Verne and Marion Read con.org. Please include your label, if possible, and allow six weeks for the change of address. 4 BEGINNINGS Founder: Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle by Merlin D. Tuttle E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR : Nina Fascione 5 BCI Member Profile: Susan Barnard B OARD OF T RUSTEES : Dr. John Hayes, Chair Walter C. Sedgwick, Vice Chair 6 NORTH AMERICAN CONSERVATION Anne-Louise Band, Secretary Evolving to meet new challenges Sandy Read, Treasurer Dr. Cullen Geiselman; Bert Grantges; C. Andrew Mar- The Staggering Struggle Against WNS cus; Bettina Mathis; Dr. Gary F. McCracken; Steven P. 9 Wind, Bats & Giraffes Quarles; Susan Wallace; Marc Weinberger; Joseph Zillo. Honorary Trustees: Sharon R. Forsyth; Elizabeth Ames Jones; Travis Mathis; John D. Mitchell; Wilhelmina 10 EDUCATION Robertson; William Scanlan, Jr. The power of knowledge Verne R. Read, Chairman Emeritus S CIENCE A DVISORY C OMMITTEE : 11 Zuri and Zoey Dr. Gary McCracken (Board Liaison), Dr. Kate Jones, 12 Year of the Bat Dr. Thomas H. Kunz, Dr. Tigga Kingston, Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, Dr. Paul Racey, Dr. Charles Rupprecht. NTERNATIONAL ONSERVATION BCI Science Panel 13 I C Dr. Leslie S. Hall, Dr. Greg Richards, Australia; Dr. Jiri Alliances for bats around the world Gaisler, Czech Republic; Dr. Arnulfo Moreno-Valdez, Mexico; Dr. Herman Limpens, Netherlands; Dr. Armando 14 The Passing of Friends: Elisabeth Kalko Rodriguez-Duran, Puerto Rico; Dr. Shahroukh Mistry, United States; Dr. José R. Ochoa, Venezuela. 15 BCI Staff Profile: Linda Moore Membership Manager: Amy McCartney BATS (ISSN 1049-0043) is published quarterly by Bat Con ser vation International, Inc., a nonprofit corporation 16 Sign Up for a 2012 Workshop supported by tax-deductible contributions used for public ed- ucation, research and conservation of bats and the ecosystems Bats: a Love Story that depend on them. 17 © Bat Conser vation International, 2011. All rights reserved. Member Snapshot Bat Conservation International’s mission is to conserve the The Wish List world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. A subscription to BATS is included with BCI membership: Senior, Student or Educator $30; Basic $35; Friends of BCI $45; Supporting $60; Contributing $100; Patron $250; Sus- taining $500; Leader Circle $1,000. Third-class postage paid at Austin, Texas. Send address changes to Bat Conser vation In- ternational, P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716.

COVER: Bat Conservation International has been protecting bats around the world for three decades. All photos © BCI. Photographers are (clockwise from top left): Elaine Acker, Mark & Selena Kiser, not applicable, Elaine Acker, Chris Anderson, Facebook.com/batcon Twitter.com/BatConIntl Faith Watkins, Merlin D. Tuttle, Merlin D. Tutte, Mark & Selena Kiser, Merlin D. Tuttle (center). Bats_Winter_11rljhrljh4vjjhaeap5rljh2_Layout 1 2/13/12 12:45 PM Page 2

©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 0001202

BCI’BCI’SS BBIRTHDAYIRTHDAY:: ThreeThree decadesdecades ofof batbat conservationconservation by Robert Locke A mother Mexican free-tailed bat hovers protectively over baby bats in BCI’s Bracken Bat Cave. hirty years ago, just about everyone “knew” that Europe and elsewhere. Bats are studied by top scientists and de- bats were loathsome, dangerous, disease-ridden fended by dedicated conservationists. They figure frequently pests of no particular value. Bats were seldom into environmental assessments for land use. Major bat colonies studied,T almost never considered in land-use planning and were are protected in caves across America by bat-friendly gates and frequent victims of senseless vandalism. Oh, and a lot of folks other measures. were convinced they often became entangled in human hair. Organizations, government agencies, working groups, pro- Not surprisingly, bats were in decline almost everywhere. fessional associations and alliances dedicated to bat research and Such were the daunting challenges facing Bat Conservation conservation are at work in almost every U.S. state. Internation- International on March 12, 1982, when it was founded by Mer- ally, such organizations as the Bat Conservation Trust of the lin Tuttle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the first non-government United Kingdom, EUROBATS, the Latin American Network organization in the world devoted exclusively to bats. Merlin for the Conservation of Bats, the Chiroptera Conservation and recalls some skepticism at his prospects for success. “Even con- Information Network for South Asia, the Southeast Asian Bat servationists looked at me like: “Sure, next you’ll try to sell us Conservation and Research Unit cover much of the world. on the virtues of rattlesnakes and cockroaches.’” And, of course, 2011-2012 is, by proclamation of the United How things have changed in three decades. Due in large part Nations, the International Year of the Bat. Hundreds of exciting, to Bat Conservation International, fears and misinformation, educational events are taking place all over the world to celebrate while hardly banished, are far less prevalent in the United States, bats and their value to ecosystems and human economies.

BCI Profile Verne and Marion Read: Essential Friends from Day One very conservation group needs friends like Verne and Marion essential part in all this. I couldn’t have done it without her.” ERead – but few are fortunate enough to have such indispensable The Reads’ commitment to bats began several years before BCI supporters. Verne Read’s inspiration, expertise and generous do- was launched, when the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, couple learned that nations were essential in founding BCI, in moving the organization a colony of bats was living inside the wall of their summer home. from Wisconsin to Texas in 1985, and in achieving many of our Verne discovered that the only person in the area who knew any- greatest successes. It is hard to imagine BCI’s 30 years without thing about bats was “a bright young man named Merlin Tuttle, who these extraordinary friends. had just been made a curator at the Milwaukee Public Museum.” “They listened when no one else heard,” says Founder Merlin Merlin inspected the house, identified a maternity colony of Tuttle. some 2,000 little brown myotis and suggested the Reads were for- “We certainly feel that we’ve benefited from our relationship tunate to be hosting them. “It didn’t take long for him to convince with BCI and with Merlin,” Verne said recently. “Saving the bats of us that bats are worthwhile,” Verne says. the world is one of the most important things you can do. BCI has “That meeting led to our commitment to leave things as they helped people understand why bats are so important, and we are were – and had been for many years – and to help Merlin work very happy to have played a part in it.And Marion has been a very with bats in any way we could.”

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The esteemed bat biologist Paul Racey of the United King- On top of that, tens of thousands of bats are being killed dom recently noted in BATS (Spring 2011): “Through vigorous each year by the spinning turbines of wind-energy sites. With education and outreach, professional-training workshops, on- wind facilities increasing rapidly around the United States and the-ground conservation efforts and systematic scientific re- many parts of the world, this source of green energy could have search, as well as a program of scholarships and grassroots dire consequences for bats unless mitigation strategies developed conservation grants, BCI has had a major impact on both the by BCI and its partners are implemented. protection of bats and the public’s perception of them in the In many places, old threats have grown worse. Bats are being United States and much of the world. BCI also played a key hammered by age-old myths and frequent vandalism. Deforesta- role in helping to create and/or nurture a number of current tion destroys habitat at an alarming rate, subsistence and com- bat-conservation groups in many countries.” mercial hunting take frightful tolls on fruit bats, while improper And how much things remain the same. The challenges are often tourism and guano mining threaten many cave bat populations. different from BCI’s early days, but they are no less daunting. The key point of Paul Racey’s BATS article was this: “Our “We are very proud of all that we have accomplished over work has only begun: Roughly half the landmass of the world these past three decades,” said BCI Executive Director Nina Fas- remains mostly a bat-conservation void. … So in addition to cione, who succeeded Merlin Tuttle following his resignation in marking our accomplishments, we must also acknowledge the 2010 after 28 years at the organization’s helm. “But many of challenge that lies before us and plan the task of filling this void.” the threats that have long plagued bats still remain, especially “As we begin our fourth decade,” Fascione said, “BCI and human ignorance and disappearing habitat. Bats also face heart- all who care about bats must renew and expand our commit- wrenching new threats in North America. And in much of the ment to work together to conserve bats and their habitats world, the idea of conserving bats is still almost unheard of.” around the world.” The devastating disease called White-nose Syndrome has swept across eastern North America, killing millions of bats in ROBERT LOCKE is Director of Publications for Bat Conservation the past six years. Entire species are at imminent risk and re- International. gional extinctions are predicted for the once-common little brown myotis. With mortality rates approaching 100 percent BATS magazine will feature additional articles about BCI pro- at some sites, WNS is the gravest threat ever faced by North grams, partners and members in a special 30th Anniversary section American bats. Solutions remain elusive. of each issue in 2012.

