News from the Underground Community
Addendum to Latest Newsletter
In the latest newsletter, there's a template for turning your standard NSS sticker into the shape of North Carolina. Unfortunately, the correct sizing of the document was lost in the newsletter formatting, so I've posted it in the files section under "Stuff" in its original format. I've tried to attach it to this post as well, and I hopefully it should work.
If you use it, print the PDF with no scaling so it doesn't get re-sized. Good Luck!
Dan
2012 Nominations Are Now Open!
At tonight's Grotto meeting, officer nominations were opened for 2012! Current nominations are as follows:
- Chair: Caleb
- Vice chair: Bruce Estridge
- Secretary: Janet Manning
- Treasurer: Sue Kettles
- Member at large: Dan Henry
- Member at large: Joel Stevenson
Additional nominations will be accepted through the December meeting. If you would like to add a nomination online, log in and click "Add new comment" below.
G. Destructans Confirmed as Cause oF WNS
Source: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3015
Culprit Identified: Fungus Causes Deadly Bat Disease Released: 10/26/2011 1:00:00 PM
Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communications and Publishing 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119 Reston, VA 20192
The appropriately named fungus Geomyces destructans is the cause of deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats, according to research published today in the journal Nature. The study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and partners, conducted at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc., provides the first direct evidence that the fungus G. destructans causes WNS, a rapidly spreading disease in North American bats.
White Nose Syndrome Confirmed in North Carolina
USF&WS: Malady deadly to bats found in North Carolina
White-nose syndrome, the disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of bats in the Eastern United States, has been discovered in a retired Avery County mine and in a cave at Grandfather Mountain State Park, marking the arrival of the disease in North Carolina.
Scientific Paper on WNS posted December 2010
Abstract:
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is causing unprecedented declines in several species of North American bats. The characteristic lesions of WNS are caused by the fungus Geomyces destructans, which erodes and replaces the living skin of bats while they hibernate. It is unknown how this infection kills the bats. We review here the unique physiological importance of wings to hibernating bats in relation to the damage caused by G. destructans and propose that mortality is caused by catastrophic disruption of wing-dependent physiological functions. Mechanisms of disease associated with G. destructans seem specific to hibernating bats and are most analogous to disease caused by chytrid fungus in amphibians.
Vote for $250K for WNS solutions
The Nature Conservancy Tennessee chapter has an idea in the running with Pepsi's "Refresh Everything" competition. Their aim is to build artificial habitats for bats, along with funding research into the cause and spread of WNS. They are currently at position #102, but with enough votes they can win the $250K they're aiming for - cast your vote today to help out this worthy cause!
USFWS issues $2 million RFP for WNS Research
Reposted from MAR listserv
Fri May 7, 2010 4:33 pm (PDT)
The US Fish and Wildlife Service just announced that it will award up
to $2 million in grants for high-priority research projects on WNS.
The intent is to fund research within three broad topics: timing and
dynamics of the fungus associated with WNS; persistence of the fungus
on bats or in the environment; and susceptibility of bat species,
including migrating and European bats, to the fungus.
Flittermouse Grotto Mentioned in NCWRC Article
NORTH CAROLINA PREPARES FOR DEADLY BAT MALADY