I saw a program about bats on the Discovery Channel in the late 1990's. It cited BCI and I donated to their charity. Since then, throughout each year, I receive updates from bat education to research and conservation efforts. They do so much. I love the student scholar programs too. Their mission statement is simple, yet to achieve ending bat extinctions worldwide, they need to cover a myriad of interventions. It's an A+ charity and I am proud to have been a donor since 1997.
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I have been donating to BCI for thirty years. They have made significant progress in that time. What I admire most, is that they invest and support people and scientists who want to improve the lives of bats. They are also educate, collaborate and work with communities to preserve bat colonies. They have a creative team and are working hard to find a cure for white-nose syndrome.
We LOVE BCI at Austin Youth River Watch!! Living in Austin, the Mexican free-tailed bats are such an important part of our ecosystem. It has been a fun journey of the last 3 years teaching the youth in our afterschool and summer programs about bats through informational presentations, night hikes with bat detectors, partnering with Austin Bat Refuge to see real bats up close, taking a tour on a bat boat under the South Congress Bridge, building a bat pollinator garden, and seeing the millions if bats fly out of Bracken Cave in a Bat-nado!!
None this wold be possible without the support of BCI and especially Erin Cord who works diligently to support our organization and our students in having fun while spending valuable time in nature and learning along the way.
Looking forward to what we will get into next!
WE LOVE BCI!! They have been one of our all time favorite partners to work with, and we have been lucky enough to work with them in so many ways. They have provided such awesome bat education experiences for high schools students that live all around the city of Austin. This looks like:
- Bat education talks
- Nature hikes where we would identify what is good bat habitat
- Using bat echolocation meters to see what bats are around us
- Integrating/building a bat garden at our office!
- And more!!
On another note, their staff is so friendly and easy to work with! You can tell how much they value partnerships with organizations. I love how much the staff care about bats, which are often creatures that are villainized and people are afraid of.
Bats might seem insignificant on the surface, but they’re such an important part of our ecosystem. Thanks to organizations like bat conservation international, these important little critters are surviving extinction. Let’s help them out.
Bat Conservation International has been, since their inception, the best organization that is protecting bats and bat colonies in the U.S. and world-wide. Their extremely effective method has been in educating the people who are destroying bat colonies about the role of bats in combatting agricultural pests. The former enemies of the bats become their strongest protectors, often taking personal ownership of "their bats".
The huge colony of Mexican Free-tailed bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin TX is an example of a once feared population that has become a famous tourist attraction, a feat accomplished single-handedly by Merlin Tuttle.
I'm proud to be a supporter of Bat Conservation International!
Merlin Tuttle was a driving force behind BCI until his retirement - a scientist, photographer, activist, writer. He was so amazing and his books are fun to read. The importance of bats to the ecosystems they live in is seldom recognized, but this is a whole organization devoted to recognizing, studying and conserving bats! The stuff they do is great! Check it out.
I have a deep appreciation for bats and have supported BCI for years. Its mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. Bats are misunderstood and under-appreciated for the critical role they play in the environment. I recently attended several BCI virtual presentations in support of National Bat Week. Very informative and worthwhile. BCI has Charity Navigator's highest rating - 4 stars. I feel confident that BCI is deserving of my donations and I fully support its mission.
Bats are misunderstood and underappreciated. Bat Conservation International gives bats a voice. Their magazine is full of wonderful information about how they are working around the globe to protect bats and the environment.
I hav been a supporter of BCI for over 15 years. Their website, newsletters and gorgeous magazines make it simple to see where they spend their money and the science involved along with success stories makes it an easy choice every year to continue to support them.
I have learned so much about bats and their importance all over the world and I through BCI, I have the privilege to share what I have learned with visitors to Bracken Cave Preserve- home to the largest bat colony in the world. Each bat emergence is absolutely amazing. BCI continues to do fabulous things at the preserve to insure this marvel will be protected and available for us to enjoy forever! It is truly a special place.
My favorite thing besides the people at this nonprofit is visiting Bracken Cave Preserve. This past summer I became a volunteer so I could teach others about the bats at Bracken . My favorite encounter this past summer was with a little girl and her dad that had come to visit the bats all the way from Florida. She knew tons of bat facts and you could see the awe as she watched the bat flight.
As a volunteer at Bracken Cave Preserve I see how much of an impact BCI has on the thousands of visitors we have each summer. People from all over the USA come to see the dramatic bat emergence and when they leave they are in awe of the bats and the impact they have on the agricultural industry in Texas. Without BCI's support Bracken Cave would not be able to continue its role in educating people about the bats and their important role in our world. Bracken Cave Preserve is only one of the many bat habitats around the world that BCI supports.