They joined Merlin and BCI Member Paul Cox on a trip to American Samoa, where flying foxes were declining rapidly. That led to a ban on commercial hunting. And at a meeting with the islands’ governor, Verne says, he “suggested the possibility of creating an American national park on the islands, which are U.S. territory.” BCI and the Reads worked to convince the U.S. Congress that the park was vital. As Merlin recalls: “It was Verne Read’s tenacity that led to (preliminary congressional hearings) being held in Samoa in January 1987.” Verne, Merlin and Paul Cox testified for the park, which was eventually approved by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. For his crucial role in establishing this park, Verne received a 1989 national Chevron Conservation Award, which honors those who “represent an unbroken commitment to conservation and symbolize the very best in our society.” Over the decades, Verne and Marion have supported and actively ©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 6024202 worked on many of BCI’s most important projects and programs, from efforts to protect countless bats in mines to the Student Re- Founder Merlin Tuttle (left) and Verne Read (3rd from left) meet search Scholarship Program. They’re still at it: this past October, the with a Samoan leader in about 1986. Reads helped underwrite a Year of the Bat symposium that brought And help they did. BCI leaders and others to the Field Museum in Chicago. When Merlin decided to create Bat Conservation International, Verne and Marion Read’s impact on BCI is beyond measure. Verne and Marion provided the organization’s first donation. Verne So what are they proudest of? “Oh, I think just everything,” helped organize the fledgling nonprofit and became its founding Verne said. “The experiences we had were wonderful, and we board member. He served many years as Chairman of the Board wouldn’t have had them without BCI.” and is now Chairman Emeritus. BCI is a family effort for the Reads: BCI showed them new wonders of nature. Marion recalls a visit son Thomas served on the board and son Sandy is now a Trustee. years ago to an island off Central America. “There were both frogs “We told Merlin we would fund some of his bat trips if we could and frog-eating bats on this island. Merlin said the frogs croaked to go along,” Verne says. Merlin recalls that the Reads weren’t tourists: get a mate. But when they did, the bats would come and eat the they worked tirelessly with him. These trips included a visit to Thai- frogs. So they learned to croak a little less loudly. Isn’t that won- land in 1982 that led to protection for a critical cave-bat colony. derful? I’ve always remembered that.”

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BEGINNINGS by Merlin D. Tuttle

Merlin Tuttle photographs a Gambian epau letted fruit bat (Epomophorus gambianus) in 1986. ©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 1136200

BCI Member Profile

at Conservation International has By 1975, I had become Curator of achieved far more than I ever Mammals at the Milwaukee Public Mu- imagined possible when I created seum. I gave frequent lectures about bats it asB a nights-and-weekends project 30 years ago. and worked with news media often. I It was born out of desperation. Though bats were learned photography in defense of bats and declining precipitously, traditional conservation or- quickly confirmed that a picture is indeed ganizations mostly shunned them as too hopelessly worth a thousand words. As people began unpopular to be helped. In fact, Americans were responding to photos of cute bats catching spending millions of dollars a year to eradicate bats. insect pests and pollinating flowers, I began I had been studying the gray myotis (Myotis to see a glimmer of hope – if only I could grisescens) since 1959, when, as a high school stu- recruit allies. Hence, the founding of Bat dent in Tennessee, I began to trace its annual mi- Conservation International. grations. Twenty years later, the species became the BCI was officially launched on March basis for my Ph.D. dissertation. The 1983 inaugural issue of 12, 1982. Its headquarters were in my of- Over time, it became obvious that the gray my- BCI’s BATS magazine. fice at the Milwaukee Public Museum. otis was tumbling rapidly toward extinction, and Verne Read was founding Trustee. He and the primary threats were human disturbance and vandalism. In his wife Marion have been among BCI’s earliest and most im- 1973, I discovered that the largest colony in my research area – portant supporters through the years. Verne remains Chairman some 250,000 bats in an Alabama cave – had completely disap- Emeritus of BCI’s board. peared. The entrance was scorched by fires, and fireworks debris The first few years were hectic and precarious – but also won- littered the cave floor. Such lethal vandalism was far from an iso- derfully productive. In one exhausting month, I had 21 speaking lated incident. The gray myotis was listed as Endangered in 1976. engagements, 16 of them outside Wisconsin. The few biologists who studied bats were urging government Our first major victory came in 1982, during a visit to Thai- agencies and conservation groups to help, but even the Endan- land. Local monks, at my request, hired a game warden to pro- gered Species listing had little impact. Why be concerned about tect wrinkled-lipped bats (Tadarida plicata) at Khao Chong Pran vermin? Working alone, our impact was limited, and bat-con- cave where poachers were decimating a once-huge colony. The servation funding was almost nonexistent. protected colony grew dramatically, and by 2002, the monks

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were earning $135,000 a year from sales of guano for fertilizer. underside of the bridge during renovations a few years earlier. The bats are now a major tourist attraction. Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) were moving That first year also saw BCI’s first publication: “Bats and Pub- in by the hundreds of thousands. Fearful citizens wanted the bats lic Health.” This peer-reviewed scientific paper refuted myths eradicated. Then we came to town and began educating Aus- about bats and rabies and provided the latest information for tinites about the value of their bats. Austin learned to love its medical professionals. It was distributed to every state health de- bridge bats – and so did thousands of tourists who visit every partment in the United States. summer to see them. In 1983, we partnered with the State of Florida and The Na- BCI, with members in more than 60 countries, is still based ture Conservancy to gain permanent protection for Judges Cave, in Austin. home to one of Florida’s most important nursery colonies of gray So that was BCI’s beginning. I am very proud of what we’ve myotis. This was the first of many fruitful partnerships BCI accomplished: a national park to protect flying foxes and their would forge with government, industry and conservationists rainforest in American Samoa; countless bat colonies protected around the world. It was also the first of hundreds of bat caves around the world; workshops that have prepared more than and thousands of bat sanctuaries in abandoned mines that would 1,000 biologists, conservationists and educators for bat research be protected through our efforts. and conservation; scholarships that have supported critical con- Due to widespread hatred of bats, we had to learn extraordi- servation research and nurtured hundreds of young scientists in nary diplomacy, avoid needless confrontation and convert ene- 60 countries; Global Grassroots Conservation Fund grants that mies into allies. That approach has served BCI well. helped fund conservation worldwide; and much, much more. We also published the first issue of BATS, our magazine for But most importantly, Bat Conservation International has members, in November 1983. It was then a four-page newsletter. made enormous progress in transforming once-poisonous public And we had fewer than 200 members to send it to. perceptions of bats into a growing appreciation for the ecological With essential support from Verne and Marion Read, BCI and economic importance of these incredible creatures. Huge moved to Austin, Texas, in 1986, a city that was then generating problems remain, but BCI has proven repeatedly that it is up to more negative publicity about bats than any other place in Amer- the challenges ahead, thanks to our dedicated and generous ica. The Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin had be- members, colleagues and other partners – people who are liter- come a near-perfect bat roost when crevices were created in the ally changing the world.

