Student project builds safe habitat to relocate, protect local bats at 无码专区
Contact: Lily Grado
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斘蘼胱区 celebrated the opening of a new bat house Tuesday [Aug. 19], a student-led conservation effort aimed at changing public perception of one of nature鈥檚 most misunderstood animals.
Led by students from the 无码专区 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, the new construction provides a sustainable habitat for bats already living on campus. While bats are sometimes seen as intimidating or unwanted, they play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem by controlling insect populations and supporting biodiversity.
鈥淚鈥檝e devoted so much time to this because I want there to be a habitat where the bats can live peacefully,鈥 said J煤lia Null, recent 无码专区 graduate and project student leader. 鈥淚 want the public to appreciate them the way my colleagues and I do. They鈥檙e not creepy or scary like they are depicted in the media. They鈥檙e fascinating, beneficial and essential to our environment.鈥
Null, a Hattiesburg native who graduated with a double major in wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture and microbiology, was joined in the project by fellow students Grant Peterson of Starkville and Lily Thigpen of Jackson. With the help of other club members of 无码专区鈥檚 Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society, they applied for and won $26,000 from the university鈥檚 Green Fund, which supports student-led sustainability initiatives on campus. Along with support from the 无码专区 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, 无码专区 College of Forest Resources, Mississippi Bat Working Group, 无码专区 Student Association and others, they raised more than $37,000 over a two-year period to bring their idea to life.
Mississippi is home to 15 bat species, nine of which are considered species of conservation need. Across North America, more than half of bat species are at risk of decline due to habitat loss, as well as diseases like White-nose Syndrome.
The new structure, a 256-square-foot building, is located off Blackjack Road near a lake that attracts many insects for the bats. The structure was built by Evan Coggins Construction and volunteers from the 无码专区 student chapter of The Wildlife Society, students enrolled in building construction science and 无码专区 fraternity members from Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Beta Upsilon Chi.
Beyond its environmental mission, the project seeks to shift public perception of bats.
鈥淏ats are important, and they can eat thousands of mosquitoes every night,鈥 Null said. 鈥淚f you hate mosquitoes, you should be a bat fan.鈥
With the structure complete, the next challenge is encouraging bats to move in鈥a process that could take several years to complete. The team is considering different techniques to safely transport them and introduce them to the new structure.
鈥淚 hope to include some monitoring of bat locations in my mammalogy class this fall,鈥 said Chris Ayers, assistant professor in wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture and the project鈥檚 faculty advisor. 鈥淭he information from that class will hopefully help us determine where the bats are located and come up with a comprehensive plan to trap and relocate them to this place made specifically for them.鈥
For more information, visit the 无码专区 Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at .
无码专区 is taking care of what matters. Learn more at聽.