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Mississippi Bat Working Group’s Annual Summer Event at Sardis Lake

August 18, 2010

By George Harris, Hayden Sullivant and Shea Staten

Natural Resource Specialists, Sardis Lake

During the warm and humid summer nights of Aug. 9^-10_, the Mississippi Bat Working Group (MSBWG) held its seventh annual Summer Mist Net Event at Sardis Lake. 

Formed in 2001, The MSBWG has set forth a primary goal of aiding in bat conservation through research and education.  Its members come from a diverse background including government agencies and universities, as well as your general bat enthusiast. 

The MSBWG coordinates a summer mist net event every year in order to provide an opportunity for seasoned bat researchers and newcomers a chance to learn more about bat research and conservation. The event not only provides important base-line data to document bat species diversity in an area, but is also an opportunity for people who have no standing knowledge of bats a chance to acquire free training regarding bat identification and bat survey techniques. 

The MSBWG chose Sardis Lake as this year’s site because most Corps Lakes in Mississippi have no documentation of bat species.  For the past couple of months, MSBWG members and Sardis Lake personnel worked together in identifying areas suitable for setting up mist nets for the event.  

While most people have unfortunately overlooked the importance of bats and their significant role in maintaining a healthy environment by consuming a vast number of insects that are harmful to humans and agricultural crops, the MSBWG with their annual mist net events and outreach programs hope to shed light on the good our allies of the night do. 

A total of 35 participants representing the MSBWG, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Department of Interior, University of Mississippi, Mississippi Museum of Natural Sciences, Bureau of Land Management, and the Memphis Zoological Society divided into three groups and set up mist nets along creeks and possible flyways with the hopes of netting bats each night. 

Each bat was weighed, measured, identified, sexed, and checked for signs of white nose syndrome and then released.  Eastern Red Bats, Eastern Pipistrelles, and Evening Bats were netted over the two nights resulting in all bats healthy and all participants happy.   

If anyone is interested in bat conservation, or has a general question concerning bats please contact the Mississippi Bat Working Group at msbats@hotmail.com .     

(Courtesy photos)