bat conservation international

Bat

Conservation

International

Annual Report

2000-2001

In a modern world, too often dominated by confronta-tion, Bat Conservation International is tenaciouslyfocused on impartial, nonpartisan approaches thatbenefit humans and their quality of life. We take pridein conservation battles avoided, not won, and we welcome the participation of loggers, miners, oildrillers, ranchers, and hunters as partners in develop-ing lasting solutions to difficult problems.

Illustrative of the power of such collaboration, BCI’snewest partners include 46 American pest controlcompanies who have agreed to solve nuisances causedby bats in buildings by harmlessly excluding them intoartificial roosts. These companies are now saving batsinstead of killing them, and in turn, they and the pub-lic benefit from BCI’s referral service.

We also recognize the key importance of good scienceand clear communication. Over the past year, BCI hasfunded essential conservation-relevant research in 15countries (see page 24) and has helped organize thefirst major collaboration of forest products companiesto fund long-term research on how to manageAmerican forests to better protect bats as allies. Ourfindings were communicated to millions of peopleworldwide through television, radio, magazine, andnewspaper reports, as well as through our Web site,and next spring, our article on how farmers benefitfrom Mexican free-tailed bats will appear in NationalGeographic.

Through the North American Bat ConservationPartnership alone (see page 6), we funded 14 newprojects this year, based on top priority rankings byoutside peer reviewers. Member dollars were matchedeight-to-one by those from federal, state, and privateagencies, and corporations for a total of $400,000.

These are just a few of the outstanding results of part-nership in addressing issues of immediate importanceto safeguarding biodiversity and human economies.Thank you for your invaluable support!

Wilhelmina E. Robertson, Chairperson of the Board

Merlin D. Tuttle, President

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

WorkshopsNatural History ToursStudent InternsVolunteersMedia Outreachwww.batcon.org

Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

The North American Bat Conservation PartnershipLatin American InitiativesBats in BuildingsBats and Mines ProjectBats and Forests InitiativeThe Global Grassroots Bat Conservation FundLegislation for BatsFeatured Bats

Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Artificial HabitatGreater Long-Nosed Bat HabitatAgricultural EconomicsIndiana Bat Hibernation RoostsScholarships

Gifts and Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Support and Revenue Charts . . . . . . . . .29

Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Cover: Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerge fromBracken Cave in Central Texas, home of the world's largest batcolony. These bats emerge in numbers large enough to betracked on Doppler radar. Dr. Gary McCracken, a researcher atthe University of Tennessee, is studying the tremendous impactof these bats as controllers of insect pest (see page 21).Photo: ©Merlin D. Tuttle, BCI \ 877-4202

Inside Front:The endangered lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae)is a primary pollinator of desert plants, including many speciesof agaves and giant cacti, the most famous of which are thesaguaro, organ pipe, and cardon (shown here). This bat’s polli-nation and seed dispersal services are essential to the health ofthe Sonoran Desert ecosystem of the southwestern U.S. andnorthwestern Mexico.Photo: ©Merlin D. Tuttle, BCI \ 000-1515

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bat Conservation International 1

BCI’S MISSION

Bat Conservation International’s mission is to

protect and restore bats and their habitats

worldwide, through:

education—teaching people to understand

and value bats as essential allies,

conservation—protecting critical bat habitats

and encouraging others to join in our efforts,

research—advancing scientific knowledge

about bats, their conservation needs, and the

ecosystems that rely on them, and

win-win solutions—relying on non-

confrontational approaches that help both bats

and people.

We understand that the needs of wildlife must

be balanced with the needs of humans. We

also believe that conservation of bats is an

essential element in safeguarding human

economies, healthy environments, and the

benefits of our planet’s rich biodiversity for

future generations.

RESEARCH: Dr. Neville Michie studies the microclimate in Saltpetre Cave in CarterCaves State Resort Park, Kentucky. The information gathered will be used to helprestore a once large hibernating population of endangered Indiana bats (Myotissodalis).

EDUCATION: Education Programs Assistant Cullen Geiselman teaches high school stu-dents in Kenya about African bats and why they are important to humans.

CONSERVATION: Workers install a bat-friendly gate at Birthday Mine in Arizona to pro-tect both bats and people.

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2000-2001 Annual Report2


EDUCATION

In May 2000, BCI launched its 12th workshop season hosting five BatConservation and ManagementWorkshops and two One-Day EducatorWorkshops in Arizona, Pennsylvania,Kentucky, and Virginia. More than 110 biol-ogists, land managers, and educators,including participants from as far away asthe Republic of China and Northern Ireland,learned research and management tech-niques that promote bat conservation.

One workshop participant, a wildlife out-reach specialist with the University ofWisconsin, wrote us about her experience.“It was clear that the entire BCI team wasworking non-stop during our stay to assurethat the workshop was a success. I am look-ing forward to developing a college-levelcourse for educators on incorporating batsinto their curriculum, and also to using my field experience to help me design local research programs here in southernWisconsin.”

Every year, BCI also offers natural histo-

Cullen Geiselman and Dr. PeterTaylor led BCI’s Field Study Safarito Kenya, May 7-19, 2001.Participants captured and studied21 different bat species as well as educated local people abouttheir conservation needs andimportance.

Kids DiscoverBats,

released in fall 2000,

received the film industry’s

Communicator’s Award

of Distinction, and the

Telly’s Non-broadcast

Film/Video Productions

Award.

ry tours, leading members into the field tolearn more about bats and their conserva-tion needs.

This year, Cullen Geiselman, BCI’s edu-cation programs assistant, and Peter Taylor,curator of mammals at the Durban NaturalScience Museum and author of Bats ofSouthern Africa, led the BCI Field StudySafari to Kenya. Twelve participants fromthe U.S. and Canada joined with Kenyan batresearchers and guides to conduct the firstbat inventory of the Taita-Kasegau WildlifeCorridor in East Africa. Participants also hadan opportunity to view lions, zebras, ele-phants, and other wild animals on the legendary Masai Mara Plains. Proceeds fromthis trip supported the Global Grassroots BatConservation Fund (see page 15), whichfunds initiatives worldwide. The safari hassparked a renewed interest in bats byKenyans, and in-country bat experts arenow establishing working groups to sponsoreducation and conservation programs inthat country.

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EDUCATION

BCI also coordinated the BatSound-Acoustic Monitoring Workshop in June2000, in Portal, Arizona. Using the latesttechnology, 17 researchers, resource man-agers, and conservationists learned to conduct field surveys to record and analyzebat echolocation calls.

Lars Pettersson, long-time BCI supporter anddeveloper of bat detectorsand BatSound software,led the workshop, alongwith BCI ScientificAdvisor Herman Limpens,who teaches bat-detectingskills to conservationiststhroughout Europe.

Since 1993, BCI hasalso hosted Bats andMines Workshops formining industry represen-tatives, state and federalagencies, and privateorganizations. For moreinformation on theseworkshops and the Batsand Mines project, seepage 12.

In addition to theworkshops, BCI’s out-reach network includesstudent interns, numer-ous volunteers, the media,

and the Internet. This past year, interns JulieJenkins and Wendy Israel visited 68 Austin,Texas, area schools and educated 7,000 chil-dren. Teachers received a complimentarycopy of Kids Discover Bats, an award-win-ning, kid-friendly video released in fall 2000.Interns at the Congress Avenue bridge con-tinued to host tourists throughout the sum-mer.

Volunteers also deliver educational programs on BCI’s behalf, reaching an average of 55,000 people annually throughspecial events and lectures. More than 500hours of service at BCI’s headquarters werelogged last year, saving thousands of dollarsin staff time and travel expenses.

BCI conservatively estimates that its arti-cles and broadcasts have reached more than54 million readers and viewers during thepast year. BCI Public Information ManagerBob Benson received 168 media requestsduring the past year and has assisted 64newspapers, 45 magazines, and 29 televi-

BCI Scientific Advisor Gary McCracken (left), launches aweather balloon equipped with a bat detector to demon-strate techniques for identifying bats at high altitudes.Also pictured, BatSound software developer LarsPettersson (center), and workshop participant AlexMenzel (right).