BCI Member Profile Susan Barnard: Caring for Bats and BCI house painter showed up at the Zoo Atlanta reptile house in folks seemed to need help with bats. A1982 with a box of tiny, squirming animals that he had found. Susan wrote her first book on caring for bats in the late 1980s “The curator of the Georgia zoo wanted a volunteer to take care and has since published a popular four-volume Bats in Captivity se- of these things,” recalls herpetologist Susan Barnard. “I looked in ries. She founded the nonprofit Basically Bats Wildlife Conservation the box, and there were a lot of these little squiggly things in there. Society in 1992 for her rehabilitation efforts. Along the way, she I thought, ‘Ewww! These are bats. Not frequently told the story of bats to schoolchildren and adults me.’” But she ended up taking the or- around the region. Of education and conservation, she says, “It all phaned bat pups home after all. goes together. You really can’t do one without the other.” That’s how Susan Barnard became Susan stuck with BCI through all these years largely because quite possibly the first bat rehabilitator in “if you’re going to work with bats, it’s very important to stay in the United States. It’s also how she came touch with what’s going on in the world of bats. And BCI does a to meet the head of a tiny organization very good job with that, especially with BATS magazine. Some of that almost no one had ever heard of: Bat the people that I contacted after they were mentioned in BATS

©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 8036111 Conservation International. magazine, I’m still friends with today.” In August 1982, Merlin Tuttle visited Now 76 years old and retired in Florida, Susan said she’s en- Barnard. Who called whom is lost in the thusiastic about BCI’s future. “I happen to know Nina (Executive mists of time, but by the time he left, Director Nina Fascione). I met her a long, long time ago, and I was Merlin had photographed her bats and very pleased to see Nina step in when Merlin stepped down.” Susan had become BCI Member Number Asked what she tells people about how they can benefit by 66, as she is to this day. joining BCI, Susan said, “That’s not what it’s about. It should be, Susan taught herself how to care for ‘What can I do for BCI and bats?’” bats. Ultimately, only one of the baby bats Susan was there when BCI needed her. An elementary school survived: a female named Egore, who in Sandersville, Georgia, was in a panic after bats “invaded” their lived with Susan for 9½ years. “I wrote a lunchroom in 1990, so we contacted Susan. She went to the com- Bat Rehabilitator Susan story about her that was published in An- munity and gave presentations about bats to children and parents Barnard, one of BCI’s imal Keepers Forum. From that point on, at four schools. The bats were safely excluded, the children returned first members, watches things just took off as people heard about to their cafeteria and everyone seemed to have more appreciation Egore the bat in the this woman who will take care of bats if for bats. Her efforts drew positive statewide news media attention. early 1980s. you find one on the ground.” A lot of That’s the impact that a single dedicated BCI member can have.

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NNORTHORTH AAMERICANMERICAN CCONSERVATIONONSERVATION Building a huge, bat- EvolvingEvolving toto meetmeet newnew challengeschallenges friendly gate at Hubbards Cave in 1985.

ndangered gray myotis, along with seven other bat The gate was completed in 1985, and the impact was aston- species, had long found refuge each winter in Hub- ishing. By 2006, when the gate was replaced with an updated bards Cave in central Tennessee. As many as design, biologists counted some 520,300 gray myotis in Hub- 250,000E of the beleaguered gray myotis hibernated there in bards Cave. 1970. But the Cumberland Mountains cave, with miles of dra- Today, more than 90 percent of gray myotis, which range matic passages and chambers, also drew many adventurous from Missouri to West Virginia and as far south as Alabama, cavers who were inadvertently disturbing the hibernating bats. hibernate in just nine caves during the winter. BCI has worked By the winter of 1984, just 88,000 gray myotis remained in over the decades to identify and protect crucial caves used by this critical hibernation site. Then a remarkable coalition of the species in winter and summer and to educate landowners, partners joined together to build by far the largest bat-friendly officials and others about the values and conservation needs of gate ever attempted to that time. gray myotis. By 2005, the gray myotis populations had recov- BCI and Bob Currie, a tireless bat advocate at the U.S. Fish ered to the point that the species seemed likely to graduate off and Wildlife Service, helped convince The Nature Conser- the Endangered Species List. vancy’s Tennessee Chapter to purchase the cave. TNC, with the The Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis), listed as endangered in support of BCI, Currie and Roy Powers of the American Cave 1967, presented a different problem. Once among the most Conservation Association, organized the project. The Rich- abundant mammals in North America, its numbers kept falling, mond Area Speleological Society funded the gate and Mid-State with just 380,000 survivors remaining in 2001 – despite gates Steel Corporation donated materials. The Tennessee National and other protection at key caves. Guard built a mile-long road to the cave. Volunteers from the Research led by BCI demonstrated that the Indiana myotis National Speleological Society gathered from five states to build required a very narrow and stable temperature range for its hi- the great gate – 35 feet (10.5 meters) tall, 35 feet (10.5 meters) bernation sites: approximately 37-43 degrees F (3-6 degrees C). wide and containing 105 tons of steel and concrete. Our study showed that many once-crowded hibernation

©VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT The Staggering Struggle Against WNS hite-nose Syndrome has transformed bat conservation and BCI launched an Wresearch for BCI and everyone else who’s working with bats early effort to deal with in North America. WNS’ staggering impact is so overwhelming that WNS. The fungus now little time or money is left for other perils, especially in the eastern called Geomyces destruc- states and provinces. In the West, where the disease has not yet ap- tans and confirmed as peared, scientists and conservationists are preparing for the worst. the cause, was first noted The disease has killed millions of bats in 17 U.S. states and 4 on bats in Howes Cave A victim of WNS in Vermont. Canadian provinces in the past six years, and scientists predict the in New York in February regional extinction of once-common little brown myotis in the 2006. Dead bats were discovered at a nearby cave a year later and northeastern U.S. The previously promising recoveries of endan- then, in 2008, thousands of bat carcasses were found at caves in Ver- gered Indiana and gray myotis, which BCI and its partners worked mont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. WNS was on the move. for decades to protect, are in jeopardy. And at least 25 bat species BCI was the primary funder and a key organizer of the first Sci- are at imminent risk. ence Strategy Meeting on WNS in 2008. We also established a WNS

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caves had been modified by mining and/or tourism in ways that inally attracted so many hibernating bats. By 2007, some 7,000 altered airflows and changed temperatures enough to make Indiana myotis were hibernating at Saltpetre Cave each winter, them unsuitable for Indiana myotis. Many bat caves were heav- confirming the potential of cave restoration. ily mined in the 18th and 19th centuries for saltpeter, an essen- BCI launched its Appalachian Saltpeter Caves Project in tial ingredient of the gunpowder used until the late 1800s. 2005 to locate and survey caves that were known, by name or Guano is rich in saltpeter. The miners typically dug new en- local history, as “saltpeter caves.” A number of sites were quickly trances and passageways and blocked existing ones. identified as promising prospects for restoration. The Indiana Based on these findings, the key to Indiana myotis recovery myotis was beginning to recover, albeit slowly. had to be locating caves that were once packed with the hiber- Then White-nose Syndrome appeared in New York’s Howes nating bats, then identifying historic changes and undoing them Cave in February 2006. The alarm was sounded the following to restore conditions required by the species. year, and this devastating disease has been spreading across east- In 2005, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Indiana Bat Recovery ern North America and beyond ever since. Indiana myotis al- program made restoration of hibernation caves its top priority. ready is among the six species being hammered by WNS, and Saltpetre Cave in Kentucky’s Carter Caves State Resort Park gray myotis have been confirmed with the fungus that causes is the prime example. Extensive roost stains were discovered on it. BCI and its partners and colleagues are redoubling their ef- the cave’s ceiling in 1998, indicating that bats – apparently hun- forts to protect the recoveries of both these species in the face dreds of thousands of them – hibernated there, probably more of this new threat, even as other once-common species face the than a century ago. Only a few dozen Indiana myotis remained. real possibility of being listed as endangered. Winter tours of the cave were halted that year, and the bat Entering hibernation caves is generally discouraged now, population began to rebound. More dramatically, though, BCI given the risks of inadvertently spreading the WNS fungus to Caves Coordinator Jim Kennedy worked with partners and vol- new sites and of disturbing already infected bats. unteers to begin restoring the historic conditions that had orig- BCI continues its varied conservation efforts around North

©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 0030326 ©MICHAEL BAKER, BCI / 0047233 (Left) Biologists survey the recovery of gray myotis at Hubbards Cave, Tennessee, in 2006. (Right) David Redell of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources inspects an advanced remote- monitoring system (GateKeeper) at Wyandotte Cave in Indiana in 2010.

