Kelly Rulison
Copy Editor
A group of Lewis and Clark Community College affiliates have decided to create a sanctuary for an endangered population of bats. The abandoned agriculture silos at the Greenville College Ayres Field Station will be the chosen sanctuary for the bats.
A GoFundMe was started for this project Feb. 8, 2017 by Robin Ingersoll – Biology, Leigh Buchholz – English, Daulton Ward – Criminal Justice, John Freeman – Computer Information Systems (CIS), David Kerley – Psychology, and Dr. Eric Nord – mentor. The goal is to reach $3000 in order to add a roof for the silos.
According their GoFundMe page, “Our tentative plan is to raise enough money to add a roof and some rough cut plywood inside the silos to support a viable bat population/roost. We have started this GoFundMe page and as well as visiting local hardware stores to obtain donations. Also some other supplies may be needed such as ladders, concrete bolts, screens etc. Please make a donation and help our dreams of a healthy bat population at the Ayres Field Station a reality!”
These bats need a place where they feel protected and have a constant temperature throughout the day. The agriculture silos offer both of these things.
According their GoFundMe page, “Bats are an integral part of the ecosystem and can act as organic pest control. Encouraging bats to take up habitation at the field station can help reduce forest, garden and human-disease carrying pest populations. The silos could also give females a warm, safe place to raise their young. Because bats typically only have one pup each year, populations are slow to grow.”
Any amount of money is one additional step towards these bats getting a new home. For more information about the bats and how you can help them go to gofundme.com or contact Robin Ingersoll at Ringersoll@lc.edu.
How has this worked out?