Dr. Merlin Tuttle and NationalGeographic Photographer JayDickman photograph the bats atBracken Cave from a mechanicallift. Watch for our next NationalGeographic article in May 2002.

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Magazines23 million readers

Television13 million viewers

Newspapers18 million readers


sion broadcasts. Audubon, Ranger Rick,National Geographic (Spanish Edition), andThe New York Times featured bats. TheAssociated Press also distributed stories,with a mention in Dave Barry’s popularweekly column. The new IMAX film, Journeyinto Amazing Caves, includes footage fromBracken Cave, while the accompanying cof-fee table book features an article on theimportance of bats in caves by Dr. MerlinTuttle. An additional 14 radio programs, 16Web sites, and 33 special events helped pro-mote bat conservation. Broadcasts includedprograms on National Public Radio, andWeb features appeared on Discovery,National Geographic, and ABCNews.com.

Whether an article is intended for a fullmagazine feature, a newsletter, or the Web,BCI’s Visual Resources Collection, led byVisual Resources Manager Kristin Hay, is avital link between the media and positiveconservation messages. BCI’s stock photolibrary houses more than 70,000 images thatare used by educators, researchers, conserva-tionists, publishers, and news media worldwide.

Many of BCI’s images are featured onwww.batcon.org, one of BCI’s most valuable education tools. During the lastyear, we added a live “BatCam,” allowingWeb visitors to view BCI’s flying fox colony,as well as new Spanish language resourcesand Web-based member services on a secureWeb server. With an estimated 20,000 visitsto the Web site each month, the Internet isan extremely cost-effective way to share bat information with members and non-members alike.

EDUCATION

BCI volunteer Merianne Etter (seated) works with Visual Resources Manager Kristin Hay toprovide images for publishers worldwide.

Intern Wendy Israel (standing, center) visits a class at Zilker Elementaryin Austin, Texas, along with BCI’s Conservation Information Specialist,Barbara French, pictured at right holding Zoe, BCI’s straw-colored flyingfox. Teacher Nona Sansom looks on from left.

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Education Outreach and Workshops are funded in part by:Austin American-Statesman, Bass Foundation, Brown Foundation, Chapman Foundation, Roberta Crenshaw, Robert

and Peggy Gerrie, Tim and Karen Hixon, Houston Endowment, Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas, NaomiPitcairn, Verne and Marion Read, Anton Schindler, Lee J. Schmitt and Lori Delafield, Schuetz Family Trust, Turner

Foundation, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Dr. & Mrs. Edgar Wayburn, The Winslow Foundation, and The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong Foundation.


CONSERVATION

NORTH AMERICAN BATCONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

Since 1997, BCI has helped organize andcoordinate the North American BatConservation Partnership, a programthat allows conservationists across the con-tinent to identify mutual bat conservationpriorities and share funding and otherresources. The Partnership involves notonly biologists and conservation organiza-tions, but also government agencies, cor-porations, and foundations throughoutCanada, the U.S., and Mexico, workingtogether for common goals. BCI also pro-vides funding for priority projects, and pro-motes development of state and nationalconservation plans.

In spring 2001, BCI awarded $50,009 ingrants to Partnership applicants, support-ing 14 projects. Partners matched this fund-ing eight-to-one, bringing the total value ofthese programs to $387,754. Projectsranged from protection of roosts for endan-gered gray bats (Myotis grisescens) inAlabama to radiotracking studies to locateimportant bat hibernation sites inWashington.

The reports from last year’s grant recipi-ents attest to the impact of this program. OnVancouver Island, British Columbia, MartinDavis’s studies of the rare Keen’s myotis(Myotis keenii) led to the designation ofWeymer Caves as a permanent Wildlife

Habitat Area, preventing imminentlogging in surrounding forests. InLouisiana, Gypsy Gooding Langfordworked in the D’Arbonne NationalWildlife Refuge’s bottomland forests,studying bat roost requirements.Water tupelo trees were found to beespecially important for bats, and theforest will now be managed to protectpotential roosts in tupelo trees fromdisturbance and forest clearing. JimPetterson studied the distribution andhabitat use of bats in Mount RainierNational Park in Washington usingbat detectors to record echolocationcalls. He also inspected bridges,buildings and abandoned mines forthe presence of bats. The park is now

Martin Davis and AlisaVanderberg survey cracks andcrevices of bluffs surroundingTahsis Inlet, in British Columbia,for possible bat roosts. Theirdata have been used to establisha permanent wildlife sanctuaryto protect the rare Keen’s myotis.

Jim Petterson, a National Park Service wildlife ecologist,mist nets for bats in the shadow of Mount Rainier.

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Since 1998, BCI has funded 70 North

American BatConservation Partnershipgrants totalling $234,973.

Partners matched this funding twelve-to-one,

bringing the total value to2.8 million dollars.


using this information to guide its manage-ment decisions, and Petterson is developingeducational programs about bats for park vis-itors. Finally, Luis Gerardo Herrera Montalvois working in Mexico in the Sea of Cortez toprotect endangered Mexican fishing bats(Myotis vivesi). Populations of this little-known species appear to be decreasing, inpart because these bats roost in rockslideswhere they are especially vulnerable to intro-duced predators. By studying their feedingand roost preferences, Herrera will be able torecommend actions to better protect them.

Affiliated with the North American BatConservation Partnership, the NorthwestBat Cooperative, is a collaborative groupof timber industry representatives, biologists,

CONSERVATION

and federal and state agen-cies formed to prioritizeand fund management-ori-ented bat research in thePacific Northwest. Drs.Michael Lacki and MichaelBaker with the University ofKentucky are leading ateam of five field techni-cians in the Cooperative’sfirst forest bat research proj-ect. Lacki and Baker willassess forest bat roostselection and use the datagathered to help federal andstate forest managers andtimber companies betterincorporate bat conserva-tion measures into their for-est management plans andpractices. Cooperativepartners have raised morethan $80,000 to supportthis study.

Researchers use wooden frames to survey roosting areasof the Mexican fishing bat in rockslides on Isla Partida inthe Sea of Cortez. Pictured from left to right: Osiris GaonaPineda, grant recipient Luis Gerardo Herrera Montalvo,Leticia Reyes, and Jose Juan Flores Martinez.

Northwest Bat Cooperative Partners 2000-2001

Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc.IP Pacific Timberlands, Inc.Willamette National ForestPotlatch CorporationPort Blakely Tree Farms, L.P.Boise Cascade CorporationWeyerhaeuserUSDI Bureau of Land ManagementState of Washington, Department of Fish and WildlifeState of Washington, Department of Natural ResourcesNational Council for Air & Stream Improvement, Inc.

Gypsy Gooding Langford examines a water tupelo tree forthe presence of bats. Several species of special concern,including Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinusrafinesquii) and southeastern myotis (Myotis austroripar-ius) roost in the extra large hollows of mature trees.

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The North American Bat Conservation Partnership is funded in part by:Bass Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, David and Lucile

Packard Foundation, USDI Bureau of Land Management, U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Forest Service, and USDI Fish

and Wildlife Service.


CONSERVATION

LATIN AMERICAN INITIATIVES

More than 290 species of bats inhabitLatin America–the richest and most diversebat fauna in the world. Throughout theregion’s rain forests, savannas, and deserts,bats pollinate flowers and disperse seeds ofmany ecologically and economically important plants. They are also essential nat-ural controllers of night-flying insect peststhroughout the region.

In 1994, BCI established the Programfor the Conservation of Migratory Bats(Programa para la Conservación de losMurciélagos Migratorios, PCMM), a partner-ship between BCI and the Institute ofEcology of Mexico’s National AutonomousUniversity. Although the PCMM initiallyfocused on migratory bats, the program nowincludes all 140 Mexican species and is supported by federal, state, and local gov-ernments, universities, industries, and envi-ronmental organizations in both countries.

Under the direction of BCI ScientificAdvisor Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, the group hasexpanded its mission beyond protecting keyroosts for migratory bats to addressing theneeds of all endangered and endemic speciesof Mexico. PCMM researchers are currentlymonitoring 22 bat caves in 15 Mexicanstates, tracking population fluctuations andevaluating conservation needs.

