Connecting Farmers & Ranchers to Innovative Technology in Bat Conservation

Bats are one of the most ecologically and economically important wildlife taxa worldwide, and also one of the most threatened. Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, consuming countless agricultural and forest pests nightly and directly reducing pesticide use, while preventing North American agricultural losses estimated at more than $3.7 billion per year. Project activities will bring bat conservation technologies, skills, and knowledge to partners and producers, simultaneously improving outcomes for pollinating and pest-consuming bat species in the United States with specific benefits to agricultural production. Comprehensive outreach will be conducted in eight targeted states with a collection of sound, tested, innovative bat conservation best practices for wind Energy development, biofuel crop production, mine/well closures, wildlife Habitat monitoring, water for wildlife, and integrated pest management.