Mississippi
Bat Working Group

SUMMARY OF THE MEETING HELD 18 JANUARY 2007
MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Sponsors: Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Chapter of The Wildlife Society

The Fifth Annual Meeting of the MBWG began with a welcome by Charles Knight, Research Coordinator at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (MMNS). This was followed by an opportunity for the coordinators and other participants of the meeting to provide their own introductions. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the MBWG, Chester Martin (U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center) and Alison McCartney (MMNS), respectively, outlined the objectives of the working group and the meeting.

Most of the morning session was included within the Business Meeting, which began with a recap of the groupÕs recent activities. Chester reviewed the many contributions (including publications in peer-reviewed and technical journals) that the MBWG membership made toward bat research and conservation during 2006. Alison gave a presentation summarizing results of the 2006 Summer Mist Net Event held at J. P. Coleman and Tishomingo State Parks and surrounding areas. Alison and Dr. Darren Miller (Weyerhaeuser) each received the Chester O. Martin Award for outstanding contributions to the conservation of bats in Mississippi.

Individuals representing various agencies and organizations within the state spoke briefly (5-10 minutes each) about aspects of their mission and/or activities relevant to bats. (For information relating to overviews that were provided by any of these parties please contact the Recording Secretary at Austin.Trousdale@usm.edu). Interested members of the general public were also in attendance. Attendance totaled 42 people from four southeastern states, the largest and most geographically diverse participation since the group originated!

The following universities were represented:

• University of Southern Mississippi
• Mississippi State
• University and University of Louisiana at Monroe

The following federal agencies were represented:

• U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• National Forests in Mississippi
• National Forests in Arkansas; USDA-Natural
• Resources Conservation Service
• USDA-Wildlife Services
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Park Service
• U. S. Department of Defense
• Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

The following state agencies were represented:

• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

Private companies represented included:

• Weyerhaeuser;
• Bowhead Technology and Information Systems
• The Critter Catcher
• A & M Wildlife Services

Nonprofit organizations represented were:

• Strawberry Plains Nature Center of the Audubon Society
• Southeastern Bat Diversity Network (SBDN)

After a delicious lunch provided by our sponsors, the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Chapter of The Wildlife Society, the meeting re-convened. Mary Kay Clark, Wildlife Diversity Program, gave an update on projects coordinated by SBDN. Invited presentations were then delivered by David Saugey (Ouachita National Forest) and Dr. Rick Lance (ERDC). David gave a slideshow that recounted his many years searching for RafinesqueÕs big-eared bats in Arkansas and studying how this species uses manmade structures, especially abandoned buildings, as roosts. RickÕs presentation was an orientation to use of ultrasonic technology in studies of bats with emphasis on the Anabat system.

The meeting concluded with an invitation to the upcoming MBWG Fourth Mist Net Event to be held 12-14 June 2007. This event will be sponsored by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will take place on the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuges complex. For further information please contact Alison at alison.mccartney@mmns.state.ms.us