Recently, my wonderful job afforded me the chance to go to Washington, D.C. for an advocacy training workshop focused on a recently introduced bill. The Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act of 2012 (H.R. 5864) was extremely interesting to me as one of the things we contend with in our management plans is invasive animal species. Just a disclaimer folks, any positive or negative comments about this particular House bill are my OWN, PERSONAL views and do NOT reflect Audubon Florida or Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary's opinions. I'll get into more detail about the actual trip later...for now enjoy some D.C. photos! Great quote at the FDR Memorial Jefferson Memorial at night

2012 BatBlitz

Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) When agitated the will curl their inch long ears back! One of the great things about my job is the opportunities to network and work with other organizations. I am a member of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network (SBDN)as well as the Florida Bat Working Group (FBWG). Recently the FWBG hosted the 2012 BatBlitz in Apalachicola region of the panhandle. What you might ask is a BatBlitz? Basically it is "a coordinated, intensive survey designed to sample the bat community in an extensive area. In just 2-3 days, volunteers at a Bat Blitz can accomplish what a small field crew could do in an entire season. These events generally involve a substantial, voluntary contribution of time and materials from bat experts. Amount of effort exerted and data collected during a Bat Blitz can be greater than what a single biologist could accomplish in an entire season." (taken from the SBDN website). There were 246 bats of 8 different species captured. These wonderful creatures are a passion of mine, and I love that my work as a resource manager affords me the opportunity to work with and learn more about them! Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) When not agitated their ears really stand out, especially since their ears are about half the length of their body!