Biden-Harris Administration Held Offshore Wind Energy Auction
The Department of the Interior held the first-ever offshore wind energy auction for the Gulf of Mexico region, resulting in one lease area receiving a high bid of $5.6 million. RWE Offshore US Gulf, LLC was the winner of the Lake Charles Lease Area, which has the potential to generate approximately 1.24 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity and power nearly 435,400 homes with clean, renewable energy.
Live Feed at Bracken Cave
Bat Conservation International (BCI) and Explore.org have launched the first-ever 24-hour live stream of the 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roosting in San Antonio’s Bracken Cave, Earth’s largest known colony of bats. Viewers worldwide can now witness the jaw-dropping “batnado” — the emergence of millions of bats as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunts.
The RWSC Draft Science Plan is Available for Comment
RWSC Science Plan The Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) has released the Draft Integrated Science Plan for Wildlife, Habitat, and Offshore Wind Energy in U.S. Atlantic Waters for review and comment. The Plan describes recommendations for data collection, research, and coordination compiled by expert subcommittees. Comments are due 30 September 2023.
Canada's Ministerial on Nature
On August 23, 2023, on the margins of the Global Environment Facility Assembly meetings, Canada organized a Ministerial on Nature to advance global momentum on biodiversity and the implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), following its historic adoption at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Biden-Harris Administration Launches Water Recycling Program
The Department of the Interior announced the launch of a new large-scale water recycling program and made $180 million in initial funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law available for projects aimed at creating new water supplies that are less vulnerable to drought and climate change. The new program will incentivize projects at a larger scale, with no cap on project size, and will play an important role in helping communities develop local, drought-resistant water supplies by turning unusable water sources into clean, reliable ones.
October 2023 NABat Community of Practice call: Using Passive Integrated Transponders [PIT Tags] to Study Bats.
We'll be featuring two ongoing projects that have now surpassed the 10-year mark. Theresa Laverty with New Mexico State University will describe the collaborative effort to study patterns of habitat use and movement of Lesser Long-nosed Bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Jeremy Siemers and Rob Schorr with Colorado Natural Heritage Program will share their work investigating population dynamics of summer Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) colonies in northern Colorado pre- and post-Pd.
If you want to be added to the distribution list for NABat CoP calls, please reach out to Andrea Schuhmann.
Conferences
September 18-22: 7th Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts (CWW 2023), Šibenik, Croatia September 24-27: NAAMLP Conference 2023, Chicago, Illinois October 11-14: Annual North American Society for Bat Research Symposium, Winnipeg, Manitoba October 30–November 1: North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA)/WindTech 2023 Conference, Denver, Colorado
Check out the NABat Events page for a complete list of training webinars, meeting links, and all other upcoming events!
Senior Biologist - Project Manager
We are looking for a full-time Senior Biologist/Wildlife Biologist/Ecologist - Project Manager to manage work in the Midwest Region, ideally located in the Indianapolis/Bloomington area in Indiana. Since 1990, WEST has grown to be one of the premier environmental and statistical consulting firms in the United States. WEST has a permanent core of professionals with broad experience in basic and applied ecological studies and the sophisticated analysis of natural resource data.
Environmental Bat Biologist
Timmons Group is seeking an Environmental Bat Biologist for our Environmental Group located in our Richmond, VA office. The Bat Biologist will lead and conduct acoustic and/or mist-net surveys for bats, analyze and organize data and produce reports documenting findings. Once documentation is complete, the biologist will be responsible for any necessary coordination/authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) an/or appropriate state agencies as it pertains to the overall project.
Senior Consultant, Bat Biologist (Mid - Level)
ERM is hiring a Senior Consultant, Bat Biologist for projects in the eastern U.S. Biologists will plan for, lead, and conduct acoustic or mist-net surveys for bats and analyze bat recordings, organize data, and produce reports documenting findings. In addition to bat surveys, the ideal candidate will have experience with other protected species surveys with an emphasis on protected species in the eastern U.S., and wetland delineations. This is a leadership role requiring strong technical, leadership, organizational, and communication skills that may require some field work.
Consultant, Bat Biologist (Mid - Level)
ERM is hiring a Consultant, Bat Biologist for projects in the eastern U.S. Biologists will plan for, lead, and conduct acoustic or mist-net surveys for bats and analyze bat recordings, organize data, and produce reports documenting findings. In addition to bat surveys, the ideal candidate will have experience with other protected species surveys with an emphasis on protected species in the eastern U.S., and wetland delineations. This is a field leadership role requiring strong technical, leadership, organizational, and communication skills.
Bat Survey Coordinator
Bat Survey Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and leading annual summer acoustic surveys and mist net surveys for bat species covered by the MDC Bat Habitat Conservation Plan, including Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats, tricolored bats and little brown bats.
October's Featured Resource: NABat Office Hours
In lieu of live training webinars, as the NABat Coordinating Office has hosted in the past, we encourage you to visit our video library of virtual trainings to study-up on your topic or issue of interest. In addition to supplying these pre-recorded videos and written guidance that you can explore at your convenience, we will be hosting virtual office hour sessions this fall. The NABat Technical Outreach Team and NABat Hub Coordinators will be available to help answer your questions and troubleshoot issues you are struggling with.
NABat Office Hours:
During these sessions, we welcome all questions, including those related to planning your project, processing and attributing acoustic files, prepping and uploading data (all survey types included), etc. In advance of our office hour sessions, please do your homework: visit our resources page and quick links to access guidance and training videos in advance of these sessions and come ready with your list questions or issues.
In case you missed it, last month we debuted a comprehensive collection of new training videos and recorded workshops! Streamline your learning experience with the newly incorporated timestamped table of contents at the beginning of each video. Whether you're just starting with NABat or already an experienced participant, these resources are overflowing with valuable insights aligned with NABat's mission and methods. Seize this opportunity to bolster your skills and understanding.
Still have questions? Users who need project guidance or assistance are encouraged to book an appointment or reach out to our Technical Monitoring team for consultation.
In Memoriam: Chester Martin
Chester Martin passed away peacefully in his home in Vicksburg, MS on August 27, 2023. There will be a Memorial Service at Hawkins United Methodist Church in Vicksburg, MS on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Visitation will be at 11:00 am, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 12:00 pm and a gathering for lunch and sharing memories at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers can provide memorials in the form of donations sent to the nature societies that Chester supported in life (Bat Conservation International, The Oceans Conservancy [with note to use for protection of the Gulf of Mexico], The Nature Conservancy and The Wildlife Society) or the American Heart Association.
Chester was a long-time fixture at Southeastern Bat Diversity Network events and was instrumental in establishing and guiding the Mississippi Bat Working Group, one of the first state working groups ever formed. Chester’s contributions to the Working Group were memorialized in the Chester O. Martin Memorial Award, with Chester receiving the first award in 2006. In 2019 Chester received the Lifetime Achievement Award from SBDN (sbdn.org/awards). Chester was an outstanding artist and generously donated his artwork to raise funds for wildlife conservation. Chester leaves a legacy of mentorship of numerous mammalogists, advancing bat conservation in the southeastern U.S. and on military lands, and for his kind, compassionate demeanor.
Chester, his achievements, and his legacy will be celebrated during the 2024 SBDN Conference. Chester will be deeply missed.
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