White Nose Syndrome

(Story Board)

Kimberly Albright

What is WNS???

WNS is a disease caused by a fungal infection that is spreading across North America killing many bat species.

The North American bat death toll from white-nose syndrome exceeds 5.5 million, and continues to rise. WNS has caused substantial declines in bat populations with many bat species now endangered or on the verge of extinction.

Story Objectives

• To educate about WNS

• To paint a picture of just how devastating this disease has bee to bats

• To explain the importance of bats in the environment

• To show bats in a different light

• To highlight the research being done on this disease

• To tell a story to motivate people into understanding how vital it is to save bats and how vital conservation is in general.

Plans for Feature

Feature Article

Audio sideshow with interviews

Data sets/ spread maps

Pictures

Interviews

• Rob Mies- TV personality, conservation biologist, bat expert, author, and Executive Director of the Organization for Bat Conservation

• Emma Willcox- Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries and current researcher of WNS

• Riley Bernard- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UTK, researcher

• Gary McCracken- Ecology and Evolutionary Professor at Utk, has also written several papers on Bat ecology

• The Bat Working Group

• And several others

WNS Feature StoryKimberly Albright

Explain WNS and Bat Facts

Different species and ranges

Spread of WNS/ Data sets

Current Conservation efforts

Research Interviews- Rob Mies

How people can Help

Future Outlook and Bat Myths