Cave-dwelling bats in Mexico receivedgreater protection this past year whenMexico’s Federal Law of Wildlife was amend-ed to encompass all caves and crevices as defacto protected areas. Management plans willnow be designed and implemented for criti-cal caves. In addition, the governor of NuevoLeon announced that the state is establish-ing a natural area that will include Mexico’slargest bat cave, Cueva de la Boca, and the surrounding mountains. Thanks to localPCMM education efforts, the population of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida

BCI Scientific Advisor ArnulfoMoreno and Executive DirectorSteve Walker work with resi-dents of Tamaulipas, Mexico, toplant agaves for erosion controlalong roadsides. Endangeredlong-nosed bats also rely onthese plants for food.

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CONSERVATION

brasiliensis) living in the cave has grownfrom 100,000 in 1995 to approximately 2.5million in 2001.

The PCMM also promotes conservationof wild agave plants, which provide nectarand pollen essential for the survival ofendangered greater long-nosed bats(Leptonycteris nivalis) and lesser long-nosedbats (L. curasoae). In fall 2000, BCI and thePCMM initiated a study in northern Mexicoand Texas’s Trans-Pecos region (see page 20)to identify roosts and protect foraging areasfor greater long-nosed bats. Due to the hugedemand for tequila and mescal liquor,bootleggers in the Mexican states ofNuevo Leon and Tamaulipas are ille-gally harvesting hundreds of thou-sands of agaves each year, seriouslyjeopardizing the bats’ food supplyand this unique desert ecosystem.BCI Scientific Advisor Dr. ArnulfoMoreno has worked closely with gov-ernment agencies in these states toaddress the loss of agave plants alongthe migratory corridor of the SierraMadre Oriental, and has convincedofficials to begin planting agaves toprevent soil erosion, instead of relyingon previously used exotic tree species.This strategy provides food resources

for the bats and is actual-ly more effective at stabi-lizing soils. Morenoselected locations alongthe bats’ migratoryroutes and coordinatedthe planting of more than70,000 agaves last year.Both states are nowexperimenting with avariety of methods toimprove agave germina-tion, including aerial seeddispersal, and the pro-gram is expected to

expand rapidly to other parts of Mexico.Mexican free-tailed bats are especially

important for farmers on both sides of theU.S.-Mexico border, because they consumevast numbers of insects that damage crops.In November 2000, BCI sponsored the second AgriBats Workshop inMonterrey, Mexico. Eleven researchers fromseven U.S. and Mexican universities begandeveloping biologic and economic models todocument the bat impacts in controllingcorn earworm moths. These will play anessential role in promoting bat conservation

Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, director of the Program for the Conservation of MigratoryBats, demonstrates mist-netting techniques for program partners from PronaturaSonora, a non-governmental conservation organization.

Vampire control course instructorsDrs. José R. Ochoa and LuisCaballero played bat games withchildren of the indigenous villageof Yekuana de la Boca del RioNichare in Venezuela to introducethem to the essential species thatshare their tropical home.

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PCMM researchersare currently

monitoring 22 batcaves in 15

Mexican states.

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by emphasizing the enormous economicbenefits of bats to agriculture.

The PCMM has served as a model forother countries throughout Latin Americaincluding Costa Rica, Chile, Venezuela, andBolivia. Only 20 percent of Costa Rica’srain forest remains intact, much of which hasnow been set aside in national parks and bio-logical and forest reserves. In order to protectbats inside and outside these preserves, theProgram for the Conservation of Costa RicanBats (Programa para la Conservación de losMurciélagos de Costa Rica) was establishedin May 2001. It is led by Dr. Bernal Rodriguezin partnership with Dr. Richard LaVal, BCI,the PCMM, the National Museum of CostaRica, the Ministry of Environment andEcology, Simón Bolívar Zoological Park, andTirimbina Biological Reserve.

Costa Rica is home to 109 bat species,including the striking white fruit bats(Ectophylla alba) and D’Orbigny’s round-eared bats (Tonatia sylvicola). It is alsohome to vampire bats, and as in Mexico,misguided vampire control efforts threatenmillions of beneficial bats. Using education-al materials developed by BCI and thePCMM, the group conducts workshops inrural communities to teach people how tocontrol vampire bats, as well as how to pro-

tect beneficial species. They will emphasizethe important roles bats play in insect con-trol, pollination, and seed dispersal. Other programs will protect important bat cavesand provide educational activities for elementary school children in classroomsthroughout the country.

In Venezuela, in July 2000, BCI’sExecutive Director Steve Walker andScientific Advisor Dr. José Ochoa led a work-shop to evaluate and reduce the impacts ofvampire bats on indigenous communities ofthe Caura River Watershed in the remoteGuyana Region of southern Venezuela. Dr.Ochoa, President of the VenezuelanAssociation for the Conservation of NaturalAreas, coordinated the workshop with theKuyujani council, an oversight group dedi-cated to improving the health and welfare ofthese communities. The workshop cadre alsoincluded Veterinarian Dr. Luis Caballero, whovaccinated all domestic pets in the villageagainst rabies.

Community leaders learned how to distin-guish vampire bats from beneficial species,and how to solve problems. BCI also donat-ed field equipment necessary for the newlytrained “para-biologists” to manage futureproblems. The highlight of the workshopwas a special bat education program for areachildren, including schoolyard games and afirst-ever look at live bats that are essentialallies in the tropical forests these children callhome.

In Chile, unlike the rest of Latin America,vampires are not a problem. They live in afew sea caves along the northern coast andprey only on sea lions and marine birds.There are other problems, however. Largecolonies of Mexican free-tailed bats cancause nuisances when too many attempt tolive in buildings.

In October 2000, BCI Executive DirectorSteve Walker joined BCI Scientific AdvisorDr. Gary McCracken and Dr. Arturo Mann, a

CONSERVATION

Dr. José Ochoa, Venezuela (sec-ond from left), Luis Aguirre,Bolivia (center), and Dr.Rodrigo Medellín, Mexico (sec-ond from right), use preservedmuseum specimens to intro-duce biologists to bats at theNational Museum of NaturalHistory in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

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professor of Veterinary Medicine at theUniversity of Santo Tomas in Santiago inconducting workshops for biologists andpublic health officials. Participants learned toidentify bats, techniques to safely excludebats from buildings, and methods to providealternative roosts for displaced bats.

Education, conservation, and researchprograms in Bolivia are lead by Luis F.Aguirre, coordinator of the Program for theConservation of Bolivian Bats (Programapara la Conservación de Murciélagos deBolivia, PCMB). The program focuses on LaPaz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba, thecountry’s three largest cities as well as ruralcommunities near fragile ecosystems, insavannas and mountain forests. Last year, 20bat species were added to the country’s Listof Threatened Species. “Through education-al programs, PCMB members have taught

more than 1,700 children about the benefitsof bats to ecosystems and to humans,” saidAguirre.

During the past year, 7,000 people haveviewed the permanent exhibit created for theMuseum of Natural History of La Paz, and aninteractive game about bats has been intro-duced at the Kusillo Interactive Museum,which hosts more than 400,000 visitorsannually. BCI’s Aventuras al Vuelo,(Adventures in Flight) radio programs haveaired in communities across Bolivia, teachinganother 100,000 people about the values ofbats. Such emphasis on public awareness isalso paying dividends in new agreementswith the National Service of Protected Areas,which enable the group to educate parkrangers who, in turn, meet thousands of vis-itors each year.

In October, biologists and administrators from Chile’s Ministries of Public Health and Agriculture and Livestock received BCI-led training in current meth-ods to survey bat populations, effective ways to manage bats in buildings, and construction and placement of artificial habitats for bats.

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Latin AmericanInitiatives are

funded in part by:Beneficia Foundation,Fondo Mexicano parala Conservación de laNaturaleza, HoustonEndowment, National

Fish and WildlifeFoundation, Davidand Lucile PackardFoundation, Verneand Marion Read,

USDI Fish andWildlife Service, and Wray Trust.