BCI is doing wonderful work for both bats and humans. Their educational events have helped me learn so much about bats and their integral role in our world’s ecosystems and human society. I feel great about being a member of BCI and knowing that the money I donate is going to help support an amazing cause.
BCI is a wonderful organization that is taking big strides in protecting one of natures most essential critters, and increasing the public's awareness to the value and importance of bats!
Thank you BCI!
BCI and its staff sincerely care about conservation from an ecosystem perspective, which makes them a valuable collaborator when it comes to habitat restoration projects.
We've been working with Bat Conservation International since 2017 growing agaves from seed for BCI's bat projects and they are an excellent partner to collaborate with! BCI has a team of knowledgeable staff that are passionate about bats, communities, and integrity in their restoration projects and educational outreach. I consider BCI to be the standard for environmental non-profits in my book, and as a bonus I get to see the adorable bat photos they share with the world!
I love BCI because all of their conservation efforts are based on real science, including scientific work done by both their staff and collaborators around the world. I also like that they provide support to in-country bat researchers (especially through their BCI Scholars program) to develop talent in other countries. BCI is very good at leveraging resources to get the most bang for the buck. They are a very effective organization and are making a real difference in multiple countries around the world.
Bat Conservation International does amazing work to help bats, who are so critical to our planet's health and well-being. Bats are responsible for pollinating many of our food plants, they disperse seeds to help replenish critical plants, and they provide natural pest control for our crops, which saves farmers billions of dollars each year. The work this organization and the bat scientists do is critical and nothing short of amazing!
Bat Conservation International is putting into place fundamentally important conservation work for bats around the world. I have had the honor and pleasure of serving on BCI's Board for several years, and I couldn't be more proud and excited about the work the organization has done and is doing on behalf of bats. Be it fighting White Nose Syndrome in North America, supporting bat conservation projects in places as diverse as Fiji and Rwanda, or supporting a new generation of bat researchers and conservationists through scholarships, BCI's work is making a big difference.
I think bats are misunderstood and under appreciated. I became a fan when I noticed them flying at early morning and dusk in my neighborhood. I fan them fascinating. Through BCI I learned the important role they play in the eco-system. I appreciate the awareness to the species and efforts to educate and save their habitat.
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It was an early evening and I noticed a fluttering, not the way a bird usually flies. That’s because it was bats swooping in the dusky sky. It was awesome and I soon realized this was a nightly occurrence. Bats aren’t scary and they play an important role in controlling the insect population. We need BCI to continue the important work to preserve this species. Go outside and take a look you might catc a glimpse
I have only been volunteering out at Bracken bat cave for 2 flight seasons, but it's my favorite volunteer opportunity! As a master naturalist, I need quite a few hours of volunteer work every year, and BCI is the best organization out of the ones I work with. They treat us so well and make sure we know we are appreciated. They also allow us to bring friends and family along on certain nights who, might not otherwise, get to experience this amazing opportunity.
- Sara Cogar
Our group had an amazing and educational experience visiting the Bracken Bat Cave. What an important contribution to ecological conservation this organization provides!
One cannot wrap their mind around what would happen if these millions of helpful creatures were wiped out.
The experience of watching 15 million momma bats leave the cave to feed on harmful moths that destroy crops is a huge WOW! Knowing birds of prey feed on these small mammals assures the circle of life. - something everyone should have the opportunity to witness at least one in a lifetime.
Definitely a non-profit worth supporting as their impact is literally global!
I have volunteered with Bat Conservation International for 5 years and I have found it to be a wonderful experience. I am able to help with educating the public about bats as well as helping them see the wonders of the bat emergence from Bracken bat cave each summer. The information provided as well as the visual experience of the bats provides a well rounded view of bats in the natural world and emphasizes their importance for us as humans. In addition, I have been able to help maintain the Bracken bat cave preserve by volunteering at work days clearing trails, cleaning brush, and picking up trash. Overall, it has been a very worthwhile and rewarding experience managed by well organized, well informed, and dedicated individuals.
Bat Conservation International is working hard to educate people around the world about the benefits of bats. There are many endangered species of bats who need our support. BCI is on the front lines advocating to save all of them.
In the summer of 2018 I was priviledged to see the bats leave Braken Cave in San Antonio, Texas. As a sustaining member I am allowed one evening each summer to bring six people to witness the largest Mexican Free Tailed bat colony leave its roost for a night of bug catching (also known as the best way to keep crops safe).
