Thread by @realscientists

Before we take flight with loads of bat info, I’d like to introduce myself & share a little about what it’s like getting to work with bats all around the world! Short answer: it’s AWESOME!

Check out a video from @CBSUnstoppable for some of what I do as a bat conservationist!

I get asked A LOT how I got started in #BatConservation. My journey began as a kid, when I relished watching for #bats during night hikes with my @girlscouts troop. Then in 6th grade I built and put up bat houses for my #SilverAward project. It’s never too early to get started!

Speaking of #BatHouses, check out these links for info on what makes a good bat house, tips for installation, and how to buy or build your own. (More bat house info to come later this week!):
batcon.org/about-bats/bat…

batmanagement.com/collections/ho…

habitatforbats.org/bat-house-faq/

@xsuzi00

After my first bat experience in 6th grade, I studied Zoology @OhioWesleyan & worked as a field assistant studying pest control services of #bats in Texas pecan orchards. Bats eat pecan pests, protecting the crops & saving farmers money!


@TexasFarmBureau

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I did my Honors Thesis on species’ preferences for #BatHouse design. I tested two types of bat houses in Texas: standard 4-chamber nursery houses and rocket boxes (both built from plans provided in @BatConIntl's Bat House Builder’s Handbook).

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I used thermal imaging cameras to monitor the bats' investigatory behavior at the houses & conduct evening emergence counts. In this thermal video, you can see their morning swarming around the houses when they socialize before re-entering for the day.

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] In this thermal video, you can see the bats' "touch and go" behavior as they check out the rocket box #BatHouse. Excitingly for me, they then climb inside the open bottom and spend their days inside sleeping, socializing, and grooming!

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I also set up infrared cameras near the bat houses to watch them come out and count how many were roosting in each house. Each of these houses can hold several hundred bats that eat pest insects like mosquitoes and agricultural pests.

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] Evening bats loved the rocket boxes, perhaps because they resemble their natural roosts (tree cavities). Mexican free-tailed bats liked the standard houses at first, but eventually also moved into the rocket boxes. Look at all of them coming out!

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] After college, I spent a year in South Australia on a @FulbrightPrgrm Fellowship studying the critically endangered Southern bent-wing bat in Naracoorte Caves National Park. Below are some photos inside Bat Cave.

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I used thermal cameras & an automated tracking system to do population counts at a maternity cave. While this may look like a lot of bats, the species has seen drastic declines over several decades. How many bats do you think live in this cave? Post below!

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] In 2014, I started my #PhD at the @universityofga’s @UGAICON program. I spent 6 years studying endangered pollinating bats in northeast Mexico that feed on agave nectar (which, by the way, we use to make #TEQUILA!).

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] Endangered Mexican long-nosed bats rely on the nectar of agave plants to fuel their 700+ mile annual migration. Agaves, in turn, rely on these bats for pollination. AND people throughout Mexico harvest agaves for many important cultural and economic uses.

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] The bats are losing their foraging habitat due to threats like land conversion, so my interdisciplinary PhD used natural & social sciences to understand how we can work w/ Mexican communities to protect agaves for both bats & people
icon.uga.edu/wp-content/upl…

Some solutions? Farmers can plant agaves to control soil erosion in their fields, and these agaves can flower & feed the bats. Ranchers can grow agaves to feed their livestock during drought & let some flower for bats. Win-win! Read more on my website:
kristenlear.wixsite.com/batconservatio…

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] Also, check out this short documentary by @danote_ about Mexican long-nosed bats and the conservation work of @MurciRed and other collaborators in northeast Mexico:


#BatConservation #Bats

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] Now I work as an Endangered Species Interventions Specialist @BatConIntl coordinating our Agave Restoration Initiative across the US Southwest & northern Mexico to protect these endangered pollinating bats and people's livelihoods:

batcon.org/our-work/prote…

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I also train members of the public to lead community #bat walks through @BatConIntl's Bat Walks Program:
batcon.org/our-work/inspi…

If you're at a nature center, zoo, etc. and are interested in bringing this program to YOUR community, feel free to reach out!

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] One of the most important parts of being a bat conservationist (in my opinion) is outreach & education. I do a TON of bat community presentations, events, and kid’s activities because bats need people to be their voices! 🦇

#Bats #BatConservation

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] I also lead community #BatHouse projects & building workshops so folks can see how fun & easy it can be! Check out the #AthensBatConnection website to learn about a project in Athens, GA with @SustainableUga & @GeorgiaWild

athensbatconnection.wordpress.com

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] A really fun way that I love to promote #bat awareness and spark conversations is through bat fashion! My bat wardrobe is deep, with over 10 years of curation😉 I'm happy to provide recommendations for places to get bat swag!

#ScienceFashion #STEMFashion

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] An important aspect of my life is supporting the next generation of scientists. If I can inspire even 1 kid to go into #BatConservation, my work will be complete! Check out amazing #WomenInSTEM at the @aaas @IfThenSheCan Collection!
ifthencollection.org

[Tweet by @BatsForLife] Thanks for following what I do as a bat conservationist! I'm signing off for the night, but will be back tomorrow to chat #BATS!

In the meantime, feel free to follow on Instagram (instagram.com/batsforlife_kr…) & TikTok (tiktok.com/@batsforlife_k…)

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