Your help with any of these special needs will directly improve BCI’s ability to protect bats and bat habitats. To contribute or for more information, contact BCI’s Department of Development at (512) 327-9721 or development@batcon.org.

Finding Park Bats in Estonia

Nearly all of Estonia’s natural forests disappeared over the past century. And although no one was really keeping track, most bat colonies left as well. Many of those displaced bats found new homes in parklands associated with country estates built when Estonia was part of the Soviet Union. The numbers, diversity and locations of those bats are mostly unknown, and few of the parklands are protected. Biologist Matti Masing is leading a team that hopes to survey bats that forage in important parklands during summer and hibernate there in winter. His results could be a critical step in winning habitat protection for the sites. The project includes training for students and local conservationists in bat observation and research; community education that stresses the importance of bats; and articles in local news media. Masing is seeking a BCI Global Grassroots Conser­vation Fund grant of $3,600 for the project.

Volunteers for Bat Bridges

Bat Conservation International and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are working ­together to develop a volunteer program with Texas Master Naturalists, a citizen-science program dedicated to protecting natural resources. The program will recruit and train 10 to 20 volunteers to monitor bat colonies roosting in Texas bridges. Their data will help state officials plan bridge repair, main­tenance and replacement projects to minimize impacts on the bats. This joint project needs orange safety cones for roadways ($24 each) and reflective vests for the volunteers ($12 each).

Mine Gates for Nevada Bats

The long-abandoned Piermont Mine is one of the most important mines in Nevada for Town­send’s big-eared bats, as well as other species. The mine, which sprawls across six levels with seven entrances, shelters a large maternity colony in its upper reaches, while lower levels are used for hibernation. In fact, Townsend’s big-eared bats probably utilize the old mine for all critical aspects of their lives. Scientists urge that bat-friendly gates be installed at all seven entrances to protect bats that depend on this site. BCI is working with federal and state partners to protect this critical mine. Government funds are available to gate entrances on public land, but several gates also are needed on private property. BCI is leading that effort and needs about $4,000 to complete the project.