The volunteers were so excited to see each of us as we arrived. They walked us to the viewing area and told us all about these special bats.
I happened to be there the same night National Geographic was filming for one of its specials.
It was an evening I will long remember with joy. I WILL go back again-despite the blistering heat of Texas in the Summer.
Bat Conservation International is helping threatened and endangered bats around the world through education on the benefits of bats and conservation work. My best experience was visiting Bracken Cave Preserve near San Antonio, Texas where BCI manages the largest known colony of bats in the world. At dusk millions of Mexican Free Tailed bats emerge from the cave to feed all night on insects thereby helping farmers with pest control. The bats are an essential predator of the corn earth worm moth and other crop pests. The Bracken colony alone consumes 100 tons of these months every summer night. BCI is critical to saving bats everywhere and needs our support!
I am so impressed with your dedication to educating people about the critical role of bats and helping me fall in love with these amazing creatures! Thank you for everything!
This nonprofit does THE MOST for educating people about the importance of bats! I was happy to learn about ways I can support bats in my own community.
Bat conservation international is a great nonprofit that has helped me as a teacher educate elementary age students. We need bats to carry on the wonderful work they do cleaning up harmful insects and carrying on necessary plant pollination. Our bats have dwindled in number and are needed for man’s survival.
We have been members of BCI for many years and will be members forever. Many, many years ago, I read an article from Smithsonian about Merlin Tuttle to my precocious preschool daughter. She announced that she was going to marry him. I warned her that he might be difficult because of his focus on bats and she responded, “I can handle it”. Years later, in the very early morning, our family watched bats return to Carlsbad Caverns. It was an incredible, magical moment, shared by only a few stalwart folks. “Tourists” always watched the emergence.
In 2010, we watched the emergence at Bracken Cave; another incredibly magical moment.
Every year, when I see scats under my bat house (which I made by myself), I do a little jig, so excited at the return of my friends.
I am a family physician and have written a paper on rabies and bat bites; debunking all of the terrible misperceptions and summarizing what is of concern. There is no reason for people to contract rabies with just a few rules.
My paper, heavily researched, and medically and biologically accurate, is available to anyone that request it.
Photos are of Bracken Cave.
I have been a member of BCI for many years. I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who specializes in bats and before that, a bat love since childhood. I appreciate the quality of the research conducted and fostered by BCI on this most human-helping species. BCI has also nearly single handedly helped to increase people's knowledge about the environmental importance of bats, their vulnerability, and how we can help. They provide a wealth of information, like the bat house builder's' handbook, information for all ages, products and everything related to bats world wide. They even have great bat books, clothes, and other merchandise. I donate almost exclusively to BCI, and plan to leave part of my legacy to the organization because of their financials and the importance of their work. BRAVO! And thank you for caring about and for bats!
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BCI was the first international organization helping bats and works in a broad spectrum of ways to protect them through education, research, fundraising, conservation efforts and acting as an information clearing house, among other activities. I have always found this organization to be ambitious, reliable and effective. This is a crucial go-to resource for anyone interested in bats and I refer people to their website regularly. I have found their personnel to be helpful, knowledgeable and courteous. This organization gets an A+ in my book, and for that reason, I donate as much as I can to them and have done so for many years. Thank you for the great and important work. Keep at it as bats are the most crucial of creatures.
As a bat enthusiast, BCI keeps me informed on all the latest news concerning this special mammal. My trip to Brakken Cave was amazing and far exceeded my expectations. The volunteers and members of BCI were welcoming and informative. I love sharing all I have learned with others.
I got involved with Bat Con Intl in the 1980's when I had to relocate a large bat colony at the University of Florida. With help from BCI, we designed and built a bat house ( now there are 3) that is home to one of the largest artificial bat colony roost locations in North America. Bats need our help and BCI is a great source of research, public service information and bat advocacy across the world.
I've been a BCI member for years. I was fascinated by these little mammals and I felt they were underappreciated by the general public. Through the years I have seen the incredible work that BCI has done, including bringing the plight of white nose syndrome to the forefront. I continue to support BCI in the belief that they will eventually find a solution to this problem.
BCI consistently supports bat conservation throughout the world working with local nonprofit groups and government agencies. It awards researchers with grants to further their efforts and the general public of all ages to become bat ambassadors. Their work has put the plight of bats in the news and who would have thought that bats under the bridge watching could become a tourist attraction that saves these animals.
have belonged to this great organization for decades. Always impressed with the projects and information that they provide. BCI , more than any organization is responsible for saving this species of animal.
