Bats are Decidely Un-Creepy!

I love bats. Yes like the little flying mammals. (And like the baseball kind too, but not as much as the mammals). In fact, for a brief time as an undergrad, I helped out the ONLY bat ecologist in the entire Department of Wildlife Ecology. And I had a damn good time doing it, too.

To wit. A PSA about bats that need our help! Please help these bats!

Save America's Bats From A Devastating Epidemic!

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a deadly epidemic that is spreading among America's bats. It has killed more than 1 million bats in 14 states. There is no cure...yet.

But we have a plan, and we need your help.

See this video news report from WSMV-TV.

Help Save America's Bats Today
Go to the Pepsi Refresh site and vote for The Nature Conservancy's project to build an artificial bat cave in Tennessee.

We're in a national competition for funding throughout November, and every vote counts.

You can even vote via text messaging on your phone. Just message 104201 to Pepsi (73774).

Tell your friends, families and co-workers. Share our project on Facebook and Twitter.

You can vote every day in November for our project. Please do!

How to Find our Project and Vote on the Site
The links here will take you straight to the voting page for our site, where you can learn more about it. The first time you click Vote, the site will require you to register. It's quick and simple. After that signing in to vote each day is easy.

And please add your comments at the bottom of our Pepsi page.

Why Care?
Bats are fascinating, vital elements of our natural world. A single bat can devour 600 insects a night. One million bats can eat 694 tons of insects per year, keeping pests in check.

Our Project
The Nature Conservancy will build an artificial cave near an existing hibernation cave in Tennessee. It will be underground and will mimic the environmental conditions of the natural cave. Artificial caves have been successful bat roosts, but winter hibernation sites have not been attempted before.

Our artificial cave will be a safe haven for bats to hibernate in during winter and a test site for WNS treatments. Several disinfectants can kill the fungus believed to kill WNS, but they can harm other cave animals. Our artificial cave won't house other animals and could be disinfected when bats are absent.

Our Track Record Working with Bats and Caves
The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee has been a leader in cave and bat conservation since the 1980s. Tennessee has more caves than any other state, and we feel a great responsibility for our cave ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee has purchased nine bat caves and manages dozens of others under agreements with landowners.

Please vote today to save America's bats...and every day in November 2010!