Brianne Walters
Brianne Walters is the Program Coordinator and Assistant Director for the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation. She has worked for the ISU Bat Center for 5 years after receiving her BS and Master’s degrees from Indiana State University. Her thesis focused on the foraging behavior of Eastern red bats. She currently conducts field work and coordinates research and consulting projects for the ISU Bat Center. She organizes the annual Indiana Bat Festival which is aimed at educating the general public about bats and draws around 1200 people annually. She has nine scientific publications and 3 in preparation.
White-Nose Syndrome
A serious disease has been killing off bats in the United States and Canada. It was initially discovered in New York, but has now spread to many of the surrounding states and as far west as Oklahoma.
These bats have a white fungus growing on them during hibernation. This fungus is called Geomyces destructans. It is now estimated that over a million bats have died as a result of White-Nose Syndrome
Photo courtesy Al Hicks, New York Department of Environmental Conservation