CONSERVATION

BATS IN BUILDINGS

Due to loss of natural roosts in trees andcaves, many bat species now live in build-ings. Unfortunately, this sometimes creates a“nuisance” problem, and approximately 60percent of calls received by BCI’sConservation Information Specialist BarbaraFrench are questions related to bats in build-ings. In early 2000, BCI partnered with LauraFinn of Fly By Night, Inc., to establish theBats in Buildings program and provideexclusion guidelines on how and when to safely exclude bats from buildings. The program also offers advice on providing bat houses for displaced bats. These guide-lines, along with instructional diagrams, are now available on the Web at www.batcon.org/binb/index.html

BCI’s Bats in Buildings project also bene-fits professional exclusion companies by providing certification for companies that usesafe, humane, and effective exclusion methods. BCI provides phone referrals and/orInternet links for BCI-approved Bat ExclusionProfessionals and distributes detailed information about bats and proper exclusionmethods. Since the program’s inception, BCIhas certified 46 companies in 23 U.S. states.Participants are reviewed and re-certifiedannually.

BATS AND MINES PROJECT

More than half of the 45 bat species foundnorth of Mexico now rely on mines asrefuges of last resort. In 1993, BCI and theUSDI Bureau of Land Management foundedthe Bats and Mines Project to help conservebat colonies that might otherwise have beendestroyed during closures of abandonedmines. The program’s goals include educat-ing people about bats and the need for pre-serving habitats in mines, providing fundingto protect remaining colonies, and research-ing effective designs for bat-friendly gatesthat protect both people and bats. As aresult, millions of mine-roosting bats havebeen protected.

In 1999, BCI and its partners launched theGreat Lakes Initiative to gate and protecthundreds of miles of tunnels in abandonedcopper mines. We have now installed 14gates at 10 mines that are critical hibernationsites for little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus),big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and otherspecies. Another eight mines are scheduledfor gating by 2002. While complete countsof the bats cannot be made due to the vast-

Pallid bats (Antrozous pallidus)are one of more than 10 speciesof bats that commonly roost inU.S. buildings.

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Bats can be found roosting in attics, soffits, louvers, chimneys, under siding, eaves, roof tilesor shingles, and behind shutters. BCI’s Bats in Buildings program offers homeowners and pro-fessional exclusion companies advice on solving nuisance problems in a manner that helpsboth bats and people.

The Bats in Buildings program is funded by:BCI Members.

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CONSERVATION

ness of these mines, gates now protect over400,000 bats, and the miles of newly pro-tected passages offer potential to shelter mil-lions more.

In August 2000, BCI hosted representa-tives from the USDA Natural ResourcesConservation Service, the U.S. Congress,federal, state, and local agencies, privatefoundations, and private landowners whovisited Michigan’s Mass C and Quincy Minesto learn where bats spend the winter. Theevent was an important opportunity to viewfirsthand the project’s accomplishments,meet conservation partners, and plan futureactions for bats.

Education has played an important role inthe success of the Great Lakes Initiative aswell as other Bats and Mines programs.Through workshops and conferences, BCIcontinues to teach industry representativesabout the importance of mines as bat habitat and how to save money by closingmines with bat-friendly gates that protectboth bats and people.

This year’s programs included the following:

• Delivered keynote address at BritishColumbia’s 24th Annual Mine ReclamationSymposium in British Columbia, Canada,in June.

• Hosted BCI’s 18th Bats and MinesWorkshop for 45 participants in GrandJunction, Colorado, in July.

• Co-sponsored an interactive forum for 110industry leaders with the Office of SurfaceMining in St. Louis, Missouri, inNovember.

• Attended the North American Wildlife andNatural Resources Conference and networked with partners in Washington,D.C., in March.BCI continues to contract with private

companies and government agencies to sur-vey mines for bats prior to closure. This year,

In August 2000, a recently installed bat gate at the Evergreen Mine already showed signs ofheavy bat use. Pictured from left to right: BCI Bats and Mines Director Sheryl Ducummon;Gating Contractor Irv Riutta; BCI President Dr. Merlin Tuttle; Deputy Chief of the NaturalResources Conservation Service (NRCS) Larry Clark; and Michigan’s State Conservationist forthe NRCS Ron Williams.

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BCI and the National Park Service survey the Rainbow Talc Mine in Death Valley National Park.The passages house the largest known mine-roosting maternity colony of pallid bats.

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BCI consulted with Homestake MiningCompany in British Columbia, Placer Domein Nevada, and the USDI National ParkService, among others. In western nationalparks, there are hundreds of abandonedmines—300 in Joshua Tree National Parkalone. In the spring of 2001, BCI andNational Park staff conducted joint surveysof 37 mines in Joshua Tree National Park,Death Valley National Park, and MojaveNational Monument. BCI recommended bat-friendly gating of approximately 20 open-ings. These mines shelter at least 10 batspecies, including the California leaf-nosedbat (Macrotus californicus), a species of spe-cial concern.

In Arizona, one of NorthAmerica’s rarest bats, the lap-pet-browed bat (Idionycterisphyllotis), rears young inmines in the Black Hills nearUnion Pass. Surveys conduct-ed by Dr. Patricia Brown(UCLA) in 1998 and 1999identified seven sites in needof protection, and this year,BCI provided partial fundingfor construction of bat-friend-ly gates at all seven.

BATS AND FORESTS INITIATIVE

BCI introduced the Bats and ForestsInitiative in the fall of 2000 to address theneeds of government and private forest landmanagers in evaluating forests as bat habitatand incorporating timber harvest practicesthat promote bat conservation.

In November 2000, Project Director DanTaylor gave presentations on the economicand ecological importance of forest bats tothe American Forest and Paper Associationin Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the lead-ing trade associations for the wood productsindustry in North America, and to theSociety of American Foresters National

USDI Bureau of Land Management staff members Rachel Showalter (in fore-ground), Ken Fukuda (on ladder), Gene Daly (holding ladder), and MarylouSchnoes (background) erect an experimental bat house station as part of theforest bat artificial roost project led by BCI, the USDI Bureau of LandManagement, Boise-Cascade, the USDA Forest Service, and local communi-ty groups in southern Oregon.

The Bats and Mines Project is funded in part by:The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Cortez Mines,

The George Gund Foundation, Illinois Department ofNatural Resources, Michigan Nongame Wildlife Fund,

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, David andLucile Packard Foundation, Phelps-Dodge, Placer Dome Mining Co., USDI Bureau of Land Management, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, USDI Fish andWildlife Service, USDI U.S. Geological Survey, USDI

National Park Service, USDA Natural ResourceConservation Service, Wallace Research Foundation,

The Winslow Foundation, and Wildlife Forever.

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Testing of artificialroosts at 25 sites will

help address how forest managers canenhance habitat forforest-dwelling bats,especially where nat-ural tree roosts have

been lost.


CONSERVATION

Convention in Washington, D.C., theworld’s largest and oldest association forprofessional foresters. The American Forestand Paper Association also featured bats andBCI in their new publication, EnhancingWildlife Habitats Through SustainableForest Management.

Fieldwork included habitat evaluations forthe Anderson-Tully Company, the world’slargest producer of hardwood lumber. Thecompany’s timber practices were found tobe bat-friendly, and the company is consid-ering ways to provide additional bat habitatby introducing artificial roost structures.

In addition, BCI established major artificialbat roost experiments on managed forestlands in Oregon and Minnesota in partnership with several state and federalagencies and timber companies. Testing ofartificial roosts at 25 sites will help addresshow forest managers can enhance habitatfor forest-dwelling bats, especially where natural tree roosts have been lost.

GLOBAL GRASSROOTS BATCONSERVATION FUND

The Global Grassroots Bat ConservationFund, launched in January 2000, allows BCIto dramatically increase its impact on batconservation, research, and protectionworldwide. Through small, low-risk grants toindividuals and local nonprofit groups, BCIprovides training, supplies, and educationalmaterials to further bat conservation in com-munities throughout the world.