Emergency Response Fund, which awarded six grants to jump-start gressional committees, and both Fascione and Founder Merlin Tuttle research while awaiting federal grants or other funds. have testified at hearings. At critical points in the funding process, We are still an organizing partner for the annual WNS science BCI members responded dramatically to requests that they urge meetings, and we have awarded grants totaling $128,671 for WNS senators and representatives to support WNS-response efforts. research. BCI biologists, meanwhile, are working with partners to White-nose Syndrome is an unprecedented crisis. Yet there is install and test innovative remote-monitoring technology to provide cause for optimism. The work that BCI began 30 years ago is paying an early-warning system for WNS. off today. Imagine if this disease had arrived a few decades ago, when Under the leadership of Conservation Programs Manager Mylea BCI was a small and rather lonely voice for these creatures. Bats Bayless, we are participating in a broad state and federal effort to were rarely studied and intensely feared by a public that knew noth- implement a coordinated national response plan for WNS. ing of their benefits. The mere presence of bats provoked panic. Executive Director Nina Fascione and other staff members fre- Things are very different today. Eminent scientists delved quickly quently explain the facts and impacts about WNS in media inter- into the White-nose mystery and have learned much about the dis- views and presentations around the country. BCI joined with other ease. Government agencies, universities and many organizations are organizations to educate members of Congress about WNS and the mobilized to face this threat and plan the post-WNS recovery. urgent need for federal funding. We submitted testimony to con- These beleaguered bats now have many allies.

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©MARK & SELENA KISER, BCI / 9152102 ©DAVE WALDIEN, BCI / 0044924 (Left) Mexican free-tailed bats swarm around a very successful bat house in Louisiana in 1999. (Right) Western Subterranean Coordinator Jason Corbett examines an abandoned mine for bat use in 2008.

America, but the enormous peril of WNS dominates our work. BCI guidelines exceeded 80 percent by the time the project was Meanwhile, another major threat to bats caught BCI’s atten- phased out in 2004. Today, bat houses are found on private and tion in 2003: bats were being killed in alarming numbers by the public property around the U.S. and in many other countries. spinning blades of turbines at wind-energy facilities. They’ve won an enthusiastic following among farmers, especially BCI joined with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Amer- organic growers. BCI also designed and promoted “tower roosts,” ican Wind Energy Association and the National Renewable En- essentially artificial hollow trees, and oversized community bat ergy Laboratory that year to create the Bats and Wind Energy houses that can shelter tens of thousands of bats. Cooperative, an alliance of state and federal agencies, private in- During the 1990s, BCI acquired and began its continuing dustry and others committed to minimizing those deaths. stewardship of Bracken Bat Cave, summer home to the world’s BWEC scientists, led by BCI’s Ed Arnett, documented wind- largest bat colony. Millions of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida energy’s frightful toll on bats – now estimated at several hundred brasiliensis) migrate north from Mexico each spring to give birth thousand per year. In 2010, the researchers demonstrated that and raise their pups in the Central Texas cave on the outskirts of “curtailing” wind turbines (essentially shutting them down tem- San Antonio. Protecting these bats is a great responsibility. porarily) on low-wind nights when bats are migrating can reduce The cave mouth and five surrounding acres (two hectares) fatalities by up to 93 percent, at a cost of less than 1 percent of were purchased in 1992, thanks to a grant from the Ewing annual energy production. Halsell Foundation, which also joined with Lennox and Benefi- BWEC also reported promising results with acoustic deter- cia Foundations to help BCI increase its Bracken holdings in rents. The devices, designed by Deaton Engineering, emit high- 1997. The final step, which created a buffer zone totaling 697 frequency sounds designed to confuse bats’ echolocation to the acres (282 hectares) around the cave, was taken in 2003, with point that they avoid the area. The task now is to refine both pro- funding from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, Brown cedures and win industry acceptance for them. Foundation and W.E. Robertson Fund. Winning acceptance for new, bat-friendly approaches is al- The evening emergence of millions of bats, spiraling out of ways a challenge. BCI’s North American Bat House Research the cave in a huge vortex accompanied by the soft sounds of Project met such a challenge in dramatic fashion through re- countless flapping wings, is an awesome sight – and an un- search and education in the 1990s. equaled educational moment. Thousands of BCI members, Before the program began in 1993, most bat houses were guests and others have witnessed this awesome spectacle. We are small, unpainted, mounted in shady locations and had wide working to improve the educational value of the cave, return the roost chambers. By and large, they were not particularly attrac- rugged landscape to a more natural state and ensure protection tive to bats. BCI analyzed success rates for existing bat houses and reliable water for the bats and other wildlife that live there. and quickly determined that bats prefer their artificial roosts to Much of BCI’s early conservation work in North America fo- be larger, painted, mounted in full sun and to provide ¾-inch cused on Eastern and Midwestern states, where great bat colonies (19-millimeter) roosting chambers. roost or hibernate together. Gating a single major cave or aban- The findings were published that year in the first edition of doned mine protects tens, even hundreds of thousands of bats. the still-popular Bat House Builder’s Handbook. The Bat House BCI moved strongly into the American West in 1994, with Research Project spent the next 10 years refining bat-house de- its new Bats and Mines Project, a joint effort with the U.S. Bu- signs and expanding the initial results. Some 7,000 volunteer reau of Land Management. Western states presented very differ- Research Associates erected bat houses and reported their annual ent problems: thousands of abandoned mines and diggings were results to BCI for analysis. scattered around the sprawling, semiarid countryside with vast Occupancy rates for houses built and installed according to expanses of public lands and private holdings.

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Wind, Bats & Giraffes Many of these derelict old mines provide sanctu- aries for species such as Townsend’s big-eared bat by Michael Schirmacher (Corynorhinus townsendii). But most bats form much ©MICHAEL SCHIRMACHER, BCI / 0047717 smaller colonies than their eastern cousins. Townsend’s colonies, for instance, rarely exceed 150 animals. With the exception of the Mexican freetails, conserving bats in the West required a new approach. Old mines are often hazardous to the public, so closing them is frequently a priority for public and private landowners. Just bulldozing the entrance shut can leave trapped bat colonies to die in the dark. The challenge is to discover which mines are used by bats and how best to keep people out while allowing the bats to come and go. The “landscape-level” strategy that evolved for the region, embodied now in the Western Subter- ranean Program, approaches bat conservation at a broader geographic scale by identifying and protect- ing mines and caves that are most critical for main- Michael Schirmacher installs a bat detector atop a wind turbine in Texas. taining healthy bat populations throughout an BCI Biologist Michael Schirmacher reflects on a day in the field: entire region. s I clipped onto the 270-foot (82-meter) safety cable that runs to the top That, of course, means long hikes across very Aof the wind-power turbine’s metal shaft, I performed a mental equipment rugged country and spending a great deal of time check: “Helmet…gloves…harness…lanyards…safety glasses…radio…water- dangling from ropes or squeezing through passages proof case with ultrasonic detector, check.” Then the sounds of the aluminum in old mines to look for evidence of bats. Then it re- ladder echoed throughout the structure as my steel-toed boots took their first quires the expertise to determine the best method for step toward the top. closing the hole to ensure both people and bats are The height of a modern wind turbine is about the same as a 17-story office protected. building – or 15 giraffes. (Those are the kinds of things you think of as you climb.) This was climb number one of a planned total of 87. I wasn’t looking forward to BCI and an impressive array of federal, state, facing July temperatures in Pennsylvania and Texas, our two study locations. local and private partners have surveyed thousands The reason for this ascent was to install bat detectors at the top of the tur- of old mining features and protected hundreds that bine for a study of possible links between bat activity and bat fatalities at wind- are used by bats. Led by Program Coordinator Jason energy sites. This collaboration between BCI and the U.S. Geological Survey is Corbett, that work continues across the West. aimed at reducing wind energy’s toll on bats. So does the effort to ensure another key part of With sweat dripping onto the turbine’s metal grates, I paused to catch my the bat-conservation challenge in the West: ensuring breath at the first of three decks inside the structure. As I rested, I considered safe and available water for bats in an arid land. why I was climbing this enormous turbine. And I couldn’t help thinking that I Since 2004, BCI’s Water for Wildlife Program has should pick up the pace: wind-related bat fatalities for 2010 are estimated in the used research, education and workshops to help hundreds of thousands. A single little brown myotis can eat almost 1,000 insects ranchers and land managers improve water supplies, in one hour. Trying to calculate the number of insects consumed by all the world’s bats can make you dizzy, so I skipped the calculations and resumed my climb. especially those originally built for livestock. By such As I climbed, I thought of how far we’ve come since 2003, when an unprece- simple actions as removing obstructions along flight dented number of bat fatalities were discovered at a wind-energy site. Over the paths and adding escape ramps, countless bats across years, we’ve worked with a number of wind-energy developers who have al- the West are now enjoying a safe drink of water. lowed us to conduct research at their sites and publicly disseminate our findings. BCI’s fundamental goal remains unchanged after But we still have work to do in convincing the wind-energy industry to adopt three decades: We are still working tirelessly to con- strategies that have been proven to reduce bat fatalities. serve the world’s bats and their habitats. But our About 40 minutes later, I finally made it to the top. I climbed up through the strategies and tools have changed dramatically over yaw deck and opened the hatch to enjoy the breeze and view – only to find the the years. Even as we make progress against old reason for my climb: a dead bat was on the top of the turbine itself. threats, we find ourselves facing new challenges that Site managers had told me about the rare occurrence of a bat being found demand urgent action. atop the turbine, rather than on the ground, but this was the first time I had seen it myself. I documented the fatality and installed my equipment, hopeful White-nose Syndrome has refocused bat conser- that it might one day help reduce the deaths of these bats. I double-checked the vation in the United States and Canada. Climate bat detector, then checked it a third time before starting the climb back down. change promises a host of new perils. And who I still had 86 turbines to go and I couldn’t help thinking: “That’s a lot of giraffes knows what other threats bats will face in the years yet to climb.” But, for me at least, it’s worth it. ahead? Yet Bat Conservation International, buoyed by dedicated members, partners and friends, will (Special thanks to field technician Katrina Smith who, was instrumental in this project evolve, as it has in the past, to meet the challenges and climbed her fair share of turbines.) of the future.

