Tonight marked the first night of the 2018 Bat surveys conducted on Big Oaks NWR. The surveys are acoustic and take 3 days to complete. A refuge staff member mounts an ANABAT device on the top of one of the refuge vehicles. After the acoustic device is in place, we drive one of 3 previously mapped out routes along the refuge. The surveys must start 30 minutes after sunset. Bats use echolocation, this is the ability to locate objects based on the reflection of sound. Since bat

Today marked the first day of the 2018 Henslow's Sparrow surveys at Big Oaks NWR. Each year, Big Oaks does 2 rounds of surveys for the Henslow's Sparrow. Each day of the survey, we must be at the site by 6 am, where we listen for the Henslow's Sparrow's call, and mark how many we hear and how far away they are from us. The Henslow's Sparrow is a state-endangered species. It breeds in the Midwest and North Eastern regions, and winters in the South and South Eastern regions. Th

Today marked the 14th annual Outdoor Women at Big Oaks. This is one of the largest events to take place on Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. This is a one day event, where women ages 12+ can participate in various outdoor classes and activities. The purpose of this event is to get more women interested in the outdoors and nature. The reason this is an all-women event is to create a welcoming environment, where women can feel safe and comfortable to step out of their shells,

Today I assisted Eldon Cutter setting up Gypsy moth traps around Big Oaks. Mr. Cutter works for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He is part of a state-wide project geared toward the eradication of the Gypsy moth in the state of Indiana. Big Oaks NWR is just a small area of land that Mr. Cutter is in charge of, he has set up traps all along the southeastern region of Indiana. The Gypsy moth is an invasive species. E. Leopold Trouvelot brought the moth over, from Eu