Tucson Audubon Society

Project Objectives - This Project Will Be Completed Through a Task Agreement Between the Southeast Arizona Group and Tucson Audubon Society. the Conservation Bat Biologist Will Coordinate and Complete the Bat Netting and in Cooperation With Southeast Arizona Group Superintendent and Chief of Resources Following Best Management Practices Used Within the Park Units for Over 20 Years. Surveys Will Be Conducted Year-round and Bat Wings Will Be Swabbed for the Fungus That Causes White Nose Syndrome. Data Collected During the Winter Months Will Reveal What Species Are Active During the Cold Season and Allow Us an Opportunity to Capture Any Bats That May Have the Syndrome and Prematurely Awaken. Summer Monitoring and Bat Counts Will Reveal Migratory Behavior and Monsoonal Bat Activity. Year-round Bat Surveys Can Reveal the Health of the Local Population and Contribute to Regional Knowledge of Bat Populations. This Project Will Conduct ~27 Nightly Surveys a Year, With One Site Netted Per Evening. the Data Collected in This Study Will Be Documented in Annual Reports, and Will Be Available for Interpretive Programs, and Citizen Science Activities. Summary of Project Specific Activities:an Experienced and Knowledgeable Bat Biologist Will Supervise All of the Nightly Bat Mist Netting Sessions. Bat Netting Surveys Will Be Conducted at Southeast Arizona Group Parks at 4 Established Study Sites Following Standard White Nose Syndrome Protocol. the Sites at Coronado National Memorial Are in Creek Beds With Year-round Springs and at Water Drinkers Outside Abandoned Mine Sites. the Sites at Chiricahua National Monument Are in Creek Beds With Year-round Springs. the Study Site at Fort Bowie National Historic Site Is Located Near the a Known as a Cave Myotis (myotis Velifer) Roost. This Is an Important Maternity and Hibernation Roost for This Species and for Implications Regarding White Nose Syndrome. One Site Will Be Netted Per Evening With 1-3 Nets (each 8 M) Depending on the Site. Nets Will Be Set Up Before Dark and Kept Open for at Least 2-4 Hours. Each Bat Captured Will Be Examined for Disease, Species, Gender, Reproductive Health, and Weighed. Any Other Pertinent Observations Will Be Noted. the Bats Will Be Turned Loose After Collecting the Data.performance Goals Including Milestones and Expected Outcomes:one Site Will Be Surveyed at Least Once a Month Throughout the Year Except for April Through June. April, May, and June Are Dry Months in Arizona and Produce the Most Bats at Netting Locations. During the Dry Periods (april-june), We Will Set Up Nets at Each of the 4 Sites Each Month for a Total of 12 Nights to Obtain the Maximum Data. the Total Survey Nights for the Entire Year Will Equal at Least 24, With a Few Extra Nights in Case We Get Rained-out. All Data Will Be Entered Into an Ongoing Database by the Bat Biologist and Provided to the National Park Service in an Annual Report. the Report Will Include Text, Graphs, Photos, and Tables of Data. Statistical Analysis Will Be Employed Where Applicable.the Beneficiaries of This Project Will BE:1) the PUBLIC2) the Scientific COMMUNITY3) the Southeast Arizona Group of the National Park Service