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EEDUCATIONDUCATION TheThe powerpower ofof knowledgeknowledge

©CARRIE ROBERTSON, BCI / 0010270

©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 0020334 Crowds gather each summer night to watch the bats emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, where (right) BCI intern Tammy Prestwood talks to a young bat enthusiast in 2003.

at Conservation International moved to Austin, BCI’s success has been Texas, in 1986, largely because many Austin cit- built. izens – panicked by the harmful myths that From the earliest haveB plagued bats for generations – were demanding the eradi- days, Tuttle and other cation of what’s now the largest urban bat colony in America. BCI staff have ad- When the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin was dressed public and pro- renovated in 1980, engineers inadvertently created an ideal bat fessional audiences, sat roost by adding a series of long, thin joints along the underside for interviews with of the bridge. Bats by the hundreds of thousands discovered the print and broadcast journalists and testified before congressional joys of those cozy crevices and moved in each summer. committees at almost every opportunity. That practice is being “Mass Fear in the Air as Bats Invade Austin,” screamed a enthusiastically continued today by Executive Director Nina newspaper headline of the time. A public-health crisis was de- Fascione. clared, and citizens demanded action, preferably lethal. The sheer novelty of an organization’s concern about bats Then Founder Merlin Tuttle moved BCI from Wisconsin led, at least in part, to a front-page article in the Wall Street Jour- to Austin. He and his tiny staff launched a vigorous public- nal on October 27, 1983. One of the first positive stories about education campaign, meeting with media, community groups, bats ever to appear in a national newspaper, the article sparked schoolchildren and city leaders. BCI gradually convinced a modest jump in BCI memberships. Austinites that they have little to fear and much to gain from A big factor in winning acceptance for bats is the photogra- the insect-eating Mexican free-tailed bats in their midst. phy that has come to characterize BCI. Tuttle, asked by the Not only did the bridge bats survive, but today they attract National Geographic Society to write a chapter on bats for a tens of thousands of visitors each summer to watch their evening wildlife book, says he was appalled by the bat images planned emergences. Austinites are proud of the 1.5 million bridge bats for the book. In photos obviously taken of roughly handled and delighted that they eat some 20,000 pounds of insects each animals, the bats had their lips drawn back into a wicked-looking summer night. The city bills itself as the Bat Capital of America. snarl of bared teeth – “a posture bats display only in self-defense.” Such is the power of education, of dispelling myths and So Tuttle taught himself photography. He became an award- proving benefits. That is the foundation on which much of winning wildlife photographer whose photos showed gentle,

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often cute, animals in repose, or chasing insects, pollinating plants and generally improving the world. The difference was dramatic. Zuri and Zoey BCI has produced a long list of brochures and other publications aimed at educating the public about bats. The first major effort was The So that’s what bats look like Most Famous Bat in the World booklet, produced in 1984 by Bacardi Im- ports, an early BCI supporter, that features a stylized fruit bat as its trade- ©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 8774104 mark. We have since distributed many thousands of Exploring the Secret World of Bats brochures and Important Bat Facts cards, plus a wide range of other posters and handouts. Those efforts are greatly bolstered by many of BCI’s dedicated mem- bers, such as Todd Austin of Illinois, Bonnie Miles of Virginia, Laura Finn of Florida and many others, who give frequent presentations, often using BCI’s popular audiovisual programs. Under Education Director James Eggers, we are developing a Speak- ers’ Bureau to connect qualified volunteers with those seeking bat pre- sentations and to train docents to provide information at the Congress Avenue Bridge and BCI’s fabled Bracken Bat Cave, the San Antonio-area summer home of the world’s largest bat colony. Eggers is especially busy now as he leads BCI’s role as a Founding Partner for the United Nations-declared International Year of the Bat in Merlin Tuttle with Zuri in 1988. 2011-12. He is helping partners around the United States and elsewhere to organize and conduct educational events for this very special time. uri was a star. Gentle, playful and wonderfully cute, BCI also provides Year of the Bat materials, which can be downloaded Zthis little fruit bat from Africa spent nine years as from our website, for these celebrations. an endearing antidote to the notion that bats are A major partner this year, and into the future, is the Association of snarling and dangerous flying rats. As BCI’s “bat ambas- Zoos and Aquariums. As a member of the AZA Year of the Bat Com- sador,” Zuri appeared with Founder Merlin Tuttle at mittee, Eggers is planning and coordinating a wide range of events, in- countless public events, lectures, school visits and TV reports, including featured spots on The Tonight Show cluding a traveling bat-education program. The committee’s goal is to and The Late Show with David Letterman. This affable bat reach 50 million people worldwide during Year of the Bat. always enchanted its audiences. Meanwhile, BCI’s website – a word that, like the Internet, did not Zuri was one of several adult straw-colored fruit exist 30 years ago – provides a treasure trove of information on all aspects bats (Eidolon helvum) that Tuttle captured during a 1984 of bats and Bat Conservation International. An especially popular section trip to Kenya and brought back to the United States. of batcon.org is the Kidz Cave, packed with entertaining games, quizzes Most went to zoos, but Zuri stayed with BCI. Photos and activities that aim the story of bats at youngsters. from those years show Zuri nestled upside down in BCI’s education efforts have always included children. Classroom Tuttle’s hands as fascinated children and adults crowd talks and workshops for teachers, supported by such teacher-approved close to see what a bat really looks like. packages as Discover Bats! and the Educator’s Activity Book About Bats, Simply seeing a bat up close for the first time can have helped take the flying mammals into countless classrooms. have a remarkable impact. The surprise is often evident on people’s faces, and you can almost see preconcep- Where once BCI educators visited classrooms of 30 or so students, tions being swept away. That explains much of the value Outreach Associate Dianne Odegard, accompanied by live bats, recently of Tuttle’s carefully crafted photos of the world’s bats. gave a dose of interactive bat education to 6,363 students in 194 class- In fact, the first U.S. postage stamps to feature bats rooms scattered across nine states from California to New York in a single were issued after BCI member Carol Adams of Medina, day. Internet-based “distance learning,” sponsored by the Texas Wildlife Texas, met Virginia Noelke, chair of the Postal Service’s Association, U.S. Forest Service, Prince William Network and others, Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, at a dinner party. magnifies our voice dramatically. She showed Noelke a BCI poster covered with striking Kids seem to have a natural affinity for bats. Checks for small amounts pictures of bats. Two years later, in 2002, four first-class appear occasionally in BCI’s mail from youngsters’ fund-raising efforts. stamps bearing Tuttle’s photos were released. When the host of an outdoors-survival program on TV demonstrated an Zuri, meanwhile, retired from public life in 1993. especially unsavory method of killing bats with a torch and a club, class- He died in 2009 in Austin, 25 years after he came to America as an adult. The role of BCI bat ambassador rooms, such as Laura Wright’s students at Eanes Elementary School, re- is now ably filled by Zoey. She was born in 1991, the sponded with outrage – and letters. “My question is: Why, why why?” daughter of another of the fruit bats from Kenya. wrote one student. “I think you should come to Austin and meet a real Zoey, along with ZuZu, another offspring of the bat that is not being swatted and killed. I still can’t believe you did that.” original bats, now lives in a flight cage in the backyard Building a public constituency for bat conservation is essential, but of BCI Outreach Associate Dianne Odegard. ZuZu is we also need professional biologists and wildlife managers with the skills ailing, but Zoey is often on the road, enchanting the to study bats and implement conservation. BCI’s field-training work- public with her antics just as her predecessor did for shops and Student Research Scholarship Program go a long way toward so many years. meeting those needs.

