In 1998, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) began all All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). The goal of this 15-year project is to inventory every living thing in the Park, mostly during taxon-specific "bio-blitzes" that allow large numbers of biologists and volunteers to converge on the Park collecting activities. Past blitzes have focused on taxa ranging from ferns to beetles to slime molds. Some ATBI participants noted gaps in data on ecto- and endoparasites from bats, and this led to the organization of the first Bat Blitz in the southeast.

From 17-20 June 2002, 26 biologists from nine institutions trapped 205 bats at 12 locations in the Park. Seven bat species were captured, including endangered Indiana bats and a Rafinesque's big-eared bat. Blitz volunteers collected ectoparasites, feces, blood, tissue and fur; these samples were sent to five different institutions for further study on parasites and genetic analyses. An Indiana bat maternity roost was found as a result of the Blitz.

The Blitz also allowed numerous bat biologists to work in teams, sharing ideas and information plus tips on field techniques. The Bat Blitz received media attention and generated several newspaper articles favorable to bats.

Following the success of the Great Smoky Mountain Bat Blitz in 2001, the U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network sponsored a second Bat Blitz in 2003. Volunteer biologists from state and federal agencies, universities, and private companies from 9 states came together in the Ouachita National Forest of western Arkansas to learn as much as possible about the bat fauna of the area while sharing techniques with each other.

From August 4-7, 2003 a total of 209 bats, including 156 red bats (Lasiurus borealis), 25 eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus), 16 evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), 7 northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), and 5 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were captured at 22 sites on streams and roads in 4 Ranger Districts. Blood, DNA, feces, and hair samples from captured bats were collected to aid in ongoing research projects.

In order to generate positive publicity for bats, one evening was designated as "media night" and representatives from Arkansas' statewide newspaper and 7 television stations from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee attended trapping sessions.

Photo of attendees: Joy O'Keefe's 2003 Blitz page.

The third annual Bat Blitz was held from 1-5 August 2004 in the Uwharrie National Forest and the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, an area lacking baseline data of bat distribution and abundance. Forty-seven volunteers came from 11 states, including Michigan, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Eleven experienced bat biologists each led teams of 1-6 volunteers to conduct mist net surveys at over 30 sites in three counties. Each team had standardized kits for collecting tissue, fecal samples, and echolocation reference calls. Seventy-seven bats representing five species were captured: red bats (Lasiurus borealis), evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), Seminole bats (L. seminolus), big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), and eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus). We saw evidence and recorded echolocation calls of two other species: Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) and southeastern bats (Myotis austroriparius).

Data collected at the Blitz were used for local studies of the effects of water quality on foraging behavior of bats in Piedmont watersheds. The Bat Blitz was covered in local and statewide papers and featured as a four minute CNN television piece.

Major monetary and logistic sponsors of the event included Beth Haltiwanger Retreat Cente, Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge* (NWR), Friends of the Pee Dee NWR, Land Trust of Central NC, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, NC State Parks, University of NC-Greensboro, Clemson University, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Photos: Joy O'Keefe's Picasaweb and Dropbox pages. -- Joe Szewczak's 2004 and 2005 Bat Blitzes and other blitzes

More about this event: CNN -- Independent Weekly -- Public Radio (mp3) -- Herald Tribune.

The fourth annual Bat Blitz returned to the Arkansas portion of the Ouachita National Forest July 31 - 4 August and was conducted on portions of the Cold Springs, Fourche and Poteau Ranger Districts located in the west-central portion of the Forest.

Communities located in the vicinity of the event were Danville, Booneville and Waldron. Rogers Scout Camp near the community of Ione served as base of operations to 56 participants from a wide range of institutions and agencies. Sponsors were the U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Southeastern Bat Diversity Network.

A total of 393 bats was captured during three evenings of field activity in spite of very dry conditions. Several streams selected as netting sites during event planning turned out to be completely dry and did not contain pools typically associated with them during summer months. Species captured were 218-Lasiurus borealis, 95-Myotis septentrionalis, 45- Nycticeius humeralis, 8- Lasiurus seminolus, 7-Eptesicus fuscus, 12-Perimyotis subflavus, and 8-Lasiurus cinereus. A variety of biological samples were taken on selected species for on-going and future studies.

The Blitz received local media attention resulting in an entire page of text and photos favorable to bats. Sincere appreciation is extended to Ouachita National Forest biologists Frances Rothwein, Joe Neal, and Mary Lynn Mentz who served as the primary host committee.

