Today, Bat Conservation International (BCI) is celebrating. Thanks to outpouring donations from supporters worldwide, BCI is preparing to purchase a crucial parcel of land in Jamaica to save a vital maternity roost of Critically Endangered Jamaican flower bats. This land purchase could be the difference between the survival of this species and the once-looming threat of extinction.

arst is known for being festooned with caves since the bedrock erodes and creates caves, sinkholes, and other natural features. In Colombia’s Karst Corridor of Eastern Antioquia (CoKOA), these features provide excellent habitats for bats. Scientists have found more than 66 caves in this region with at least 55 known bat species, including the Endangered Antioquian sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx antioquensis). The intricate interplay between the geological features and the winged residents they host led to RELCOM recognizing the area’s significance in 2019. Designated as an Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats (AICOMs), the Karst Corridor shows how these habitats are irreplaceable for bat conservation.

Fifty-five bat species sounds like a lot—and it is—and these bats are a diverse group. “The 55 bat species include an array of different feeding groups,” says Bat Conservation International (BCI) Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean Initiatives Dr. Melquisedec Gamba-Rios. “That includes nectarivorous, frugivorous, insectivorous and carnivorous bats, and that area even has one species of fishing bats and vampire bats. It’s an array of all the feeding groups.”

ndangered Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) and agave plants enjoy a beautiful, mutually beneficial relationship that has evolved over thousands of years. As mutualists, the bats pollinate the agave, and the agave sustains the bats. Agaves aren’t just essential to bats. They provide shelter and are a food source for other animals and are important to the economic success of people.

That’s why protecting Endangered nectar-eating migratory bats means protecting the agave plants they feed on. Dr. Ana Ibarra, Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) Strategic Advisor for Endangered Species, takes a long-term and collaborative view towards solving this problem.

Jenna Crabtree, Taylor Francis, Alex LeGresley, Russel Oplinger, Ben Walker, and Josie Shaw, all students from the Aggie Grotto, an off-campus caving club, volunteered to work alongside Bat Conservation International (BCI) staff collecting important data on bats in the Texas Panhandle.

In July, BCI staff from the ESI program and Science Department traveled to the 31st International Congress for Conservation Biology in Kigali, Rwanda. The meeting is a forum for members of the international conservation community to present research and share experiences, and 1,218 delegates attended from 91 countries.

“It’s interesting to see how other conservation practitioners are working to protect different species and habitats, and how that changes depending on which country individuals are working in and what the issues are,” says Dr. Jon Flanders, Director of Endangered Species Intervention at BCI, who attended the conference. “It’s a great knowledge exchange opportunity for everyone involved.”

With the help of supporters, BCI purchased the cave for Jamaican authorities to protect. But as development continued around the immediate area, the bats faced threats from light and noise pollution and human interference.

The final remaining forested parcel of land right next to the cave entrance became available for purchase, offering an opportunity to create a buffer zone around the cave. So BCI contacted its generous supporters to secure the funds needed to complete the purchase.

ifty years ago, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act to protect threatened and endangered wildlife. This landmark legislation was built on decades of work with the first Congressional Act to protect U.S. wildlife back in 1900. The Lacey Act was then passed to prevent passenger pigeons from going extinct. It outlawed moving illegally taken wildlife across state lines. Since then, many laws have helped protect wildlife.

In 1964, the Committee on Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species was appointed by the Department of the Interior, and this committee soon pressed Congress for legislation. In 1966, the Endangered Species Preservation Act allowed the creation of a list of Endangered species and their habitat to be included in the new National Wildlife Refuge System. The first list was created the following year, including 14 mammals, 36 birds, 22 fish, three reptiles, and three amphibians. In 1969, the Endangered Species Conservation Act expanded protection from the 1966 legislation.

hawn Thomas leads the Subterranean Team of Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) Habitat Protection and Restoration Program, which works to preserve, protect, and restore subterranean habitat through federal and state land management agencies and private landowner collaborations. He joined the Subterranean Team in 2014 after working with the National Park Service to manage, explore, and document the cave systems of the western U.S.

ats weren’t Erin Cord’s first wildlife love. She was very fond of one of their food sources: insects. As an undergraduate, Cord took classes in entomology—a surprising choice, given her childhood fear of insects. But studying the creatures in an academic setting rather than meeting them by chance gave her an entirely new perspective.

“All of a sudden, I realized, ‘They’re awesome!’ That was the spark that excited a passion for wildlife,” she says.

After graduating with a double major in Wildlife Conservation and Entomology, Cord, now the Community Engagement Manager for Bat Conservation International (BCI), hopped from job to job doing fieldwork for wildlife research projects. Eventually, she enrolled in graduate school and continued her work with conservation and insects.