Bats are some of the most diverse mammals found throughout the world, second only to rodents with the number of species. There are 17 species of bats in North Carolina, 10 of which have been documented in the Piedmont. White-nose syndrome (WNS), one of the worst wildlife diseases, has killed more than an estimated six million bats in the U.S. and Canada since 2006. In 2011, WNS was first discovered in western North Carolina and bat populations in the mountains have declined over 90 percent compared to their pre-WNS counts. In the Piedmont, WNS has been detected in only two hibernacula since monitoring began in 2014 and bat populations appear stable, but the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has only now started to have enough data to develop trends. Overall, there is a paucity of data on bat populations in the Piedmont pre- and post-WNS. In response, the NCWRC has increased its efforts in conducting winter and summer surveys in the Piedmont.

Olivia Munzer (Western Piedmont Habitat Conservation Coordinator: NC Wildlife Resources Commission) has been extensively involved in these efforts.  She will discuss WRC's latest results, as well as how they may affect permitting/documentation requirements. 

DATE:   13 September 2018   New date October 11, 2018 
             Social Hour starting at 5:30 PM
             Dinner at 6:30 PM
             Speaker at ~7:00 PM

LOCATION:  Peculiar Rabbit
                    1212 Pecan Ave.
                    Charlotte, NC 28205

If you have registered for the event and would like to request a vegetarian entree, please contact president@ncaep.org.