Dr. Alex Silvis explains how the southwestern Pennsylvania location of this bat bank allows it to serve as an important nexus point for the region.
This video explains why the bat bank’s location is biologically significant. Using a simplified map of the region, the Dr. Silvis describes how major bat hibernation sites (hibernacula) are located across West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Research and state records show that bats using the area around the bat bank migrate widely between these regions, connecting at least four or five different hibernacula. Because of this connectivity, the bat bank serves as an important nexus point. Bats born and raised here can disperse across multiple states, helping to repopulate bat populations that have been severely reduced by white-nose syndrome.