Photos: Joy O'Keefe's Picasweb and Dropbox pages -- Joe Szewczak's 2004 and 2005 Bat Blitzes and other blitzes

The 2006 SBDN-Blitz was held August 6-10, 2006 in the mountains of northwestern South Carolina and northeastern Georgia. The Blitz was sponsored by the Francis Marion National Forest, the Southern Research Station, the Chattahoochee National Forest, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Our home for the Blitz was Camp Chatuga in Mountain Rest, SC. We had 62 volunteers, 5 guests, and 3 members of the media participate in and observe the activities. Attendees came from 11 states across the South and represented 8 universities, 2 federal agencies, 5 state agencies, 3 private companies, 2 city agencies, 1 zoo, and 2 elementary schools.

Mist netting was conducted for 3 nights and 31 sites were surveyed. We captured 261 bats of 10 species: 1 Rafinesque's big-eared bat, 36 big brown bats, 141 red bats, 1 hoary bat, 1 Seminole bat, 5 small-footed bats, 18 little brown bats, 34 northern long-eared bats, 2 evening bats, and 22 eastern pipistrelles. Because Rafinesque's big-eared bats and small-footed bats are species of special concern in South Carolina and Georgia, their captures were of particular note. Further, we obtained only the second record of a Seminole bat on the Andrew Pickens District. Thus, valuable data on the status and distribution of bats of the area were collected.

We also hosted a "Kids Night at the Blitz". Several children ranging from 3-12 years attended. Although we did not catch any bats that evening, the children were able to observe free flying bats and hear them with the bat detectors.

Photos: Joy O'Keefe's Picasweb page. and Dropbox pages.

Over 110 bat biologists, researchers, managers and students converged at Roan Mountain State Park, TN July 29-August 2, 2007 for the 6th Annual SBDN Bat Blitz, the largest gathering of its kind in the region. These volunteers -- almost half of them women-- represented 42 agencies, corporations, universities and organizations and traveled from 16 states including FL, NY, MO, and TX.

In four nights, the volunteers logged 248 net-nights of effort for a landscape-scale survey of bats at 50 sites in the northeastern Cherokee National Forest (CNF), plus adjoining state and private lands. Over 462 bats representing seven species were captured or recorded using acoustic detection equipment. Captures included 203 northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), 121 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 53 red bats (Lasiurus borealis), 31 little brown bats (M. lucifugus), and 24 eastern pipistrelles (Perimyotis subflavus). In addition, 29 small-footed bats (M. leibii; Sensitive) and one gray bat (M. grisescens; Endangered) were captured. A total of six new locations for rare species were added to state and federal databases as a result of this Bat Blitz.

On July 29, volunteer biologists gave a bat presentation and demo of mist netting techniques to campers and visitors at Roan Mountain State Park. Print media responses included articles by the Associated Press, Knoxville News Sentinel (PDF), Chattanoogan (PDF), Tricities (PDF) and the Johnson City Press. Johnson City's News Channel 11 (WJHL) covered the event. An article about the Blitz appeared in the November-December 2007 issue of the Tennessee Conservationist magazine and another article will appear in Tennessee Wildlife magazine. A Tennessee Wild Side episode (no. 1409 - link leads to a free streaming video) was filmed and has aired on several public television stations.

Major sponsors of the Blitz included the U.S. Forest Service, TN Wildlife Resources Agency, TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation, Partners of the CNF, National Forest Foundation. Further contributions came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Johnny Lynch (artist), Wal-Mart, and Rise N' Shine Coffee (Knoxville, TN).

Photos: Joy O'Keefe's Picasaweb and Dropbox pages.

The Bankhead National Forest (National Forests in Alabama), in partnership with Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources - Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, hosted the 7^th Annual SBDN Bat Blitz in Northwest Alabama during August 10 - 14. To kick-off the event, ADCNR-WFF non-game biologist Keith Hudson led a field trip to Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge for an emergence of approximately 100,000 gray bats. Over 75 participants, including agency, university, non-governmental organizations, and consultant biologists and volunteers from 18 states surveyed bats at 30 sites during the 3-night inventory effort. Surveys included mist-netting, harp trapping at 2 caves, and an acoustic inventory on Lewis Smith Lake. Seven species and 385 individual bats were collected, including 16 Indiana bats and one gray bat. Common species captured were red bat, northern long-eared bat, evening bat, Eastern pipistrelle and big brown bats.

Data collected will aid Forest Service in restoration and management of native forest types and in protection and restoration of rare communities, including caves, for endangered bats.

