11/01/2026
As Bat Appreciation Month, and Bat Week draws to a close, we would like to share with you some highlights from a recent Mammoth Cave National Park, bat conservation trip our Volunteer Executive Director, Dr. Jonathan Townsend, and Vice President Kyle Townsend took this year.
Our ‘BBH bats’ spent the week working alongside other bat biologists, researchers, and the legendary bat conservationist, Dr. Merlin Tuttle and his wonderful team!
Throughout the week, they explored cave systems and the surrounding habitats, while mist netting, harp trapping, and collecting data to contribute to research and conservation. All of which directly helps us better understand and protect our bats.
The Townsend Bats (not to be confused with ‘Townsend’s big-eared bat’ - Corynorhinus townsendii) had the opportunity to work with a diversity of bats, while helping with the collection of data needed for their protection and hope for a future. Many of the bats they worked with are listed as endangered. Some of the bats they worked with included; tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis), little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), gray bats (Myotis grisescens), Eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii), evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus).
One of the highlights was listening to Merlin speak about his lifelong mission and devotion to bat conversation, as well as exploring caves, and learning about some of his most personal and treasured experiences with bats. To walk alongside someone who has spent most of his life changing the way the world understands bats is beyond words.
They also had the opportunity to participate in Bat Night at the park, where hundreds of people and their children came out to learn more about bats, and to see conservation work firsthand. Both Jonathan and Kyle said that seeing so many young children excited about bats, is a testament to Merlin’s work, our joint mission, and gives us all hope for the future.
Taking what they learned from their experience, and incorporating those practices at the Ripley Bat Farm will be a critical component to the conservation of our little brown colony. Much of the work we have set out to do, will directly contribute to research throughout the continent, and aid in the recovery of our cave bats.
Bat conservation means protecting and restoring the habitats they depend on. Healthy bat populations are part of healthy ecosystems. Their future depends on all of us - they need us, and we need them.
A very special thank you to Bat Conservation and Management and Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation for having the two Townsends, and giving them the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge to help save our Ripley bats! We can’t wait to see you all next year!
**Note: all bat species were legally collected with federal permits. Many of the endangered bats received radio telemetry tags, and were banded for future conservation data. Federal guidelines require us to wear double gloves and masks to protect the bats. Everyone involved is vaccinated and trained in humane bat handling**