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Nina Fascione, who became BCI’s Executive Director in grams, to provide field training for biologists, conservationists March 2010, attended the very first BCI workshop in Toronto, and students in a growing number of Latin American countries. Canada, in 1989. Our current program began in 1991. Since Many workshop graduates have gone on to productive ca- then, we have provided intensive, hands-on training to more than reers and leadership positions in bat research and conservation. 1,560 professionals and very dedicated amateurs at bat-rich sites One recent participant summed up the experience: “Created in Arizona, California, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. great enthusiasm for bats and to go forth and educate!” With White-nose Syndrome now devastating bat populations BCI’s first scholarship went to Surapon Duangkhae, a grad- across nearly half the continent, current workshops stress decon- uate student at Mahidol University in Thailand, in 1986. Since tamination procedures for preventing human spread of the WNS then, BCI’s Student Research Scholarship Program has awarded fungus. And new workshops educate biologists in Advanced Cap- 310 scholarships totaling about $790,000 for conservation-re- ture Techniques, including those that do not require disturbing lated bat studies in 60 countries. bat roosts or handling animals. This investment has not only produced a wealth of new BCI conducts frequent workshops on cave- and mine-gating knowledge about bats around the world, but it has also encour- procedures and ensuring water sources are safe and available for aged and nurtured many promising young scientists whose bats. The workshops have also been adapted, in collaboration commitment will carry bat conservation and research well into with local partners and the U.S. Forest Service International Pro- the future. Year of the Bat The world celebrates flying mammals

s Bat Conservation International celebrates its 30th anniver- “The Year of the Bat offers perhaps the best opportunity we’ve Asary, the whole world is celebrating bats. The United Nations ever had to build partnerships, expand education and support con- Environment Programme officially declared 2011-2012 as Interna- servation in the field, both in the United States and internationally,” tional Year of the Bat. And BCI, as a Founding Partner, is playing a Eggers said. “And we are doing everything in our power to take key role in supporting bat-awareness events in the United States full advantage of it.” and around the world. The Year of the Bat offers an unprecedented To find Year of the Bat events near you or for help in develop- opportunity to educate millions of people about the benefits of ing your celebration, visit www.batcon.org/yotb. bats and the threats they face. This past year saw lectures, conferences, bat watching and more than two dozen other events around North America, from Moodus, Connecticut to Portland, Oregon. Dozens more are planned this year. Europe’s 15-year-old Bat Night expanded in the United States and elsewhere last August 27, and the first Interna- tional Bat Appreciation Week begins April 9, with U.S. events co- ordinated by BCI. More than 50 organizations and individuals have signed on as BCI’s Year of the Bat partners and more are joining each week. BCI Education Director James Eggers leads our Year of the Bat efforts, making frequent presentations and helping partners around the United States and elsewhere to organize educational events. BCI is providing materials for Year of the Bat celebrations. These may be downloaded without charge from BCI’s website (www.bat- con.org/yotb), where you’ll also find a fast-growing list of events around the United States and elsewhere. A major partner for Year of the Bat and into the future is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Eggers serves on AZA’s Year of the Bat Committee, which is planning and coordinating a wide range of events, including symposia, live broadcasts, webinars, and a traveling education program. BCI will host the official AZA Year of the Bat committee’s webpage. The committee’s goal is to get its positive message about bats to millions this year.

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©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 0042297 IINTERNATIONALNTERNATIONAL CCONSERVATIONONSERVATION AlliancesAlliances forfor batsbats aroundaround thethe worldworld

A BCI Borderlands research team, led by BCI Science Panel member Arnulfo Moreno (center), surveys Anteojo Cave in Mexico. he seeds of a powerful new concept for international programs in Bolivia and Venezuela. PCMM and its leaders have bat conservation were planted in 1994, when BCI been recognized with the Whitley Award, the Rolex Award, Mex- and the Instituto de Ecología of the National Au- icos National Conservation Award and the recent BBVA Award tonomousT University of Mexico (UNAM) created the Program for Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America, which incudes for the Conservation of Migratory Bats (PCMM). a 250,000 Euro ($318,000) prize. The initial goal was to protect millions of cave-dwelling Mex- Medellín and PCMM and others created RELCOM, the ican free-tailed bats that spend their winters in Mexico and sum- Latin American Bat Research Network that was launched in mers in the United States. These bats, with enormous appetites 2007. It includes bat-oriented organizations in 14 countries from for destructive insects, provide major economic benefits to farm- Mexico to Argentina, a vast region with more than 380 bat ers in both countries. And they faced lethal threats on both sides species. Most of these groups are modeled after PCMM. of the border. Border-crossing pollinators – the nectar-feeding RELCOM identified the top threats found throughout the lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) and Mexican region as habitat loss, roost destruction, human-bat conflicts, long-nosed bats (L. nivalis) – were soon added to the program. emerging infectious diseases and indiscriminate use of pesticides BCI had been addressing specific international issues (in and other toxins, and agreed to specific objectives and goals in Thailand, India, Australia and elsewhere) since its founding in meeting them. RELCOM demonstrates the power of coopera- 1982, but PCMM was the first effort to establish a continuing tive, continent-wide bat conservation with shared priorities and bat-conservation movement outside the United States and built goals grounded in the priorities of local leaders. on a foundation of local leadership. PCMM demonstrated the Capacity-building – encouraging local conservationists to de- value of supporting local leaders with the proven ability to con- velop their own self-sustaining programs through training, nur- duct effective conservation based on their own perspectives. turing and initial support – often provides not only quick With support from BCI and the leadership of UNAM biol- achievements, but also carries bat conservation into the future. ogist Rodrigo Medellín (a member of BCI’s current Science Ad- In 2009, BCI’s Bats of Latin America and the Caribbean Pro- visory Committee), the international team combined research, gram began, with a commitment to expand bat conservation education and conservation efforts to achieve significant progress. throughout this vast region by forging partnerships and encour- After years of work, one of Mexico’s largest bat caves, Cueva aging sustainable bat-conservation communities. de la Boca, was designated as a protected natural area. Through A key component of the program, which also includes re- collaborative efforts, the cave’s battered bat population re- search and public education, is a series of workshops produced bounded from 100,000 to well over 2 million by 2005. Educator with support from the U.S. Forest Service International Programs Laura Navarro, meanwhile, produced a series of bilingual chil- and many local partners. This is a region of remarkable diversity, dren’s books about bats. Speakers and educational materials were with nearly 30 percent of the world’s bat species. Yet these bats provided to schools and community groups, and bat-focused face grave threats ranging from deforestation to vandalism, and radio programs were broadcast around the country. many areas have no local experts on bat research and conserva- Over the years, PCMM evolved – with occasional twists and tion. Students with an interest in bats often have nowhere to turn turns – into a robust, independent organization whose mission for training, advice and support. grew to include all of the roughly 140 bat species in Mexico. It Spanish-language workshops in Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay won widespread support from government agencies, universities and Colombia have taught the latest research and conservation and conservation organizations and led to the founding of similar techniques to scores of biologists and conservationists from

