Funding for "White-Nose Syndrome" of hibernating bats

As you are probably aware "White-nose Syndrome" is acting on bats in some caves in New York and Vermont. It has killed several thousand bats, mostly little brown (Myotis lucifugus) and Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis), although northern bats (Myotis septentrionalis) and at least one eastern pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavus) have been infected as well. White-nose syndrome has the potential to have really bad long term effects on bat populations. At this time the causative agent is unknown, but is under investigation. We do not know if the fungus is killing the bats or if the fungus is a secondary infection and there are other factors affecting the bats. It is of course very important to determine the specific species of this fungus and other possible causal agents and how the bats are affected. It seems clear that considerable cost may be involved for study and control. Virgil Brack and Environmental Solutions and Innovations, Inc. have put up $10,000 for use in study and control of white-nose syndrome and we have already received promise of a match of another $10,000. Funding will be dispersed by a committee chaired by Al Hicks.

The Indiana State University Bat Center has offered to serve as a facility to collect donations and other funding to help fight this disease. Therefore, any of you that wish to donate for this cause, please send check (payable to ISU Foundation/ Bat Center) or your pledge to:

John O. Whitaker, Jr.
Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation
Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809