Bat Signals

batsignals

• Brazilian free-tailed bats
university students wearing standing in front of a cave to watch the bats emerge
University students still dressed up from the signing ceremony attempt to catch a few bats emerging from the cave to show guests at the event.
Photo: Ana Ibarra, Ph.D.

Partnership to Protect 7 million bats in Chihuahua

Multinational effort to save Brazilian free-tailed bats
As the sun dipped below the horizon, seven million bats emerged from an abandoned mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. It was the perfect location for BCI and representatives from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua to sign a “Memorandum of Understanding” committing to working to protect one of the world’s largest colonies of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis).

The October 2023 signing ceremony boosted local efforts by Sergio Luévano, a university professor, and his team, who worked tirelessly to monitor the site and protect it as a priority site for bat conservation. At the ceremony, the university’s president even had the opportunity to hold and release his first bat.

The ceremony helped attract the attention of state and federal government officials to work together to secure federal protection for the site. Soon after the event, Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Areas reached out to Luévano to work toward establishing official federal protections for the area.

closeup of a Florida bonneted bat
Florida bonneted bat
Photo: Melquisedec Gamba-Rios, Ph.D.

Big Win for Florida Bonneted Bats

Miami Wilds lease agreement officially rescinded by Miami-Dade County
In a monumental victory for the Endangered Florida bonneted bat, Miami-Dade County has officially rescinded its lease agreement with Miami Wilds to build a water park on environmentally sensitive land at Zoo Miami. The lease rescission letter, sent to Miami Wilds in January, builds on previous wins, including the December 2023 decision by a federal judge that the National Park Service failed to conduct legally required environmental reviews before releasing land-use restrictions on the site.

The proposed 28-acre Miami Wilds project in South Florida included a theme park, hotel, retail space, and parking areas. While development itself is not a problem, the proposed site at Zoo Miami threatened vital habitat not only for the Endangered Florida bonneted bat but also for multiple other Endangered species. To protect South Florida’s unique biodiversity, BCI and partners —including the Center for Biological Diversity, Tropical Audubon Society, and Miami Blue Chapter of the American Butterfly Association — have been working together to secure this victory. With the rescinded lease, we can finally celebrate this win for the Florida bonneted bat.

• esc
view of a bat box int the middle of a Florida habitat
A bat box provides roosting habitat for Florida bonneted bats.
Photo: Melquisedec Gamba-Rios, Ph.D.

Endangered Species Coalition Highlights Florida Bonneted Bat

BCI and Zoo Miami’s work included in “Ten Stories of Hope”
In December, the Endangered Species Coalition released its annual report featuring the year’s most inspiring conservation projects. “Ten Stories of Hope” from The Endangered Species Act at 50 highlighted BCI and Zoo Miami’s work to save the Endangered Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) as a critical conservation project making a difference in 2023. The report, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, also highlighted several fish, birds, mammals, and plants.
Notes iconLearn more and read the report on the Endangered Species Coalition’s website at endangered.org/ten-stories-of-hope/
• Donor spotlight

Amplifying Impact

Ayesha Siraj donates to protect wildlife
Ayesha Siraj headshot
Ayesha Siraj
Ayesha Siraj’s efforts to create content for her own wildlife conservation website, Wildlife in Spotlight, helped her understand the interconnectedness in an ecosystem and the importance of safeguarding biodiversity. This led her to discover BCI, where she’s become a positive force for impactful giving.

Given the pivotal role bats play as a keystone species, Ayesha initiated a matching fund for Giving Tuesday 2022, multiplying her impact eightfold. Motivated by this success, she repeated the gesture on Bat Appreciation Day and doubled her gift the next Giving Tuesday. “It’s a privilege to stand with wildlife and further the cause of conservation,” she remarks on the impact of her gifts.

Ayesha views her contributions as a pledge to stand with wildlife guardians. Her advice to potential donors is to realize the power within each individual to bring about meaningful change.

Notes iconLearn more If you’d like to amplify your impact, email donations@batcon.org
• Annual Report
people holding a BCI banner with the typography Global Cooperation and Teamwork to Save Bats

BCI’s 2022 Annual Report Now Available

Global cooperation and teamwork to save bats
Saving the more than 1,400 bat species worldwide is an endeavor that requires a broad, collaborative network of global partners. BCI’s 2023 Annual Report celebrates this collaborative spirit by focusing on “Global Cooperation and Teamwork to Save Bats.”

The report highlights BCI’s global work, including the Agave Restoration Initiative, which supports human communities while paving the way for Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) to migrate between the United States and Mexico.

It also delves into BCI’s work protecting bats in Jamaica’s hot caves, the recently rediscovered Hill’s horseshoe bat in Rwanda (Rhinolophus hilli), and the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) in Miami-Dade, among other work. Additionally, the report highlights the State of the Bats Report, which involved more than 100 scientists in three North American nations. This type of global cooperation and teamwork helps BCI and its partners meet the global challenges that bats face.

Notes iconRead BCI’s Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report at batcon.org/financials.
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