What: Laser scan, model, and analyze a bat cave to learn about White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that has killed 5 million bats to date.
Where: Northern Arizona (Undisclosed per agreement with National Park Service)
When: August 15-19, 2012
Who: The U.S. National Park Service, Northern Arizona University, J. Judson (Jut) Wynne
Why: White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is killing bats in the USA by the millions. A creative, AIR conceived solution may prove to be an innovative new way of researching the spread of WNS.
Scope: Bats in North America are dying by the millions from an epidemic known as White Nose Syndrome. Many species are at risk of extinction which would result in insect population explosion, agricultural degradation, etc. A team will join the University of Northern Arizona and The Explorers Club to laser scan, then model, then analyze two bat caves on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The purpose will be to understand how bats choose a cave, the area within a cave where they roost/hibernate and how this behavior can affect the spread of white nose syndrome.
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