Last year, BCI funded 21 projects in 12 countries. In Honduras, Edueco, a conserva-tion organization working in communitiesnear San Pedro Sula, relied on BCI educa-tional materials to conserve bats in agricul-tural areas. The group, led by Jaime Bustilloand Suyapa Dominguez, has now visited 26schools, educating 915 students and 26teachers about the value of bats and theirconservation needs. They also have broad-cast their conservation message via radio1,050 times.

In Cambodia, BCI provided advice and partial funding in collaboration with theWildlife Conservation Society and MlupBaitong, a local conservation organization,to educate school children about the roles ofbats in Cambodia’s ecology. The partnership

Teachers in Cambodia relied onBCI materials to explain theroles of bats in the country’s ecology and the need for their conservation.

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The Bats and Forests Initiative is funded in part by:

Bass Foundation, National Fish andWildlife Foundation, David and LucilePackard Foundation, USDI Bureau of

Land Management, and USDA Forest Service.

Last year, throughthe Global

Grassroots BatConservation Fund,

BCI funded 21 projects in 12

countries.


is also working to protect more than a mil-lion bats of four species roosting in theNational Museum of Cambodia in down-town Phnom Penh. Although bat droppingshave damaged treasured artwork in the past,sales of the guano as fertilizer are now pay-ing salaries of the museum staff. Recentrepairs to the museum’s structure will ensureprotection of both bats and artwork.

BCI funded other programs to:• develop educational materials that identify

Romania’s mine and cave roosting speciesand explain their conservation needs,

• prepare conservation recommendations forBulgaria’s Ministry of Environment andWaters to include signage at importantcaves,

• implement bat population surveys in coop-eration with high-school students in theCayman Islands, and

• monitor fruit bat populations on NegrosIsland in the Philippines and design community awareness programs to protectthem from unregulated hunting and habi-tat destruction.

LEGISLATION FOR BATS

During the Texas LegislativeSession in spring 2001, BCIteamed with the Sierra Club togain legislation to protect Texas’sbat colonies from exploitation bywild animal dealers. Bryan Sybert,natural resources director of theSierra Club of Texas, worked withBCI’s Barbara French, BobBenson, and representatives fromthe Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment to write the bill. Co-sponsored by State Senator Jeff

Wentworth and Representative EdmundKuempel, the bill passed in May and pro-hibits hunting or selling bats, or disturbingtheir natural roosts, without a permit.

Texas’s House of Representatives alsopassed a resolution honoring BCI Founder and President, Dr. Merlin Tuttle.Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones introduced House Resolution No. 1008 onMay 16, 2001, recognizing his many years ofbat conservation efforts in Texas.

CONSERVATION

Cattle ranchers in Hondurasreceived posters and brochuresthat explained the differencebetween vampire bats and benefi-cial insect-eating bats. They alsoreceived bat houses to providehabitat for beneficial bats thatlive and feed near their ranches.

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Texas law now prohibits huntingor selling bats, or disturbing theirnatural roosts, without a permit.

The Mexican free-tailed bat, a species of extraordinaryvalue to farmers, is among those to benefit from newlegal protection gained in 2001.

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The GlobalGrassroots Bat

Conservation Fund isfunded in part by:

Beneficia Foundation,Charlie & LaelChester, Disney

Wildlife ConservationFund, and BCI

Members.


FEATURED BATS

Mexican fishing bat (Myotis vivesi),Conservation, page 7

Rafinesque’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinusrafinesquii), Conservation, page 7, and

Research, page 19

big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Conservation, page 12

D’Orbigny’s round-eared bat (Tonatiasylvicola), Conservation, page 10

brown big-eared bat (Plecotus auritus),Research, page 24

little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus),Conservation, page 12

Keen’s myotis (Myotis keenii),Conservation, page 6

white fruit bat (Ectophylla alba),Conservation, page 10

Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Research, page 21

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ARTIFICIAL HABITAT

Through expansion of human popula-tions, vast numbers of snags, caves, andother natural roosts have been lost, makingdevelopment of artificial roosts essential forthe recovery of many species. Through the Bats in American Bridges program,BCI has worked since 1994 to provide roost-ing spaces in bridges throughout the U.S.and beyond.

Texas Department of TransportationEngineer Mark Bloschock, a former BCI work-shop participant, has developed specialbridge and culvert designs that serve as batroosts at no extra cost to taxpayers. In May2000, the Texas Department ofTransportation received the U.S. Departmentof Transportation’s Design for TransportationAward 2000, recognizing Bloschock’s inno-vative, bat-friendly culvert design near

Laredo in south Texas. Bloschock acceptedthe award in Washington, D.C., along withMelissa Montemayor, Laredo’s district envi-ronmental coordinator. The project alsoreceived Texas’s state award for environmen-tal excellence in December 2000.

While the formal project concluded lastyear, following completion of the resourcepublication Bats in American Bridges, BCIhas forged lasting relationships with trans-portation departments across America. Wecontinue to advise researchers and engineerson bat-friendly bridge designs and facilitatecooperation among transportation depart-ments on an international scale.

The North American Bat HouseResearch Project began in 1993. Throughour continent-wide network of volunteerResearch Associates, BCI has been able toextensively test bat house design and place-ment needs to better understand bat require-ments. This year, program leaders Mark andSelena Kiser received 657 reports from Research Associates in 36 states,Washington, D.C., three Canadianprovinces, and the Cayman Islands. Bathouse research has led to a 38 percentincrease in success since 1995, and nurseryhouses at least 25 inches tall are now achiev-ing 85 percent occupancy. Improvements indesigns and placement techniques have contributed to this increase and greatly benefited bats. For a full report on year 2000results, please visit BCI’s Web site,www.batcon.org.

This year, we completed the new video,Building Homes for Bats, which features peo-ple who have successfully used bat housesto reduce yard and crop pests, outlines thekeys to attracting bats, and dispels greatlyexaggerated public health concerns.

BCI initiated an innovative new researchproject in June to assist species requiringextra large tree hollows that are nowextremely scarce. Thanks to the special assis-

Linda Litowsky, HenryMiller, and Jim Bowenwith L&M Productionsprepare to film a sequenceof Building Homes forBats. The film crew trav-eled the U.S. with Dr.Merlin Tuttle to document the importance of batsand bat houses.

RESEARCH

Nursery houses at

least 25 inchestall are nowachieving 85

percent occupancy.

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Mark Kiser, Coordinator for theNorth American Bat HouseResearch Project, inspects a hol-low tree on the Avalon Plantationin Florida for the presence of bats.

Rangers at South Mountains State Park in North Carolina supervise construction of an experimental culvert designed to mimic natural roosts in large tree cavities.

RESEARCH

tance of BCI Founder’s Circle member WalterSedgwick, three concrete culverts weremounted vertically on concrete foundationsin his Bar M Plantation swampland inGeorgia. The culverts mimic natural roosts inhollow tupelo trees and are designed toattract Rafinesque’s big-eared bats(Corynorhinus rafinesquii) and southeasternmyotis (Myotis austroriparius). Similarroosts have also been constructed at twosites in North Carolina state parks. Otherinstallations are in progress.

At South Mountains State Park in NorthCarolina, Ranger Jeremy Harrill supervisedplacement of the first two culvert roosts onpark property in early June 2001. Althoughthe design is experimental, BCI and parkstaff are hoping that the hollow culverts willprovide a safe, alternative roost for a colonyof big-eared bats now living in an abandonedbuilding that must be removed.

© Elaine Acker, BCI \ 916-5402

The North AmericanBat House ResearchProject is funded in

part by:Jeff and Helen

Acopian, IslandFoundation, Sue Ellen

Young Knolle,Magnolia Charitable

Trust, OrganicFarming Research

Foundation, WalterSedgwick,

WeyerhaeuserFoundation, and1,300 Research

Associates worldwide.

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RESEARCH

GREATER LONG-NOSED BAT HABITAT

The recovery plan for endangered greaterlong-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis),issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicein 1994, identified the need for locating andprotecting roosts and foraging habitat alongthis species’ migratory route between north-ern Mexico and Texas’s Big Bend region.Greater long-nosed bats rely heavily on nec-tar and pollen from agave plants for foodand, as pollinators, these bats help maintainthe fragile desert ecosystem.