I became interested in bats many years ago and subsequently discovered BCI. Whenever we travel, I always looks for local bats and have been able to find Hawaiian bats, European bats, bats in the Amazon and even the very large fruit bats in Australia (picture included from Cairns, Australia). I enjoy the articles in the BCI magazine because I am able to learn more and more interesting facts about bats. Couple this with the research BCI does on habitats and White Nose Syndrome plus working with local populations to preserve bat populations, BCI fulfills a very important role in bat survival. I believe these ecosystem warriors (plant pollinators, pest consumers, etc) need our support and we need to educate the public about their importance and their fascinating lives.
Super friendly. Bring awareness to much-needed critters. Love the stuffed bat I received when I joined!
Where would my tropical fruits be without bats?! With apologies to Dracula, BCI is the best friend of bats everywhere, not just in Transylvania! BCI educates people about the necessity of bats in our food chain and helps to protect bats in embattled environments, all on a monetary shoestring. Go bats!!!!
I give to bat conservation International because the species means a lot to me. Bats are our natural insect control as well as plant dispersement. I have seen their work first hand at Congress Bridge in Austin Texas and how they are working to ensure these populations are protected. I have also used their educational materials in dispelling the myths that surround bats.
Bats are terribly misunderstood and underappreciated and BCI is working to change that. Bats are vital to our ecosystems for pollination and insect control. They reduce the need for chemical pesticides in agriculture and are natures mosquito control. The education and research provided by BCI positively affect everyone, whether they are aware of it or not. Let's help make people aware!
I got interested in saving bats when I worked for an environmental consulting company quite a few years ago. I was tasked with returning some bat photographs to BCI, which piqued my interest and led to asking for information on how I could help BCI's cause ( that being the first I'd heard of such an organization), and I've been a member ever since. I praise bats to friends and strangers, and pass on bits of information meant to get others interested in saving them too. I love bats! And Bat Conservation International, Inc., too.
Bat Conservation International has been a tremendous support to the early career researchers like us. I had never imagined that my aspirations and work will be recognized in first try and will receive a scholarship for my Masters thesis research on bats. BCI is well known to support the students and scholars from developing countries who are very much in need of such resources and also appreciate and provide recognition for their work.
I didn't know much about bats until I did some research for a children's book I was writing. during my research, I got hooked on these amazing creatures.
I now go to schools and summer camps with a powerpoint presentation on bats. Children are amazed at how unique they are and how we need them in our world.
Working at BCI and I cannot say enough about what a great organization it is--we really do work so very hard to protect the bats of the world--mostly by engaging local support. When communities everywhere discover the VALUE and VULNERABILITY of bats, they become bat conservationists.
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Bat Conservation International is an amazing place to work. The staff cares deeply about programming, our partners around the world are amazing, and the wildlife professionals we work witn across the USA are doing such important work in National Parks, National Forests, Tribal Nations, and many other wild spaces.
They are a wonderful group of bat experts from around the world that work together to help conserve bats. They offer training programs and grants to help bats. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department stated they are bats experts. BCI and Fish & Wildlife Services are currently the two main bat expert groups who are helping bats with White Nose Syndrome.
It is so important to publicize the plight of bats. They are not only wonderful creatures, but very important to our ecosystem.
I joined BCI in the mid nineties and they were wonderful back then and for many years. Their work was commendable and I always knew where my money was going when Merlin Tuttle was at the helm. However, I have not seen the same leadership or quality of work since his departure. I hope this changes in the near future. It would be a shame to see Tuttle's amazing life work, and all the good he did for bats, go the way of fat pay checks for staff now. Very disheartening.
Love their work. My one comment for staff: wish you were better at thanking people... I did a birthday fundraiser that raised almost $1000 which I then matched, and I got a form letter almost 4 months later, nothing else. A small thing, but it mattered to me how hard I worked to get that gift; it should matter to your development staff, too.
thank you bat conservation for showing the world that bats ARE beautiful ♥
the world of bats
to some so strange
a world of fear
a world deranged
but in the dark
can you see
what they consider
familiarity
as it glows and leads
the way
so they can be bats
another day
and help us humans
as they play♥
Bats are beautiful when you know how to see them♥ karen lyons kalmenson
Bat Conservation International is an evidence-based, highly effective organization working to halt the destruction of bats by habitat loss, environmental damage, and ignorance. Their research and educational activities are desperately needed now that chemically-dependent agriculture is failing so spectacularly and mosquito-borne diseases are spreading further and further from the equator.
