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On a Bat Expedition
Over the summer, ISB teacher, Jennifer Baldacci, volunteered with Operation Wallacea in Dominica. Her focus was capturing and measuring the bats on the island for a long-term biodiversity study. The program was funded by 16-18 year old students who spend two weeks learning about terrestrial and marine ecology and ecological sampling methods. We asked Jennifer about her experience and what she learned: "I had the chance to brush up on my bat-catching skills and to discover that it is not easy to place nets to catch bats after the canopy of the forest has been destroyed by a category 5 storm the year before. Though we did catch some bats, and we could see them flying and record their echolocation calls, most nights were an exercise in patience. It was a good reminder that living organisms, and the systems in which they live, are not static and in a constant state of flux. Ecology is messy - we had to cross rivers, walk in mud, avoid blister beetles, and work in the rain. I also lived and worked with ecologists who study insects, lizards, birds, habitat, marine environments and river ecology, and learned from all of them." We look forward to hearing about Ms. Baldacci's future adventures!
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