In January 2001, principal researchersBrian Keeley and Dr. Arnulfo Moreno, one ofBCI’s scientific advisors, conducted aerial

surveys in the Chisos, Chinati, Davis, Glassand other mountain ranges in West Texas.Assisted by Angela England, they foundstands of agaves believed to be large enoughto support summer populations of greaterlong-nosed bats, and based on these results,BCI began working with landowners to iden-tify potential summer roosting habitat.

BCI staff and colleagues met withlandowners along the Texas-Mexico borderand provided information to help raiseawareness about migratory nectar bats andtheir unique needs. As the study continues,researchers will locate and monitor batroosts and make land management recom-mendations to help long-nosed bats recover.

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

BCI Scientific Advisor Dr. GaryMcCracken, a professor at the University ofTennessee, has been studying Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) since1981. In collaboration with Dr. JohnWestbrook, with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture in College Station, Texas,McCracken has demonstrated that Mexicanfree-tailed bats consume massive quantitiesof cotton bollworm moths (also known ascorn earworm moths) as they migrate at highaltitudes from Mexico to the U.S. Thesemoths cause approximately a billion dollarsin crop damage each year. BCI continues tosupport McCracken’s research because of itssignificance in documenting the enormousvalue of bats to agriculture.

This year, Dr. Allyson Walsh, BCI’s science and research director, joinedMcCracken’s team in an agricultural regionnear Uvalde, Texas, where they used sophis-

As pollinators, these bats help maintain the fragile desert

ecosystem

The study of endangered greater long-nosed bat needs began in early 2001 with aerial sur-veys. Healthy stands of agave plants are necessary to support these bats during migrationbetween the U.S. and Mexico.

This research is funded in part by:National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,Texas Parks and Wildlife Department USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, and

BCI Members.

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ticated electronics to document bat andmoth activity in corn and cotton fields.Preliminary findings indicate that mothsavoid fields where ultrasonic, simulated batcalls are broadcast, and that healthy bat pop-ulations are essential in protecting agricultur-al crops. As the study continues, theresearch will contribute to larger-scale effortsto document the economic value of Mexicanfree-tailed bats (for more information seeAgriBats Workshop, page 9).

INDIANA BAT HIBERNATION ROOSTS

The Federally endangered Indiana bat(Myotis sodalis) is one of the most rapidlydeclining species in North America.Originally numbering in the tens of millions,only about 350,000 remain. To survive winter, when food supplies are scarce,Indiana bats depend on hibernation sites inparticularly cold and stable caves and mines.Unfortunately, most traditional hibernationcaves have been negatively impacted by cave commercialization, saltpeter mining, andrecreational visitation, causing dramatic population declines.

With a goal of reversing this trend, BCIbegan studying the hibernation require-ments of Indiana bats in 1998, monitoring15 caves and mines in Illinois, Indiana,Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia.In collaboration with the USDA ForestService, the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service,and other wildlife biologists, BCI is workingto determine the best roosting temperaturesfor hibernation, in hopes of re-establishingpopulations at key sites that have beenaltered by human use.

The study has expanded to 23 sites innine states and now includes Arkansas,

Dr. Gary McCracken uses sophisticated electronics to document bat and moth activity in cornfields near Uvalde, Texas. Corn earworm moths are one of America’s most costly crop pestsand his research is demonstrating the value of Mexican free-tailed bats to agriculture as pri-mary predators of these insects.

Agricultural studies are funded in part by:Augusta Wallace Lyons, Potts and Sibley

Foundation, and BCI Members.

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Dr. Neville Michie (left), a cavemicroclimate specialist fromAustralia, and BCI’s Jim Kennedymeasure airflow, important formaintaining appropriate hiberna-tion temperatures, at SaltpetreCave in Carter Caves State ResortPark in Kentucky.

Pennsylvania, and New York. Dr. MerlinTuttle and Jim Kennedy, BCI’s cave resourcesspecialist, have worked with biologists andland managers to compare temperature andhumidity data at roosts of stable versusdeclining populations. Data analysis frommore than 100 dataloggers has enabled BCIto characterize caves as “ideal” or “margin-al” hibernation sites for Indiana bats. Thisinformation is currently providing a basis forrestoration of caves with entrances or passages that have been altered by humanactivities.

The Indiana bat’s needs are so specializedthat variations of only two to three degreescan have a serious negative effect. WhenGreat Scott Cave, in Missouri, was first gatedin 1978, 70,000 bats used the cave for hiber-nation. Unfortunately, a second, smallerentrance was sealed and temperatures insiderose more than 6º F (3.6º C) causing the bat

population to plummet by 80 percent. AfterBCI identified the problem two years ago,the smaller entrance was reopened andrequired roost temperatures have beenrestored. Researchers now hope that thecolony will recover.

Roost stains in Kentucky’s Saltpetre Cavesuggest that hundreds of thousands ofIndiana bats once overwintered there, butsaltpeter mining and commercializationapparently destroyed most of its bats, whileapproximately 10,000 survived by movinginto a less suitable cave nearby. Winter tourswere cancelled in Saltpetre Cave during the1999 and 2000 seasons, and the bats have increased from 475 in 1999 to 1,225last winter.

Temperatures in Saltpetre Cave are stable,yet still slightly higher than ideal because ofpassage and entrance alterations. To deter-mine how to restore the bats’ required tem-

The Indiana bat’sneeds are so

specialized thatvariations of only

two to threedegrees can have

a serious negative effect.

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RESEARCH

peratures, BCI contracted with Dr. NevilleMichie, of Australia, to perform a completestudy of the cave’s microclimate. Michie andKennedy have just completed the most thor-ough study ever conducted of a cave microclimate in the U.S. The equations andmodels Michie develops will help resourcemanagers make informed decisions regardingrestoration of this and other cave habitats.

Virginia’s Rocky Hollow Cave was onceone of the most significant hibernation sitesin the Appalachian Mountains, providingshelter for hundreds of thousands of hibernating Indiana bats. Popular with recreational visitors, the cave’s bats hadnearly disappeared before a bat-friendly gatewas provided at the entrance in 1999.Temperatures are currently ideal for hiberna-tion, but future logging could inadvertentlyblock critical surface openings and adverselyalter the cave’s temperature. To guardagainst this, BCI has assisted the VirginiaSpeleological Survey in an intensive map-ping project of the cave’s interior as well assurface surveys of the surrounding area toidentify small openings that may be criticalto the cave’s microclimate. The USDA ForestService is actively pursuing purchase of thisproperty to further ensure long-term protec-tion.

In April, BCI, the USDA Forest Service,the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, theUniversity of Kentucky, the Northeast BatWorking Group, and the Southeastern BatDiversity Network jointly sponsored theIndiana Bat Symposium in Lexington,Kentucky–the first symposium ever to focusspecifically on the causes of decline andrecovery measures needed for this criticallyendangered species. At the symposium,Tuttle and Kennedy presented their findingson the key role of altered hibernation temperatures, and these will be publishedwith the papers of other researchers in thesymposium proceedings.

Dr. Neville Michie measures airflow in a passage in Saltpetre Cave, Kentucky, using a custom-built micro-anemometer.

Indiana bat research is funded in part by:Barkley Fund, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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RESEARCH

SCHOLARSHIPSSince 1990, BCI has awarded 132 schol-

arships supporting students in conservation-relevant research in 33 countries. Thisspring, BCI awarded research scholarships to23 students in 15 countries. Projects rangefrom studies of bat dependence on old-growth redwoods of the U.S. to bat habitatneeds in Panamanian cloud forests.

Last year’s recipients are already reportingmany successes. Steffen Watzke is studyingthe pollination role of long-tongued fruitbats (Macroglossus minimus) in PeninsularMalaysia. A student at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany,he is conducting fieldwork in Kuala SelangorNature Park and in the mangroves along theSungai Selangor River near the village ofKampong Kuantan. His research is helpingdocument the critical role of these bats in

maintaining the exceptional biodiversity ofmangrove ecosystems, as well as their eco-nomic role as pollinators of Durian treeswhose fruits sell for more than 120 milliondollars annually.

