Win win. A nocturnal Eastern Red Bat (inset) catching up on some sleep as the sun sets on a golf course’s green (background). Fotosearch.com; Chris Harshaw/Wikimedia Commons (Inset)
Do Golf Courses Make Good Bat Habitats? By Yasmin OgaleAug
Many environmentalists see golf courses as the enemy: Their manicured landscapes often replace natural habitat, excessive irrigation causes runoff, and a heavy use of pesticides and chemicals damages ecosystems. But wildlife ecologist Kevina Vulinec of Delaware State University in Dover had a different take: “I was driving past a golf course and I thought, ‘Wow, those forest patches look like good habitat for foraging and commuting bats!’ “
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Her curiosity piqued, Vulinec set out to see if her hunch was accurate. At the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA’s) annual meeting in Austin, she reported that golf courses can, indeed, create a “win-win” situation for both winged and bipedal mammals. The courses serve as a potential refuge and buffet for the nocturnal bats while providing groundskeepers with a free insectcontrol service.