Up To 90% of NJ's Bats Died This Winter!

http://www.northjersey.com/environment/environmentnews/NJs_alarming_bat_die-off.html

Wow, I hadn't heard about this before. I just found it from http://twitter.com/WildNewJersey.

N.J.'s alarming bat die-off

Monday, June 29, 2009

BY JAMES M. O'NEILL

E-mail: oneillj@northjersey.com

Up to 90 percent of North Jersey's bat population was killed off over the winter by an unusual fungus that has been associated with the deaths of more than a million bats in nine states.

This brown bat captured in New Jersey was weighed and measured before being released. The die-off of bats could impact people because the animals help keep insect populations in check.

New Jersey officials are reporting severe mortality among bats at two major hibernation spots in North Jersey — the Hibernia Mine and the Mount Hope Mine in Morris County — as well as two smaller mines near the Delaware Water Gap. Tens of thousands of bats have died, experts said. An estimated 30,000 bats normally hibernate in Hibernia Mine alone, but, in mid-April, only about 750 were found alive there.

"There were thousands of carcasses on the floor," said Mick Valent, principal zoologist with the state's Endangered and Nongame Species Program.

The fungus, called white-nose syndrome for the whitish powder that appears on infected bats, was discovered on bats near Albany, N.Y., in 2007 and has since spread to nine Eastern states. Experts have lobbied Congress for emergency funds to study how and why the disease is spreading and how it might be stymied.

The disease has caused "the most precipitous decline of North American wildlife in recorded history," Thomas H. Kunz, director of Boston University's Center for Ecology and Conservation, said during a congressional hearing this month. Experts warn that as the disease spreads it could lead to the extinction of some bat species.

I always did like bats, so I'm bummed. I remember them flying above the trees that circled the round pool in my backyard when I was growing up. I wasn't scared of them, though some other people were. I'd often hear they were afraid the bats would fly in your hair, but that never happened to me and I spent a lot of time out there. I loved swimming in that good ol above ground pool, what fun that was. Wish I had one now, too bad the backyard is too small!

They best thing about bats is they eat mosquitos. It's bad enough here with the bats, imagine if they were gone completely? I really hope they don't go extinct.

There is a count you can help with, if anyone reading this locally knows past roosts. I'll be at my childhood home this weekend too, I wonder if I'll see any bats? The pool is long gone so I haven't spent much time out there in years, so I can't say how long it has been since they have even been around. And my mom who lives there is is one of the people who were scared of bats so I doubt she knows! haha But I'll look, she's taking care of my dog while I go camping, so I know we'll be out there throwing the ball with him...

Because of the large mortality of Jersey bats, the state's annual summer bat count will take on even greater significance this year. Volunteers will be asked not only to count the bats they see emerging from summer roosts, but also report on known past roosts that have no bats this summer, said Maria Grace with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, which is managing the bat count for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Interested volunteers can contact her at maria.grace@conservewildlifenj.org.

"It's always alarming when you see a species being decimated," Valent said "and we don't know what else could eventually be affected."

Today's Garden Tasks: Updated

1. Pick up garden-quality straw (no or dead seeds) from local horse farm, then spread over paths and around plants (but not touching stems). This straw mulch will prevents weeds, reduce watering needs, and break down into the soil within a season or so, acting as a rich compost/fertilizer. I got this tip for a great new list I found: the veganic agriculture network. http://www.goveganic.net/ STATUS: HALF DONE. The horse farm was literally on the same street as my Aunt & Uncle's house, that I've been going to my whole life. I had no idea there was a horse farm, dog park & nature preserve all right there! It was so cute! The hay looks and smells really sweet. I will definitely go back & bring JJ to the dog park, and maybe even go horseack riding on the trails. Did not yet get a chance to spread it out though, it is sitting in the basement.

2. Mix baking soda, a little biodegradable dish soap, and water then spray on plants to prevent powdery mildew. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html STATUS: DONE.

3. Add more Maxicrop (seaweed) fertilizer. 1 tsp per gallon of water, spray on leaves & soil. STATUS: ON HOLD. Veganic network & gardenweb say I should wait for a soil test and/or just use hay b/c of the carbon footprint from importing this stuff from Norway. I agree & will use sparingly. I think I will put on another teaspoon in a week or so though. Also need to continue researching local sources of NJ seaweed and salt hay.

4. Might also add this fertilizer I picked up yesterday at Lowe's made of soybeans! I was so happy to find this in just regular old Lowe's from the list of ingredients it appears to be vegan! I just wrote them an email to confirm it is. I hope so!! STATUS: ON HOLD. (see above entry on Maxicrop)5. Reset fence & plant a few new plants I bought yesterday to attract more pollinators: 2 shasta daisy, 1 echinacea, 1 black-eyed susan, another yellow black-eyed susan type, I'm not sure the name, & a purple plant I'll have to update later with the exact name too. STATUS: MOSTLY DONE. Just need to trim off excess fence posts, staple down hose, dig a bit more dirt and plant 1 daisy & the royal candle purple plant. Got all the others planted and the whole fence pounded in.

6. Maybe I may even make a bit of compost tea by putting some in a sock and soaking it in water. I have to turn the pile and add some straw to it, too. Definitely the low-fi way of making compost, that I read on the gardenweb forums. Whereas this article makes it a lot more complicated: http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/brewing-compost-tea.aspx But I just may try soaking it just for a day or two and see. STATUS: ON HOLD. (see above entry on Maxicrop)

I need to find out if I could mix the seaweed, fertilizer and compost all in one batch. That would be easiest if I could, but I'm not sure if they'd react with one another or something. Anybody happen to know? STATUS: CANCELLED. Veganic network/gardenweb says no, or at least - be cautious when doing something like this. Might have too much nitrogen, which would promote too much leaf growth instead of fruits and veggies.

PHEW! I better get to work!!