Sponsors of the 2008 Bat Blitz were the US Forest Service, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Alabama Power Company, and the Winston County Natural Resources Council .

News links: Times Daily - Montgomery Advertiser - Decatur Daily - CBS 42 Bat Blitz News (wmv 7.4 MB). Our thanks to Tim Carter for providing this video.

Photos: 2008 Blitz and more photos from Joy O'Keefe.

The eighth annual Blat Blitz was held 9-13 August 2009 in southeastern Missouri on lands administered by the Mark Twain National Forest, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Lake Wappapello Project Office), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Mingo National Wildlife Refuge) and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Baseline data were collected for Mingo and two Missouri Department of Conservation properties and supplemental data for the Mark Twain National Forest and Corps of Engineers.

Fifty-five participants from 15 states were assisted by 25 local support staff members. Thirty-five survey sites distributed across properties owned by the four land management agencies were sampled over the course of 3 nights. Trapping sites ranged from upland oak-hickory forest to bottomland forest. Roads, trails, ponds and wetland drainage ditches served as netting sites.

Six hundred twenty bats were captured representing 12 of the 14 species likely to occur in the area. Two endangered species (Myotis sodalis and M. grisescens) and three state species of concern (M. austroriparius, Lasiurus seminolus, and Corynorhinus rafinesquii) were among those captured. Radiotelemetry was used to locate roost trees for a post-lactating female M. sodalis and a building roost for C. rafinesquii. Species and the number of each captured were: M. austroriparius (1), C. rafinesquii (1), L. cinereus (1), M. lucifugus (1), M. grisescens (3), M. sodalis (3), L. seminolus (3), Eptesicus fuscus (13), M. septentrionalis (49), Perimyotis subflavus (72), L. borealis (203), and Nycticeius humeralis (270).

Tissue and hair samples were collected for molecular genetics and stable isotope analysis. Occurrence data will be used to inform management decisions and build research and monitoring programs for participating agencies.

The Blitz was a cooperative effort between SBDN, Mark Twain National Forest, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service .

Group photo: 1500 x 924 -- 750 x 462.

Download the complete GA Bat Blitz Report 2010 (includes logistics and finances).

Hosts: Katrina Morris and Nikki Castleberry (Georgia Department of Natural Resources) and Ruth Stokes (USFS).

More than 100 bat biologists, researchers, managers and students converged at Fort Mountain State Park July 25th - July 29, 2010 for the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network's 9th Annual Bat Blitz. Seventy-six volunteers representing 34 agencies, corporations, universities and organizations traveled from 19 states including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin. Participants volunteered their time and shared survey equipment to conduct a landscape-scale survey for bats in the Chattahoochee National Forest and adjacent state and federal lands.

The event began with an education night on Sunday, July 25th with nearly 100 people attending the event. The evening began with displays and activities for kids presented by Bat Conservation International, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Habitat for Bats, Southeastern Cave Conservancy, United States Forest Service, and other presenters. Vicky Smith from A-Z Animals gave a general bat presentation and SBDN President Dr. Darren Miller (Weyerhaeuser Corporation) followed with a program on Bat Conservation in Georgia. Park visitors then enjoyed an echolocation game followed by mist-netting and Anabat demonstrations.

Thirty-four sites were sampled over a 3-night period. Net sites were located inside Fort Mountain State Park, surrounding lands within the Chattahoochee National Forest and Carters Lake area (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), state lands and other sites in Gilmer, Fannin, and Murray counties, Georgia. Surveys were conducted in oak-hickory-pine and southern mixed hardwood forest types along mountain streams, trails, road corridors and flyways near a gated mine. Bats were captured using a variety of mist nets configurations. Data collected from each bat included species, sex, age, weight, forearm length, reproductive condition and an examination of wing membrane surfaces for signs of White Nose Syndrome. United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Georgia Department of Natural Resources protocols for disinfection between bats and between netting sites were followed.

During three nights of sampling, often between rain and lightening events, participants captured 292 bats representing 9 species. Species captured included 89 northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), 41 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 73 red bats (Lasiurus borealis), 9 little brown bats (M. lucifugus), 65 tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), 7 evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), 1 hoary bat (L. cinereus), 5 small-footed myotis (M. leibii, species of concern), and 2 gray bats (M. grisescens, Federally Endangered).

Wing-punch samples were taken from many bats on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History and fecal samples were collected for dietary analysis. Occurrence data will be used to make informed management decisions and provide baseline data for the area sampled.

Photos - News articles (zip) - News video at the SEBatDiversityNet Channel.