Science

Research-Based Science Informs IFA's work

Female Northern Long-Eared Bat
The Indiana Forest Alliance is committed to research-based advocacy when working to protect Indiana’s public forests. We can best protect Indiana’s native hardwood ecosystem by collaborating with scientists, experts, and researchers from leading universities to prove the value of preserving the natural diversity of Indiana’s public forests. Ecoblitz researchers have been submitting their findings for publication in academic journals. Read their published articles.

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In July 2019, mammologists from Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., a wildlife/ecological habitat mitigation firm, spent eight days surveying bats. They netted 37 bats on flight paths along ridges, over ponds, and in hollows over streams. They documented 13 red bats, 21 big brown bats, one hoary bat, and two northern long-eared bats. Of significance was the capture of northern long-eared bats (female, pictured left, by Cory Kwolek) given that this species is federally threatened and has disappeared from much of its eastern hardwood forest habitat. This bat was Indiana’s most common deep forest species just a decade ago. Contact IFA’s Conservation Director, Rae Schnapp, Ph.D.