If you hear more people talking about bats in Northern Colorado, it’s not just because Halloween is around the corner. The annual North American Symposium on Bat Research is happening in Fort Collins this week, and bat researchers and enthusiasts have a jam-packed schedule to learn about the winged mammals.
“So many years ago, this group of researchers and biologists were just like, ‘Hey, there's this understudied group of taxa that we really think is great for the environment that do cool things, so let's lean into that,'” Riley Bernard, conference program director and associate professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming, said.
No bats will be in attendance. But nearly 400 people are traveling from all over the world to talk about them. Presentations and workshops include how to track them with tags and acoustics, how wind energy affects their migration, and how white nose syndrome and other threats are impacting their existence.
There are more than 1,500 species of bats worldwide, and more are still being found. That means each type can be hard to study. Tanya Dewey, a CSU professor and one of the conference hosts, said having all these researchers in one room is a big boon for the winged mammals.
“We know so little about them,” Dewey said. “It feels like a way to really make an impact. And once you meet bats and get to know them, they're really truly fascinating and inspiring.”
Plus, the conference would not be complete without a bat flash tattoo station or a bat printmaking pop-up, both hosted by local artists. They will also be serving bat beers brewed by Stodgy Brewing Company.
“Most of us have bat swag,” Bernard said. “I just got my first bat tattoo. We have art in my house that has bats everywhere.”
Dewey said Fort Collins is a great place for the conference since the city is already a bat research hub. It’s home to the North American Bat Monitoring Program run by USGS out of the Fort Collins Science Center, along with several other local and state programs.
“There has (also) been this longstanding tradition of the Batty Friday afternoon club,” Dewey said. “It’s a rich community. (We’re) working in the field together, staying in touch on projects, getting to know what interesting patterns people are seeing in different parts of the state.”
Dewey’s also looking forward to seeing students’ bat research in their poster presentations. She said even at CSU, she meets students who are interested in bats and want to learn more every semester. She’s heartened by their renewed appreciation for bats.
“They don't hold these sort of antiquated, in some ways, perspectives on how spooky or weird or gross bats are. They are fascinated,” Dewey said. “This is the next generation of people who are really going to take over the field, and their passion and their excitement is so inspiring.”
The 54th annual conference runs through Saturday night. It will be hosted in Chattanooga, Tenn. next year.
