Monitoring Bat Resilience in an Agriculturally Dominated Landscape- HOME

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This project takes place at Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska. This project will build a strong partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to determine a baseline for the bat population and determine the bat’s health. 1. Process will include mist netting and acoustical monitoring. 2. Identify specific habitats of bats including the threated Long eared bat at Homestead through walking surveys and telemetry identifying roosting and brood trees. 4. Leverage this funding to become a part of the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NSF-NRT) Program project to study the resilience of agro-ecosystems. 5. Educate the public on the significance of bats in the environment through public outreach programs, programs for staff and journal writing. 6.  Educate the public on the significance of bats through the images of conservation photographers who will be invited to participate in all aspects of the project from the beginning to end. 7.  Homestead staff will gain a broader understanding by working alongside UNL researchers. This project complements the objectives of the National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NSF-NRT) Program which are to: (1) provide formal graduate and professional training in resilience in agriculturally dominated landscapes within participating departments by offering integrated coursework and seminars that focus on resilience in natural and social systems, computational and modeling techniques, conflict resolution, ethics, leadership, and how conceptual frameworks can be applied in integrating science and policy for effective and innovative governance; (2) place students with government and industry partners in co-learning environments to expose students to real-world experiences in problem-solving on watershed issues of societal relevance; (3) develop global perspectives and international cooperation through an international component with the Institute of Water Education (the Netherlands) involving comparative studies of water management in agricultural landscapes; and (4) recruit minority students to UNL and provide them with the opportunity to pursue unique interdisciplinary graduate or professional degrees focused on resilience in agricultural landscapes. Research will be complemented by training activities emphasizing co-learning and co-development of projects, by teaming graduate students with professionals from state and federal agencies and NGOs. The project will meet several objectives identified by the Secretary of Interior; including Priority 1; Creating a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt, Priority 3: Restoring trust with local communities and Priority 7; Striking a regulatory balance. The public purpose of this effort is to ensure that Homestead National Monument of America, located in rural Nebraska, in an agricultural setting, is utilizing best practices to manage bat practices within the monument.  The data is needed to ensure that we are striking the correct regulatory balance as we use science to manage the federally threatened northern long eared bat and their habitat.  This project will provide the public and researchers a better understanding and appreciation of the bats that utilize Homestead and the specific habitats on which they rely. This project will benefit the public by leveraging funds through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.   The scientific community and/or researchers external to the National Park Service will gain new knowledge with this research and related results.  Park management will be able to make informed decisions and be able to articulate these points to park neighbors and others. This project has three major components: Component 1 will be the scientific data collection and reporting about the bat population at Homestead. Component 2 will focus on determining what habitats and specific trees the bats are using at Homestead in order to make sound management decisions. Component 3 will be education:  Researchers will share their findings during special presentations to the staff and public.  The park presentation will be used to enrich the staff’s understanding of bats and their habitat.  Public program offerings will not only take place at Homestead but also in Lincoln; Nebraska’s capital city.  Attendance between 350-400 students and adults will be expected at the one public program.  Furthermore, information collected from this project will be shared through social media, in the park’s newsletter and on Homestead’s website.

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