As a member of the Bat conservation Trust and a bat carer with my local bat group, i am well aware of the problems facing about a quarter of all bat species worldwide. The greatest number of species live near to the equator, where they face the greatest threat, destruction and fragmentation of their habitats and overhunting by humans who are ignorant to their status and importance.. Bat Conservation International does a fantastic job in many countries that have little in the way of local groups dedicated to conservation. They help local groups to educate people about the importance of bats and to gather important data about the distribution of species that we know next to nothing about. Without Bat Conservation International many people accross the world would remain ignorant of the wonder and importance of these much misunderstood creatures. With education comes understanding and ultimately a new generation of humans dedicated to helping bats to survive.
There is just something special about organizations which care about the least among us or those that others may ignore. Bat Conservation International, Inc. does such a wonderful job of letting the public know how important bats are to us and why they are as deserving of our love and protection as any other animal. I applaud their efforts and support them. I have to admit I was a big vampire fan so I was always fond of bats, but understanding the real plight of these maligned creatures has made me even more concerned for their survival.
BCI has opened me up to a world I didn't really know about: how important bats are to ecosystems all over the world. I love the educational work they do and I enjoy supporting an organization that does so much with the dollars it receives.
Bat Conservation International is addressing the health of the planet--OUR PLANET--by protecting the world's bats. Bats make up more than 20% of the known mammal species on Earth--and the volume and variety of bats is necessary for so many elements of caretaking--pollination, seed dispersal, insect control. Bat conservation is accomplished through education and successful protection partnerships, and BCI excels at both. The work they do is unique and important and they are a very good nonprofit to support.
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Most people think it's strange to champion bats, but Bat Conservation International is helping combat that. This wonderful organization has helped me educate many friends and family members, who, like so many, believe all the terrible myths about bats. When BCI first started, they chose Austin, TX, as their base of operations because a colony of bats was roosting under the Congress Avenue Bridge, and people, reacting from fear, were killing the bats. Rather than approach this with hand-wringing woe, BCI instead took an educational approach. And now the Congress Ave. colony is a tourist attraction! If only all organizations could be so effective. They are also wonderful about responding to members, and I've received several personal emails from the president and others. Bat Conservation has my continued support in all that they do.
Bat Conservation International was originally founded to counter misinformation about bats. They have done an excellent job of education in the U.S. and around the world, saving unknown numbers of bats. Now, THE BATS REALLY NEED OUR HELP. There is a mysterious plague affecting bat colonies which is wiping them out at an alarming rate. Millions have died. The effect of no bats will be disaster for agriculture. Bats eat lierally tons of agricultural pests. With no bats, farmers will be using way more toxic pesticides instead, harming the environment even more. Bats are also important pollinators. Less bats = more pesticides = harm to beneficial organisms including bees (which also pollinate our crops). A vicious cycle which will have a very bad effect on our agricultural production and our environment--which ultimately affects us all.
White-Nose Syndrome is a major epidemic for bats. (WNS) is a poorly understood disease associated with the deaths of at least 5.7 million to 6.7 million North American bats. Without the dedication of Bat Conservation International, I would not have known the severity of the situation. Bats are critical to our ecosystem, they kill billions of bugs (pests) each year. We need BCI to continue to educate the public on the importance of bats. I support BCI annually, I'm grateful for the work they are doing!
Bat Conservation International members discover the world of bats--and how valuable bats are to the planet. From the magazine to the conservation projects it is evident that everyone at BCI cares about conservation and communication!
Review from CharityNavigator
Many years ago, La Boca Cave used to host an important population of Mexican Free-tailed bat as well as other species. Easy access to the cave made it so vulnerable that the populations had decreased to a very low number. Thanks to the efforts of Pronatura in coordination with Tecnologico de Monterrey, Tecnologico de Ciudad Victoria and the absolute and unconditional support from BCI, populations of both Mexican Free-tailed bat and Ghost-faced bat have recovered during the last three years. While protecting this maternity cave, we conserve a rich ecosystem and the habitat of a bat population that helps us to get more abundant crops and reduce numbers of disease vectors in a wide area. It is not only about a fence: educational material from BCI helps our students to transform our visitors to the cave into our partners in conservation.
Review from CharityNavigator
The work BCI does is unique and valuable. It is odd that Charity Navigator said they do not see audited financials on the website--I found them in BCI's annual report. I think BCI deserves a much higher numerical rating and I hope Charity Nav updates it soon when they do their annual check.
Review from CharityNavigator
I love the work this organization has done to try and save bats. From education and awareness to helping find a cure for White-Nose Syndrome. I've learned a lot from their outreach and hope to volunteer for them when I get the chance. I am proud to be a member and have no concerns when I donate to them.