Two-time scholarship recipient Ben Vander Wijden is a student at the University ofAntwerp in Belgium. He is researching tem-peratures of natural roosts in tree cavitiesand experimenting with artificial cavitydesigns. Tree cavities are scarce in the mostintensively managed western Europeanforests, and he is using his research todesign new, alternative roosts for displacedbats. His research benefits brown big-earedbats (Plecotus auritus), Daubenton’s myotis(Myotis daubentonii), and Natterer’s myotis(Myotis nattereri), and establishes a founda-tion for bat-friendly forestry practices.

In the Philippines, Tammy Mildenstein

© Steffen Watzke, BCI

Steffen Watzke measures thenectar volume in a Sonneratiacaseolaris flower as part of hisstudy of long-tongued fruit batsin Peninsular Malaysia.


RESEARCH

is working with her husband, Sam Stier, toconserve the remaining populations ofendangered golden-capped fruit bats(Acerodon jubatus) and large flying foxes(Pteropus vampyrus). By radio-tracking batsin Subic Bay’s lowland forests and documenting the bats’ roosting and feedingpatterns, the couple is providing essentialbaseline data for future conservation efforts.They also have worked to educate local residents and businesses about the impor-tance of the bats. As a result, a former bathunter has begun bat education programs,Shell Oil has agreed to incorporate plantsimportant to bats into an extensive habitatrestoration project, and a local hotel hasestablished a bat observation area to promote ecotourism.

Tammy Mildenstein holds an orphaned large flying fox (the world’s largest bat)whose mother was killed by hunters. Former hunter Nonoy Morilao, who nowconducts educational programs about bats, raised the orphaned baby.

Ben Van der Wijden, of Belgium,checks the internal temperature ofan experimental, artificial treecavity.

Student scholarships are funded in part by:Bamberger Ranch Conservancy, John David

and Signey Eaton Foundation, MerrillFoundation, Oracle Corporation, and Verne

and Marion Read.

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GIFTS AND GRANTS

Foundations, Corporations, and Agencies

$10,000 AND ABOVE

AnonymousBass Foundation

Beneficia FoundationBoise Cascade Corporation

The Chapman and Merrill Foundations(Verne and Marion Read)

Disney Wildlife Conservation FundThe George Gund Foundation

Houston EndowmentIsland FoundationOracle Corporation

National Council for Air & Stream Improvement, Inc.

National Fish and Wildlife FoundationThe David and Lucile Packard

FoundationPotlatch

Plum Creek TimberSchuetz Family Trust

The Turner FoundationUSDI Bureau of Land Management

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyUSDI Fish and Wildlife ServiceUSDI U.S. Geological SurveyWallace Research Foundation

Weyerhaeuser FoundationThe Winslow Foundation

$5,000-$9,999Anonymous

Austin American-StatesmanBarkley Fund

The Lynde and Harry Bradley FoundationTim and Karen Hixon Foundation

Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesMichigan Nongame Wildlife Fund

Organic Farming Research FoundationPettersson Elektronik AB

Placer Dome Mining Company/Cortez Mines

The Potts and Sibley FoundationSierra Club Foundation (through the

generosity of Dr. & Mrs. Edgar Wayburn)USDI Bureau of Land Management-Oregon

Wildlife ForeverWillamette National Forest

Wray Charitable Trust


The Brown FoundationChevron

Chiroptera Cabin CompanyJohn David and Signey Eaton Foundation

Kittie and Rugeley Ferguson FamilyFoundation

Jacob and Terese Hershey FoundationIllinois Department of Natural Resources

IP Pacific TimberlandsHerb and Joan Kelleher Charitable

FoundationMagnolia Charitable TrustThe Leo Model Foundation

Phelps-DodgePort Blakely Tree Farms

Samsung Austin SemiconductorT&E, Inc.

USDI National Park ServiceValley View Hot Springs

Washington Fish and WildlifeLawrence and Sylvia Wong Foundation

Corporate MatchingAetna

AID Assoc. for LutheransAlliance Capital

American ExpressArthur Gallagher Foundation

Becton, Dickinson & Co.Champion International

Chase ManhattanCiena Corporation

Colorado TrustCompaq

Computer AssociatesDun & Bradstreet

EnronFannie Mae Foundation

Gannett FoundationGlaxoSmithKline

GraingerHallmark Corporate Foundation

IBMIllinois Tool Works

John HancockJ.P. Morgan Charitable Trust

Kimberly-ClarkLam ResearchLeo Burnett

Mallinckrodt, Inc

Merrill LynchMicrosoft

Morrison & FoersterNew England Business Service

NikeNYT Capital, Inc.

Packard FoundationPatagonia

Pepsi Bottling GroupPfizerPG&E

PrudentialSacramento Zoological Society

Square D FoundationSun Microsystems

TellabsUnited Technologies

UPSUS WestVerizon

Washington Post

Individuals and Families

$10,000 AND ABOVE

Jeff and Helen AcopianCharlie and Lael Chester

Mike CookJohn Curtiss

Augusta Wallace LyonsMaria Porta

Wilhelmina E. RobertsonLee J. Schmitt & Lori Delafield

$5,000-9,999Robert and Peggy GerrieSue Ellen Young Knolle

Anton Schindler


Kathleen AdkinsGene and Ellen Ames

Jim and Barbara BallardJ. David and Margaret BambergerElizabeth & Duncan Boeckman

Clarita H. BrightVirginia Bross

Patricia E. BrownLois Burris

Mrs. James CarrollEthel G. Carruth

Jessica CattoChapman Chester


TRUSTEES

Board of Trustees

Wilhelmina E. Robertson, ChairpersonPresident, Westview Development, Inc.,

and Cockspur, Inc.

John D. Mitchell, Vice ChairpersonHonorary Curator, New York Botanical Gardens

Peggy Phillips, SecretaryConservationist/Community Service Leader

Mark T. Ritter, TreasurerPartner, Maxwell, Locke & Ritter, P.C.

Verne R. Read, Chairman EmeritusPartner, Wisconsin Securities Partners

Jeff AcopianVice President, Acopian Technical Company

Mark A. AdkinsPresident, 1-800-TAXICAB, Inc.

Eugene L. Ames, Jr.Chairman, Venus Exploration, Inc.

Charles C. ChesterResearch Consultant, Henry P. Kendall Foundation

and Union of Concerned Scientists

Eugenio Clariond ReyesPresident, Grupo IMSA, S.A. de C.V.

Michael L. CookPartner, Jenkens & Gilchrist

Robert E. GerrieVice President, Merrill Lynch Consumer Markets

Joan KelleherTrustee, Joan & Herb Kelleher Charitable

Foundation

Travis MathisRancher and Trustee, Brown Family Fund

Scott McVayFounding Executive Director, Geraldine R. Dodge

Foundation

Thomas ReadPilot, American Airlines

Lee J. SchmittPresident, Schmitt Partners

Patsy StevesChairperson of the Board, Steves & Sons

and Crest Metal Doors

Merlin D. Tuttle, Ph.D. Founder and President, Bat Conservation

International, Inc.

Roy VaughanExecutive Director Emeritus, University of Texas

Ex-Students’ Association

Marc WeinbergerAttorney

Advisory Trustees

Andrew SansomExecutive Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Sharon R. ForsythFormer Director of Africa Programs, Conservation

International Foundation

Dr. D.J. Sibley, Jr.Chairman of Grants Committee, Potts and

Sibley Foundation

Scientific Advisory Board

Eduard Yavrouian, ArmeniaLeslie S. Hall, AustraliaGreg Richards, Australia

Bruce Thomson, AustraliaIrina K. Rahkmatulina, Azerbaijan

Wilson Uieda, BrazilM. Brock Fenton, CanadaJiri Gaisler, Czech RepublicUwe Schmidt, Germany

G. Marimuthu, IndiaShahroukh Mistry, India

Rodrigo A. Medellín, MexicoArnulfo Moreno-Valdez, MexicoHerman Limpens, Netherlands

Armando Rodriguez-Duran, Puerto RicoYa-Fu Lee, Taiwan

Paul A. Racey, United KingdomDenny G. Constantine, United States

Robert Currie, United StatesTheodore H. Fleming, United States

Thomas H. Kunz, United StatesGary F. McCracken, United States

Don E. Wilson, United StatesJosé R. Ochoa, Venezuela

Honorary Trustees

Gilbert M. GrosvenorChairman, National Geographic Society

Dr. Bernardo Villa-R.Instituto de Biologia, UNAM

Kerby E. ConferGreg ContasStewart Corn

Roberta CrenshawBrian Cysewski, Ph.D.

