Management and monitoring of bat habitat and populations is a top priority of the Ohio Bat Working Group (OBWG), formed in 2011 to connect and educate those working with bats around the state on current issues, research and monitoring efforts, and to grow collaborative partnerships.
"Bat conservation is crucial for maintaining biodiversity, aiding agricultural sustainability, and preventing the loss of key ecological services," said Marne Titchenell, who provides leadership for statewide science-based educational programming on bats in her role as wildlife program director in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Titchenell is a also founding member of the OBWG.
The OBWG was established shortly after white-nose syndrome was detected in Ohio, with an initial goal of connecting individuals working with bats and facilitating the effective exchange of information about the disease. Since then, the group regularly connects and has widened their focus on creating opportunities for collaboration on timely bat-related challenges, including wind energy, habitat loss, and collisions.
Impacting bat conservation statewide through research, education and outreach
With 462 members strong and 11 years under their belt, the Ohio Bat Working Group plays a vital role in guiding bat conservation efforts across the state - setting goals and objectives in research, habitat management, and outreach to support and sustain bat populations both within Ohio and the surrounding region.
The OBWG has been instrumental in writing and updating the Ohio Bat Conservation Plan (OBCP), the first-ever statewide action plan to guide bat conservation in Ohio. The plan serves as an important tool for those working with bats to stay informed of threats, best management practices, research and monitoring goals, outreach and education objectives, and to identify and advance key research priorities in the area of bat conservation.
Two committees are charged with working toward the goals outlined in the OBCP: the Education and Outreach Committee and the Habitat and Research Committee. To help meet their goals, the committees have developed a website that serves as a hub for bat-related information for Ohioans with a wealth of resources from how to engage in citizen science projects, activity guides and lesson plans for educators, and much more.
The committees also organized the first Bat Blitz in Ohio in 2022 — a two-day event, attended by 130 people with 3 primary goals: 1) to survey areas of the state where data on bat populations is lacking, 2) to teach young professionals the skills necessary to study bats, and 3) to educate the public on bats through various outreach and extension events that take place during the blitz. The blitz was hosted by The Nature Conservancy. The event was such a success a second Ohio Bat Blitz was held in 2024 hosted by Western Reserve Land Conservancy and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ashtabula County Metroparks, and Ohio State University Extension.
Bat Rehabilitation and more highlights from the annual gathering of the OBWG
To further promote bat conservation, the OBWG hosts an annual meeting drawing attendees from all over. "Some of our attendees work with landowners or manage public land, many are agency employees, and some are environmental consultants. We also have naturalists, extension educators, and wildlife rehabilitators attend ever year," Titchenell said.
"This year we gave the stage to two of our fabulous bat rehabilitators in the state. They shared their work helping injured bats during Lights Out Cleveland surveys and their efforts to provide assisted hibernation to bats in their care over the winter," said Titchenell.
Attendees also learned about ongoing bat research at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center and ways to implement the North American Bat Monitoring program in Ohio. Breakout sessions were held to allow attendees to share ideas for goals, objectives, and the future direction of bat conservation in the state. "Some truly exciting ideas emerged, and I’m very eager to see what we accomplish next!" Titchenell said.
Source:
Marne Titchenell, titchenell.4@osu.edu
Marne provides leadership for science-based educational programming on bats and other wildlife across the state and develops partnerships for engaged learning to promote conservation and management of wildlife.
Lead image shows one of the bats collected for monitoring at the Ohio Bat Blitz.
Story by Molly Bean, bean.21@osu.edu