Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is passionate about the conservation of our native bat species.

White Nose Syndrome in North American Bats

In the spring of 2009, Dr. Diana Barber, the Education Curator, joined the newly created White Nose Syndrome Response Team led by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to address the imminent threat facing Virginia Big Eared Bats. Dr. Barber led the development of the husbandry requirements that were used to bring a security population of the
federally endangered Virginia Big Eared Bat into captivity in 2009. The original design was for this project to be a pilot study of the feasibility of bringing more animals into captivity.
In 2010, Dr. Barber participated in a workshop organized by United States Fish and Wildlife Service; Bat Conservation International; The Nature Conservancy; IUCN Species Survival Commission; and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group to explore the potential value and feasibility of various captive management options for bat species under threat of white nose syndrome. The results of the workshop are being used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to aid in determining a course of action for bats, especially for species at high risk of being affected by white nose syndrome.

For more information about White Nose Syndrome:

USGS National Wildlife Health Center

U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

For more information about threats facing bats in North America and around the world, check out:

Bat Conservation International

Indiana Bat Activities for Educators

Working in cooperation with the Bloomington Field Office of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, MPZBG developed a teacher's guide about Indiana's unique bat community. The Bloomington Field Office is responsible for leading US Fish and Wildlife Service's local and national initiatives for the conservation of the federally endangered Indiana bat. The guide includes background information and activities. Indiana teachers will use this guide to educate students about bats native to Indiana with a particular emphasis on the federally endangered Indiana bat. The guide contains crosscurricular activities that support Indiana's state-mandated education goals in science and the humanities.

Get the Activity Guide "Indiana Bats, Kids & Caves - Oh My!" here!

The Native Bats Project In The News

The Activity Guide has even reached kids in Washington, DC! Check out the Washington Post article "Welcome mats for bats" here.