Gerald FranklinKindy French and Emanuel Friedman

Richard A. GarriottMartin and Susan GieseckeJames and Marj Godshalk

Robert GordonEd Harte

Joyce JohnstonMack and Charlotte Kidd

Joan KirkpatrickElysabeth KleinhansKristine Klewin, MD

Ann C. KnightJeff and Gail Kodosky

Carol LandsbergFrank LangbenEd Littlefield, Jr.

Beverly Rockhill and Joseph LoBuglioJohn D. Logan

Maggie Brandt and Albert LyonsHelen Mackensen

Peter MeekJohn and Beth Mitchell

Amy J. MunichJames and Ann Nelson

Heidi NitzeFrederick L. OttAnne L. Pattee

Liss Fain and Edmund PayneTerry C. PelsterNaomi PitcairnKathryn Powers

Sandy and Cindy ReadTom and Lisa Read

Mark and Agnes RitterDavid RobbinsRobert Rotella

Emily M. ScheuerJo Shouse

Wilhelmina R. SmithJulie Kelleher Stacy

Brad StanbackMrs. Marshall Steves

Ann StokesAdolph Suehsdorf

Mark TimmonsHenry O. Timnick

Lee TippettKaren Van DusenTonya Vaughan

Laurie West


FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, INC.As of May 31, 2001 (with summarized financial information as of May 31, 2000)

May 31, 2001 May 31, 2000ASSETS

Current Assets:Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 1,325,191 $ 757,344Marketable Securities at Fair Value 430,854 599,966Accounts and Grants Receivable 613,763 1,201,063Inventory 69,321 65,453Other Assets 27,859 10,600Deferred Expenses 347 2,184

Total Current Assets 2,439,476 2,626,010

Note Receivable 14,208 14,208

Closely Held Stock 102,315 102,315

Property, Plant and Equipment, net of accumulateddepreciation of $422,009 and $398,646 558,598 601,955

Real Property (Bat Habitat) 1,392,572 1,327,901

Permanently Restricted Assets: Marketable Securities at Fair Value 481,566 481,566

TOTAL ASSETS $ 4,988,735 $ 5,153,955

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETSCurrent Liabilities:

Accounts Payable and Accruals $ 122,589 $ 130,575Deferred Revenues 42,639 19,455Security Deposits and Prepaid Rent 21,264 3,336

Total Current Liabilities 186,492 153,366

Net Assets:Unrestricted 2,455,210 2,609,224Temporarily Restricted 1,865,467 1,909,799Permanently Restricted 481,566 481,566

Total Net Assets 4,802,243 5,000,589

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $ 4,988,735 $ 5,153,955

BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, INC.For the Year Ended May 31, 2001 (with summarized financial information for the year ended May 31, 2000)

May 31, 2001 May 31, 2000Temporarily Permanently

Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Total Total

PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE:Grants $ 112,130 $ 852,561 $ - $ 964,691 $ 1,097,000Memberships 655,998 - - 655,998 663,607 Donations 437,157 17,416 - 454,573 526,449Catalog sales, net of cost

of $181,204 and $195,733 52,336 - - 52,336 64,001 Investment Income 59,847 - - 59,847 115,786 Miscellaneous Income 35,856 39,012 - 74,868 87,064 Education/Workshops Income 42,465 2,060 - 44,525 91,689 Rental Income 62,991 - - 62,991 56,687 Royalty Income 21,217 - - 21,217 19,912

Net Assets Released from RestrictionsRestrictions satisfied by payments 955,381 (955,381) - -

Total Public Support and Revenue 2,435,378 (44,332) - 2,391,046 2,722,195

EXPENSES:Program Services:

Education 762,911 - - 762,911 809,180 Science and Conservation 1,468,510 - - 1,468,510 1,139,771

Total Program Expenses 2,231,421 - - 2,231,421 1,948,951

Supporting Services:Administrative 181,210 - - 181,210 178,144 Fund Raising 176,761 - - 176,761 229,042

Total Supporting Services 357,971 - - 357,971 407,186

Total Expenses 2,589,392 - - 2,589,392 2,356,137

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS (154,014) (44,332) - (198,346) 366,058

Net Assets at Beginning of Year 2,609,224 1,909,799 481,566 5,000,589 4,634,531

Net Assets at End of Year $ 2,455,210 $ 1,865,467 $ 481,566 $ 4,802,243 $ 5,000,589

Complete, audited financials are available by writing to BCI at the address shown on the back cover.

Combined Statement of Financial Position

Combined Statement of Activities


SUPPORT AND REVENUE

Expenses:

Education29.5%

Science & Conservation

56.7%

Administration7.0%

Fundraising6.8%

Executive StaffMerlin Tuttle, Ph.D.President & Founder

Steve WalkerExecutive Director

Linda MooreDirector of Administration & Finance

Pat LuddenExecutive Assistant

DevelopmentNicole DaspitDenise Meikel

MembershipAmy McCartneyMary Priddy

PublicationsElaine AckerElysia Davis

Public InformationBob BensonRebecca Rooney

Visual ResourcesSandra ForstonKristin Hay

Education, Conservation,and Research ProgramsJohn Bowles, Ph.D.Sheryl DucummonAngela EnglandBarbara FrenchCullen GeiselmanJulie JenkinsBrian KeeleyJim KennedyMark KiserSelena KiserDan TaylorJanet TyburecAllyson Walsh, Ph.D.Faith Watkins

Computers, Web SiteBryan Ockert

Administrative SupportMarianne AustinDarla HogbergCarolyn KellyAndrew Puntch

Revenues:

STAFF

Grants40.3%

Memberships27.4%

Donations19.0%

Investments, Royalties & Misc.

9.2%

Catalog Net Revenue

2.2%

Education/Workshops

1.9%

Bat Conservation InternationalPO Box 162603Austin, Tx 78716-26033 USA

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE PAID

AUSTIN, TEXASPERMIT NO. 1530

For More Information Contact:

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF? Husband, wife, mother, father, friend,nature-lover, athlete, photographer, veteran, concerned citizen? Howabout adding philanthropist to the list? Most of us believe that to be a“real” philanthropist you have to have millions of dollars. Wrong.

The truth is you don’t have to be a Rockefeller to have a lastingimpact on an organization or cause. Through planned giving, any of us can leave a legacy that helps the cause we believe in long after we’re gone.

At Bat Conservation International, we have a growing group of members in our Legacy Circle—people who are making a lasting commitment to protecting bats through planned giving. The majority ofthese folks don’t consider themselves rich, they just want to help createlasting solutions to long-term bat conservation challenges. Please consider joining them.

There are many planned giving options (too many to name here),including making a bequest to BCI in your will, establishing gift annuities and trusts, or making BCI the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. Your financial advisor can help direct you to the plan that best fitsyour needs for today and tomorrow.

Using planned giving, our Legacy Circle members are in control ofhow their gifts are used. Some choose to help build BCI’s Endowment,a carefully managed fund that permanently supports BCI education,conservation, and research. Others choose to support specific projectssuch as our Global Grassroots Bat Conservation Fund or student researchscholarships. At BCI, we work with our planned giving donors to ensurethat the legacy they create at BCI matches their vision.

BCI’s development staff would be pleased to confer with you or yourfinancial advisor about planned giving. Please call or write for an information packet to help you get started. By joining the Legacy Circle,you are ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come.

PHIL ANTHROPY 101

Bat Conservation InternationalDenise Meikel

Director of DevelopmentP.O. Box 162603Austin, TX 78716

512-327-9721 ext. [email protected]

bat conservation international

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