T
en years ago multiple federal and Nevada state agencies began the review process for the proposed construction of a wind energy facility in Spring Valley, Nevada, near Rose Guano Cave, a known roost of the Mexican free-tailed bat. DR. RICK SHERWIN, Associate Professor of Biology, was initially recruited to research how hundreds of thousands of bats use this cave – and if there were potential repercussions from building wind turbines nearby. Sherwin and his student-researchers discovered this cave is a major stop-off in a migratory pathway of the species. They deployed a ground-based radar system to investigate the emergence patterns and altitudes of bats flying from Rose Guano Cave through the area of the proposed wind farm. Data revealed consistent patterns of activity that placed most of these bats above the reach of the wind turbine blades. Ultimately, the data was used to help significantly lower the mortality rate of bats, following the installation of the turbines. Despite learning that Rose Guano Cave served as an important migratory stop-over for potentially hundreds of thousands of bats each fall, the team has yet to discover where they come from before arriving at Rose Guano and CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT
where they go afterward. However, with the support of a $152,000 grant awarded to Sherwin for his research, the team hopes to track the bats to learn more about the migratory behaviors of this species and locate and protect other critical migratory roosts. The data will not only provide insight into the relative importance of Rose Guano Cave within this migratory pathway but also help identify the scale of management necessary to maintain this migratory corridor. A large portion of the grant will provide new equipment and technology, in addition to funding a team of student-researchers to accompany Sherwin on trips throughout the western United States, providing practical field experience. Sherwin began his own undergraduate education at Brigham Young University studying history until he was obligated to enroll in a basic biology class as a junior. “I put it off as long as I could because I was terrified,” he says. “I always liked animals, but I never thought I was smart enough to
study biology and do well.” Yet his professor believed Sherwin could succeed as a biologist. “Once I realized I could do it, too, I switched to biology,” he says. While he was still in school, the Forest Service hired Sherwin as a wildlife technician. One of his first tasks required exploring several abandoned mines and determining potential environmental impacts should the mines be closed. Without any knowledge on bats, Sherwin was given a truck, flashlight and map, and set out to investigate. “I suddenly went from being a technician following instructions to actually being a scientist,” he says. “With bats, everything I saw was new.” Fusing his interest in history with his passion for biology, Sherwin’s research has taken him across the world studying how bats use human-made structures in places like the Yucatan, crypts in Egypt and Aztec temples in Mexico. Due to the difficulty in seeing bats, they have been extremely difficult to study. Even the most basic biological information, such as lifespan, diet and social