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around the region. Participants also build formal and informal here? Who can I tap to do research or tell me where to start?” networks for sharing information and advice. And many newly She had come to the right place. BCI Founder Merlin Tuttle empowered participants return home to launch their own bat- and Dave Waldien, now Vice President for Operations and In- conservation projects and organizations. ternational Programs, spent 10 hectic days on the island. They The Latin American effort was boosted in 2011, when its surveyed Monfort Cave and estimated it was overflowing with Wings Across America project won a $100,000 grant from Dis- about 1.8 million bats – the largest known colony of Geoffroy’s ney Friends for Change, thanks to the many BCI members and rousette fruit bats. They also visited other major caves in the area friends who supported it through an online voting competition. and found barely 2,000 bats total, despite evidence that hun- BCI’s experience in cultivating homegrown conservation paid dreds of thousands once roosted in the caves. They also found off in February 2006, when an email appeared from Norma evidence of hunting: clubs, snares, torches and nets. Monfort, whose family had for generations protected a colony Monfort’s cave, guarded around the clock, clearly was a refuge of Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats (Rousettus amplexicaudatus) in a of last resort for these fruit bats, which are vital pollinators and cave on Samal Island in the Philippines. Monfort said she faced seed dispersers for many trees, including such economically im- losing the cave under new government regulations and feared portant fruit-producers as durian. the bats might be devastated by unregulated hunting. Thus began a remarkably productive and still-expanding BCI “My concern is simple,” she wrote. “Where do I go from partnership with Norma Monfort and many of the Philippines’

The Passing of Friends Elisabeth Kalko by Rachel Page

e lost an extraordinary member of the bat-research com- continents and varied topics. She is most widely known for her Wmunity this past fall. Elisabeth K. V. Kalko died unexpect- advances in the study of echolocation and for increasing our un- edly in her sleep on September 26 during a visit to a field station derstanding of biodiversity and species co-existence. in Tanzania. She is deeply missed by family and friends, students “Eli had more energy and passion for biology than anyone I and collaborators – and by bat enthusiasts around the world. know, and I miss her so much,” said University of Maryland Professor Cynthia Moss, who worked closely with Kalko. An- ©CHRISTIAN ZIEGLER other longtime colleague, Brock Fenton of Western Ontario University, described Kalko as “a leader in bat research, someone who always came up with neat, new discoveries.” For recent projects, she teamed with robotic engineers to model bat-echolocation abilities, collaborated with dentists to understand how fruit-eating bats maintain near-perfect teeth de- spite high-sugar diets, studied how bats use their feet to trawl for shrimp in the ocean, revealed how blood parasites affect bats and discovered the extreme amplitude of echolocation. Kalko’s legacy is far reaching. Not only did she publish more than 100 scientific papers and mentor many students, guiding their research and introducing them to the wonders of bat bi- ology, she was also extremely effective at communicating her passion for bats to the public. She was the focus of several doc- umentary films, spoke frequently to reporters and was widely quoted in the popular press. Elisabeth Kalko made tremendous strides, not only in our scientific understanding of bats and how they live their lives, Kalko was a full professor and head of the Institute of Ex- but in sharing this knowledge and her infectious enthusiasm to perimental Ecology at the University of Ulm in Germany, as the general public. With her death, we have lost one of the most well as a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research In- passionate bat biologists worldwide. stitute in Panama. Her research interests were wide-ranging: in- tegrating new technologies for studying bats, bringing together RACHEL PAGE is a Staff Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical experts from across scientific disciplines, and spanning multiple Research Institute in Panama.

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BCI Staff Profile

leading bat scientists, conservationists and organizations. The bat cave remains with the Monfort family and is now a popular Linda Moore: education site for ecotourists. And dedicated conservationists are working in concert around the country. The program recently featured the first Philippines Cave ‘What it’s all about’ Bat Workshop. Led by biologist Nina Ingle and including the country’s leading bat scientists and conservationists, the session here wasn’t a lot of money to account for in BCI’s early days in focused on developing a national database of bat caves and spe- TAustin, so the bookkeeper also fed the two fruit bats, Zuri and cific threats facing these populations. Rafiki, and cleaned their cage in the office hallway. She also learned Much of BCI’s worldwide reach grows from the Global about bats by transcrib- Grassroots Conservation Fund, which provides modest grants ing dictation for Founder for bat-conservation efforts beyond North America. Eighty- Merlin Tuttle. eight grants have supported projects in 46 countries, from Aus- “We wore so many tralia and Bangladesh to Venezuela and Vietnam, since Global hats back then – and, Grassroots began in 2000. you know, most of us These grants, which magnify BCI’s investment by tapping still do. It was just won- the enthusiasm of local volunteers and conservationists, often derful,” says Linda sow some of the first seeds of bat conservation in developing Moore, who joined BCI on April 8, 1986. Now countries. Active bat-conservation communities are at work BCI’s longest-serving today in Kenya, Ukraine, India, Nepal, Colombia and else- ©MEERA BANTA, BCI / 0047980 staffer, she is Director of where, at least in part because of Global Grassroots. Administration and Fi- In India, for example, grants made to American expatriate nance – and no longer Sally Walker and her colleagues at CCINSA – the Chiroptera cleans bat cages. Conservation and Information Network of South Asia – grew With an extensive into Walker’s three-year stint (2007-09) as BCI’s South Asia background in account- Liaison with support from the Grassroots program. ing, Linda was ready to leave her full-time job for part-time account- The CCINSA team conducted bat-research workshops and ing work when she spotted a classified ad in the local newspaper: a range of educational programs and community-based con- “International conservation organization seeks part-time book- servation initiatives in India, as well as Afghanistan, keeper.” “I had always wanted to work in conservation, but I didn’t have Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The the skills to do fieldwork, so I called the number and went in for an group’s education efforts feature colorful teaching materials, in- interview with Merlin,” who had just moved BCI to Austin, she re- cluding posters, miniposters, booklets, coloring books, even calls. “When he offered me the job, I was just thrilled.” children’s drama kits. BCI’s investment helped build a vigorous So she joined Merlin and Mari Murphy, the BATS magazine editor constituency for bat conservation through much of the sub- and membership director who had worked for BCI in Wisconsin and continent. made the move to Austin, as the entire staff of Bat Conservation In- The Southeast Asian Bat Conservation and Research Unit ternational. Amy McCartney signed on the following February as (SEABCRU) is a recent and promising example of this strategy. Membership Manager, a post she still holds. Launched by Texas Tech University biologist Tigga Kingston “I had never seen a bat before,” Linda says. “They were so cute, as a network for scientists and conservationists in 2007, I couldn’t believe it. People are almost always surprised because bats SEABCRU moved into a new phase in 2011 with five-year look nothing like what they expected.” “The budget that first year in Austin was just $60,000,” Linda funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation. says. “There were a few times over those years that we were afraid BCI’s Waldien serves on the Steering Committee with we wouldn’t be able to meet payroll, but we always did.” other bat-conservation leaders from around Southeast Asia BCI had just a few hundred members in 1986, “but then Merlin and the world, and more than 130 conservationists, re- had an article in National Geographic, and “all of a sudden, we grew searchers, educators and students have joined the organiza- so much it was incredible. It just exploded.” tion. After identifying top priorities for long-term “Bill Haber saw a little blurb about us in People magazine and sent conservation in the region, people and resources are being mo- us a donation,” she recalls. He became an especially dedicated mem- bilized. Each priority calls specifically for training and men- ber of BCI, and “a few years later, in 1991, he’s the one who made it toring undergraduate and graduate students to ensure possible for us to move into this building,” BCI’s current headquar- sustainable research and conservation efforts for the future. ters in Austin. We are growing bat conservation around the world by re- Looking back over 25 years, Linda concludes: “It has been so in- spiring to think of how much this organization has accomplished all cruiting, training and supporting dedicated local leaders, and over the world. We’ve got a great team here. No matter what hap- amplifying their impacts through multinational partnerships pens, it’s like [former staffer] Andy Moore used to say: ‘Let’s get on and alliances. Worldwide bat-conservation challenges are with saving the bats.’ That’s what it’s all about.” daunting, but they can be met through the cooperation and “We’re all working to leave the world a better place. So I con- leadership of local people with the commitment, training and tribute the way that I can.” support to do the job.

