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Myths about bats and the perils they face; ENC could be key to species recovery after White Nose Syndrome

Vampire bats are the only bats that can run on all fours, and they do it by running on their thumbs!
Uwe Schmidt
Vampire bats are the only bats that can run on all fours, and they do it by running on their thumbs!

Bat week is wrapping up on Tuesday The annual celebration coincides with Halloween and recognizes the many roles they play in the ecosystem and is meant to raise greater awareness of conservation efforts worldwide.

Click the blue listen button to hear more from PRE’s Annette Weston-Riggs and North Carolina Museum of Sciences Mammology Collection Manager Lisa Gatens about the often misunderstood and imperiled creature.

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.