Hi again! I hope everyone has been having a great summer so far! I’m so excited to share what I have been working on with BCCDKY!
Since my last blog post I have chosen to pursue an independent research project regarding bat diversity in Boone County. In order to gather data, I have been placing stationary bat audio detectors in Conservancy Park Belleview, Boone Cliffs Nature Preserve, and Dinsmore Woods State Nature Preserve. In addition to stationary data collection I have also gathered mobile data through a predetermined driving route and through the use of Echo Meters. After the audio data is collected, I have been analyzing the bat calls through the use of two different software’s called Kaleidoscope and EchoClass. It has been extremely exciting to see how many bat species are present in Boone County! Not only is knowing the biodiversity of an area exciting, knowing what species are present can help the District in their efforts to protect and conserve the biodiversity of Boone County, as knowledge of the presence of specific species can lead to different forest management practices. If you would like to see what bats are in your area, BCCDKY has Echo Meter Touches that you can rent out and attach to your iPhone in order to see what bat species are living near you!
Aside from my independent research project, I assisted in running L.E.A.F. Academy, a program put on by the District that teaches young adults ages 13-15 not only information regarding the environment, but also skills needed in order to be a young leader. It has been great to see the students grow and learn throughout the program!
Working with BCCDKY has been amazing so far and I’m excited to continue updating y’all with what I’ve been doing!
Best Wishes,
Stephanie Spence