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Sign Up for a 2012 Workshop Bat Conservation International has been providing professional bat-research and -conservation training through its popular field-training workshops since 1991. More than 1,560 biolo- gists, wildlife managers, educators, students and serious bat fans have experienced these intense sessions. The experience is often described as exhilarating. “I learned all kinds of technical skills, like deploying mist nets and getting bats out of the net,” says Leslie Sturges, who attended workshops in 2000 and 2004. “But I also learned that bat biologists are fun and caring people. I learned that conversations can get very philo- sophical in the middle of the night watching an empty mist net. And I learned I wasn't alone in this crazy passion for bats. I met people who, to this day, serve as inspiration and advisors as I do what I can to help bats in my little corner of the world.” Sturges is now Park Naturalist for the Montgomery County (Maryland) Parks Department and director of Bat World NOVA, a rescue and rehabilitation program. She’s credited with ©JANET TYBUREC, BCI / 0045253 developing an ambitious program for raising awareness about Participants examine a bat captured at a 2006 BCI Workshop White-nose Syndrome in the Greater Washington, D.C., area. at Lava Beds National Monument in California.

You can share the remarkable learning experience of a BCI workshop in 2012. We’ll be conducting workshops in:

• Portal, Arizona: The Chiricahua Mountains offer ex- • Barree, Pennsylvania: The rolling farmlands of central traordinary biodiversity in landscapes that range from Pennsylvania, where bats have long roosted in barns, deserts to high-country forest. We will capture and ex- attics and old buildings, provide a leading center of arti- amine up to 18 bat species. ficial-roost development. These sessions emphasize • Tulelake, California: Unique lava formations at Lava White-nose Syndrome and resolving bat/human con- Beds National Monument include varied cave environ- flicts. ments used by bats. Mist nets and harp traps should yield up to 14 bat species.

Because of the threat of White-nose Syndrome, participants at all BCI workshops will learn and follow approved deconta- BCI Member Snapshot mination guidelines. Fees cover course materials, lodging and transportation in the field. The schedule for 2012: Bat Conservation and Management Workshops inventory plans. The course is designed for wildlife biologists, Learn the latest bat-research techniques through lectures, field researchers, and consultants who will be implementing bat- trips and hands-on experience using mist nets, harp traps, monitoring programs. radiotracking gear and bat detectors. Lectures cover habitat assessment, conservation challenges, management, conflict res- Course fee: $1,595 olution and much more. These sessions are invaluable to Arizona: May 19-23; Pennsylvania: August 23-27. researchers, wildlife professionals, educators, consultants and serious bat aficionados. Acoustic Monitoring Workshop Designed for biologists, consultants and researchers, this work- Course fee: $1,595 shop provides direct experience with cutting-edge technologies. Arizona: May 7-12, May 13-18; California: July 6-11; Learn techniques for collecting, recording and analyzing bat Pennsylvania: August 17-22. calls from AnaBat/AnaLook and SonoBat software developers Chris Corben and Joe Szewczak. The course covers heterodyne, Advanced Capture Techniques Workshops frequency-division, time-expansion and direct-recording tech- These sessions explore both contact and noncontact strategies niques. for conducting bat inventories and survey programs. Techniques include netting, passive bat-detector monitoring, video moni- Course fee: $1,795 toring, active acoustic monitoring and mobile acoustic transect California: July 12-17.

For more information, and to register for a workshop, please visit www.batcon.org/workshops.

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NEWS AND NOTES Bats: a Love Story TheWISH LIST Founder’s Circle ecotours – now Conservation Leader Circle trips –offer Your help with any of these special needs will directly improve BCI’s Bat Conservation International members the unforgettable adventure of ability to protect bats and bat habitats. To contribute or for more observing bats and other wildlife in exotic locations. Those who make information, contact BCI’s Department of Develop ment at (512) the trips usually describe unique experiences – but few are as striking as 327-9721 or [email protected]. this story shared by wildlife photographer Les Meade. ho would have guessed back in October 2007 that sparks would Tools for Bat Gates Wfly between two ecotourists on the BCI Founder’s Circle Eco- Caves and abandoned mines provide critical habitat tour to Australia and New Zealand? for countless bats throughout the American West, but Well, that’s exactly what happened to me, Les Meade, at the time they often require bat-friendly gates both to protect a bat biologist from Kentucky, and Michelle Steinmetz (now Meade), the public and prevent disturbing the bats. BCI and its a biologist with the Washington State Department of Transportation. partners have been protecting many of these mines We got to know each other by spending several weeks watching and caves for years, but the need for gates has wildlife, visiting bat rehabilitators and feeding baby flying foxes increased sharply. We have relied in the past on gate- Down Under. Our love of bats brought us together, and we celebrated building equipment provided by partners and select our second wedding anniversary on contractors, but now schedules are being threatened October 3, 2011. by limited availability of tools. We are trying to build a Given the role that bats played in reliable inventory of equipment.A key requirement is bringing us together, we decided that a Miller Maxstar 200 portable arc-welder with weld- bats would have to be incorporated into ing leads and power cables. The welder costs $2,226 our wedding, as well. And so they were: and the cables and accessories add another $1,000. we even had a bat stamped onto the en- velopes for our invitations. We will never forget that spectacular Bat Education for Cameroon trip to Australia and New Zealand and Cameroon is home to about 75 species of bats, but all the wonderful people we met (in ad- few residents of this African country know anything at dition to each other). A special thanks all about them. Many bat populations are declining goes to Fiona Reid, Miriam Schulman, sharply because of habitat loss, hunting and vandalism. and Bruce Thomson. And a very special Eric Moise Bakwo fils, who received a BCI Scholarship thanks goes to my lovely wife, Michelle. COURTESY OF LES MEADE in 2009, hopes to win friends for bats by educating schoolchildren and decision-makers about the value BCI Member Snapshot of insect-eating, seed-dispersing and pollinating bats in their midst. His plans include a series of fun presenta- o here it is: your very own tions with posters and videos at 10 grade schools, “SBCI quilt.” This unique, training for potential bat volunteers at secondary handcrafted quilt was given to schools, and a field-research workshop for profes- Bat Conservation Interna- sional foresters in northern Cameroon. Bakwo fils tional by longtime Member requests a $3,700 grant from the Global Grassroots Ellen Rathbone, an environ- Conservation Fund in hopes of changing “the current mental educator in Jackson, status of bats from persecuted to protected.” Michigan. She says her quilting group decided to Europeans Fight WNS do a round-robin project, Research to combat White-nose Syndrome is an in- with each member pro- ternational effort, even though the bats are dying in viding the “center block,” North America. The fungus that causes WNS, but not while others add the bor- the disease, has been confirmed in Europe for years. der pieces. She designed BCI hopes to bring several European bat experts to her quilt around the wu-fu, the Chinese Madison, Wisconsin, in June 2012 for the next Na- symbol for good fortune that was BCI’s original logo. After tional WNS Symposium. Several top biologists are the other quilters had added their touches and she saw the finished studying the European version of this fungus, and the quilt, Ellen says, “I was amazed at how beautiful it was.” So are we. opportunity to share their findings could prove in- Share a snapshot of your bat activities: email it to [email protected] or valuable for the battered bats of North America. mail to Snapshot, Bat Conservation International, PO Box 162603, Travel budgets are tight and each scientist needs ap- Austin, TX 78716. proximately $2,400 to make the trip.

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