A few batty news bits

Our Virginia Master Naturalists regularly receive local recognition and occasionally receive state recognition, but it isn't often that we see their great work recognized in national publications. Bonnie Miles, a Certified Virginia Master Naturalist with the Central Virginia Chapter, was featured in the winter edition of BATS, Bat Conservation International's news magazine, for her outstanding volunteer work that has raised awareness about the importance of bats. Bonnie traveled to Arizona last summer to get specialized training in bat conservation and management. Since then, she has given several presentations on bats for events on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a Rotary Club, her own Master Naturalist chapter, and other community groups.
"Ironically, Bonnie says she initially feared that BCI would consider it a 'waste of resources to educate someone not directly employed in conservation.' Clearly, those resources were invested well. The welfare of bats everywhere would be greatly improved if there were more Bonnies in the world," writes the article's author, Chris Woodruff. Hear hear!

In other batty news, Virginia Master Naturalists who recertified for 2011 are now sporting their own Virginia Big-eared Bats. Starting with 2010, VMN volunteers who recertify for the next calendar year by completing 40 hours of service and 8 hours of advanced training earn a special limited edition lapel pin featuring a Virginia species with artwork by a Virginia artist. This year's pin features Virginia's state bat (with artwork by Carl "Spike" Knuth provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), in hopes of drawing attention to these important creatures.

And, lastly for today's bat news (and apologies for ending on a real downer), here's an update on the progression of the White-nose Syndrome in Virginia, published last month in the Richmond Times: Strange disease is killing Virginia's bats | Richmond Times-Dispatch.